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Key Takeaways
- Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 went live on Thursday. Many shoppers looking for one were met with outages, "sold out" messages, and site glitches.
- Nintendo warned Switch 2 fans on X about the possibility of a demand that could exceed supply.
- The new Switch is expected in June.
Nintendo Switch 2 is now available for pre-order in the U.S. But will you get one?
This week, Nintendo (NTDOY), which is set to release its newest gaming console on June 5, began pre-sales. The device is expected be popular: the company warned gamers of X that there could be more demand than supply. (Originally, the pre-order date was supposed to be April 9, but the Japan-based company pushed back the date amid tariff concerns.) The Japanese company had originally planned to release the product on April 9, but they pushed it back due to tariff concerns.
Nintendo has made it possible for fans to register their interest by signing in to their My Nintendo accounts. The company states that this method is available only to those with a Nintendo Switch Online Membership, who have at least 12 months paid membership, and 50 hours of total gameplay on the current Switch. Nintendo said that those who are selected will receive an email invitation to preorder.
Pre-sales were launched by several big retailers including Walmart (WMT), Best Buy(BBY), Target (TGT), and others on Thursday. Many shoppers experienced outages, sold out messages, and other problems. GameStop (GME), experienced some “issues” with its website.
"The excitement around this online preorder was incredible," a Walmart spokesperson said; the company sold out of its pre-order allocation. The other aforementioned retailers did not respond to Investopedia's requests for comment in time for publication.
Costco (COST), a membership-only store, sold out its pre-order stock. Investopedia reports that Walmart’s Sam’s Club does not have any presale items available.
Amazon doesn’t have listings up for the Nintendo Switch 2 or a bundle with the "Mario Kart World" game. Amazon did not respond to Investopedia's question about whether it might offer presales in time for publication.
