Bots are probably the reason you can't buy a Nintendo Switch right now

The shortage of Nintendo Switch consoles plaguing North America right now is thought to be driven, in part, by an automated bot that snaps up consoles the moment they come back in stock.

As Motherboard reports (thanks, VGC), the new open-source "Bird Bot" has spawned a new community in which users either looking to capitalise on the shortage or just get ahold of a system for their own use are sharing tips and tricks on how to snap up the handheld device the moment they go back on sale.

"I decided to make it as a joke, but I quickly realised just how powerful it could be," Bird Bot creator, Nate, told Motherboard. "Me and my friends were talking about reselling Nintendo Switches, and at one point my friend, nicknamed Bird, told me I should make a bot. And here we are today."

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