The demand for the upcoming Nintendo Switch successor, the Switch 2, has sparked a shortage of MicroSD Express cards in Japan.
According to a report from Hermitage Akihabara, MicroSD Express cards, which hardly had any sales due to lack of use, have sold out in an instant at Akihabara stores and online retailers across Japan soon after it was announced that they would be compatible with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. console.
The source mentioned that all the MicroSD Express cards they had in stock were sold out, even though they had purchased a large stock in advance. They couldn’t help but think that they should have made the effort to order a larger supply.
According to Hermitage Akihabara, the recent Nintendo Direct, where the detailed specifications of the Nintendo Switch 2 were announced, led to the exponential increase in demand for MicroSD Express cards at the store. As per the calculations made by the mail order staff, these storage expansion cards were selling at a rate of 5.63 units per minute, or 337.62 units per hour, which is far beyond expectations. They also mentioned that more than 80% of the buyers purchased only one microSD Express card, while the rest ordered as may as three.
Once the next shipment of MicroSD cards arrives, prices are expected to be a lot higher, owing to the increased demand. However, one of the reasons for the out-of-stock situation in the first place is that there were very few microSD Express cards in circulation in the local market. As per the source, there is no reason to stock a lot of expensive cards that, while super fast, didn’t have any compatible devices up until now.
The source mentioned that, in the future, the distribution volume of MicroSD cards in Akihabara will improve with large number of orders, and cards including those licensed by Samsung and Nintendo will be released.
