TOKYO >> The spread of the new coronavirus has boosted sales of home video game consoles in Japan.

But problems such as delays in production, pauses in shipments and flight shortages have made it difficult to meet demand.

According to gaming magazine Famitsu, Nintendo sold 836,000 Nintendo Switch consoles last month, more than double its sales in February. The console has been in short supply at retail stores.

Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4 also saw an increase, selling nearly 2-1/2 times as many units in March as in February. The uptick was exceptional, given that PlayStation 4 was launched six years ago and a new PlayStation model is scheduled to be released at the end of the year.

Games on computers and smartphones are also gaining in popularity. According to Lenovo Japan, sales of gaming PCs tripled in March from the previous year.

The World Health Organization, meanwhile, which had previously warned that too much time spent playing video games could fuel addiction, had an about-face. Its new position is that gaming can be an effective way to keep young people at home.