TOKYO:

Gamers on Thursday finally got their hands on Nintendo’s new Switch 2 console, which could score record early sales for the Japanese Super Mario creator.

Featuring a bigger screen and more processing power, the device is an upgrade to the Switch, which became a global phenomenon with hit games such as Animal Crossing.

The original Switch has sold 152 million units since its 2017 release, making it the third best-selling console ever.

At a Tokyo electronics store on Thursday morning, Nintendo fans – including 24-year-old Lei Wang, a recent graduate from China – queued to collect their devices.

He had been “shocked” to win a pre-order lottery, as none of his friends had been selected.

“It’s basically just me who got picked… so I don’t really want to say anything” to them, he laughed.

Shinichi Sekiguchi, 31, said he was so excited he forgot to bring his phone, while 33-year-old Kuro said she had taken a day off work to play with her new device.

“The improved graphics and the ability to play with a larger group – I think that’s a big deal,” she said.

Serkan Toto from Tokyo consultancy Kantan Games said he “would not be surprised to see Switch 2 breaking sales records in the next weeks and months”.

In Japan, Nintendo’s online store had 2.2 million pre-order applications for the Switch 2 – an “insane number the industry has never seen before”, Toto told AFP.

The Switch 2 has eight times the memory of the first Switch, and its controllers, which attach with magnets, can also be used like a desktop computer mouse.

New functions allowing users to chat as they play online and temporarily share games with friends could also be a big draw for young audiences used to watching game streamers.

The Switch 2 costs $449.99 in the United States, more than the original’s launch price of $299.99. Both are hybrid consoles which can connect to a TV or be played on the go.