Nintendo Switch shipments being hit by coronavirus, company says
Other companies including Apple have said that supply will be constrained as world fights deadly disease
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Your support makes all the difference.Shipments of the Switch console are being delayed by coronavirus, Nintendo has said.
The company is just the latest to announce setbacks in manufacturing and supply amid the health crisis.
It told customers in Japan that the availability of both the console and accessories will be affected by the spread of the disease.
Production of the hardware had been hit by an "inevitable" delay, it said as it apologised to customers. The Switch and its accessories are made in China, where the virus is thought to have originated.
As of Thursday morning, China has reported the death toll from the coronavirus to have risen by 73 to 563, with the number of confirmed cases jumping by 3,694 to 28,018.
In its note to customers, Nintendo said it expects delays to the production and shipment of Switch consoles and Joy-Con controllers, as well as the Ring Fit Adventure accessories.
In a separate notice, Nintendo also confirmed that the new version of the Switch based on popular game Animal Crossing, which was only announced last week, has had its pre-order date postponed to an unspecified date.
The company did not say if it expected shipments to other countries to be affected.
Other companies including Apple have suggested that hardware availability could be limited as the disease continues to spread.
The Nintendo Switch console has been a huge commercial success for Nintendo since its launch in 2017.
Its unique set-up as a device which can be used as both a home console and a mobile gaming device also helped it win critical acclaim.
Last month, figures showed that it has sold more than 50 million units and the Switch had become the third most successful console in the company's history.
Additional reporting by agencies
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