The Nintendo Switch is launching ‘soon’ in Brazil

The Nintendo Switch is finally launching in Brazil, but when exactly?

Despite reported shortages worldwide, Nintendo is ready to bring the Nintendo Switch to Brazil. In a simple post across social media, it was announced that the hybrid console will be coming “soon” to the South American country.

Unfortunately, no specific date was provided as Nintendo urged fans to follow it on Facebook and Instagram for more details.

Despite being the fourth-largest gaming market in the world, according to Comscore, Nintendo stopped selling consoles and physical games in Brazil in 2015 due to the country’s high tariffs on electronics. As a result, fans have been forced to resort to third-party sellers, often paying a much higher price.

Nintendo still distributes products elsewhere in South America but it’s still expensive to import them into Brazil. Currently, Brazilians pay around double the original price to import the Switch.

Nintendo didn’t announce a specific release for the Switch or how much it will cost, but one has to expect it will be somewhat cheaper than buying it from a third-party seller.

Not only is this great for Brazilians but it should also benefit Nintendo’s bottom line. There are an estimated 84 million gamers in Brazil, making it a lucrative market for Nintendo to finally tap in to. Of course, “soon” is a relative term so it’s unclear exactly when the Nintendo Switch will launch in Brazil.

It’s interesting that Nintendo would make this announcement now amidst worldwide shortages for the Nintendo Switch. Since March, around the time COVID-19 started impacting the world, Nintendo has struggled to meet increased demand due to supply shortages. Manufacturing delays caused by the coronavirus led to limited supply. Nintendo couldn’t say when these shortages would be resolved but it appears, given their announcement today, that things seem to be back on track.