Scalpers flooded Japanese marketplace sites with Nintendo Switch 2 listings within hours of the console’s Thursday launch, undermining the gaming giant’s efforts to control resales through partnerships with major e-commerce platforms.
Nintendo had teamed with Mercari Inc., LINE Yahoo Japan Corporation and Rakuten Group to remove fraudulent listings and suspend rule-breaking sellers. Yahoo Auctions banned all Switch 2 listings entirely, while the company implemented a lottery system for pre-orders that drew 2.2 million applications in Japan alone.
Despite these measures, marketplace sites showed dozens of consoles being resold at significant markups. The Mario Kart bundle, which retails for ¥53,980 ($378), was selling for ¥75,000-85,000 ($525-$595), while standalone units priced at ¥49,980 ($350) commanded ¥65,000-75,000 ($455-$525).
The Kyoto-based company had created separate Japanese-language and international versions to deter overseas scalpers, and restricted direct sales to customers with substantial gaming histories. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa previously said the company would take “all possible measures” against resellers.
The persistence of scalping suggests Nintendo’s collaborative approach with marketplace operators remains incomplete, as platforms can only remove listings for consoles sellers don’t physically possess.
