Nintendo is reportedly boosting production of Switch consoles

Nintendo is ramping up its production order of Switch consoles ahead of the increased demand expected during the 2017 holiday shopping season, reports the Financial Times.

The console sold extremely well following its launch in March, and it’s been difficult to find them in stores before they sell out. The Japanese gaming company already reportedly boosted its production order in March: The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was aiming to produce at least 16 million consoles this fiscal year. The company now appears to be aiming to manufacture at least 18 million units between now and March 2018, citing fears of “customer tantrums” during the holiday season.

The Financial Times notes that Nintendo has “denied that it had plans to boost production to that level, sticking to its official hardware shipment target of 10” million units, but analysts believe that the company is on track to produce upwards of twice that.

Increasing the number of consoles out there would certainly help with demand, and Nintendo has seen a string of shortages with the Switch and its now-discontinued NES Classic. But the increase could mean problems on the production side, and the Financial Times notes that the company could face supply shortages, such as with the LCD screens that the devices use. Hopefully, a production boost will mean that some consumers might reasonably expect to get their hands on one of the devices sometime this year.