What to know about the Nintendo Switch 2 preorder chaos
The launch of Nintendo Switch 2 preorders turned into digital chaos overnight.
Preorders for the new gaming system officially opened at midnight ET across several major retailers, leaving buyers frustrated as websites crashed and inventory vanished within minutes.
Below, read everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 preorder and other important details about the new console.
What happened?
Target, Walmart and Best Buy shoppers hoping to preorder the new gaming console and related game bundles at midnight reported encountering checkout errors, address verification failures and payment glitches, The Verge reported Thursday.
According to the outlet, Walmart implemented a virtual queue system, but users faced long wait times and technical issues.
Some shoppers were able to complete their purchases, while others were met with error messages or found the console sold out by the time they reached checkout.
GameStop's preorder went live at 11 am, and both the console and Mario Kart World Bundle sold out quickly, after shoppers experienced some technical difficulties at the outset, according to The Verge.
Already, video game website Kotaku has reported spotting dozens of eBay resale listings for the new console, many of them being sold for upwards of $700. According to the outlet, while some of the listings appear to be real, others seem to be fake, generated to target bots and those looking to resell at wildly inflated prices.
ABC News has reached out to Target, Best Buy, Nintendo and GameStop for comment on the Nintendo Switch 2 preorders.
A Walmart spokesperson told ABC News in an email Thursday, "The excitement around this online preorder was incredible, and it sold out quickly due to high demand. The product officially launches on June 5, giving customers another opportunity to purchase it."
What to do if you weren't able to preorder a Nintendo Switch 2
Those who missed out on the Nintendo Switch 2 preorder may be out of luck at the moment, as the console and bundles appear to be sold out in the U.S. -- for now.
Those eager to try their luck again can also register to preorder the Switch 2 through the My Nintendo Store, so long as they have a Nintendo Switch Online membership (more on that below).
How to preorder the Switch 2 through the My Nintendo Store
According to instructions on Nintendo's website, customers hoping to preorder the new console -- including those who missed out on preorders at other retailers -- can still try their luck though the My Nintendo Store.
There are a few caveats: In order to preorder through the My Nintendo Store, customers must have a Nintendo Switch Online membership "with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025," and they'll be required to sign into their Nintendo Account in order to register their interest.
"We'll be in touch with an invitation email once it's your turn to shop," the website notes.
The website also states that invitation emails, which will begin going out May 8, will subsequently be emailed to "remaining eligible registrants on a first-come, first-served basis."
Nintendo warns that My Nintendo Store orders could be delayed
In an update on its website this week, Nintendo warned customers that preorders of the Nintendo Switch 2 from the My Nintendo Store could be delayed due to high demand.
"We're thrilled by the enthusiasm for Nintendo Switch 2!" the company wrote on its U.S. website. "Due to the very high demand, we will be working diligently to fulfill orders as product becomes available, but delivery by June 5 is not guaranteed."
More than 2 million Japanese customers applied to preorder the Switch 2
Nintendo announced earlier this week that a "significant number" of Japanese customers would likely be unable to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2, given the high volume of applications for the My Nintendo Store lottery sale.
According to a statement from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa on Wednesday, the company received "an extremely large number" of preorder lottery applications ahead of April 24, "approximately 2.2 million people in Japan alone."
"This number far exceeds our expectations, and far exceeds the number of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that can be delivered from the My Nintendo Store on June 5th," Furukawa said in the statement, which was shared on X.
Original preorder date was delayed by tariff concerns
Nintendo had originally announced that preorders would go live in the U.S. on April 9 ahead of a June 5 launch but delayed the rollout after President Donald Trump announced a new round of "reciprocal tariffs," which he later walked back, instituting a 90-day pause.
Nintendo later announced on April 18 that preorders would go live April 24.
How much is the Nintendo Switch 2?
Amid Trump's back-and-forth trade war, Nintendo said in its April 18 statement that prices for the standalone console and the Nintendo Switch 2 console and game bundle would both "remain as announced on April 2," at $449.99 and $499.99, respectively.
However, Nintendo noted that Switch 2 accessories "will experience price adjustments from those announced on April 2 due to changes in market conditions," and that "other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions."
When will the Nintendo Switch 2 be released?
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to officially launch June 5, 2025.
Nintendo Switch 2 tech specs
The Nintendo Switch 2 first-look trailer, which was released in January, gave fans a peek at the Switch 2, which appeared to have a larger display compared to the original Switch model, among other new capabilities.
Nintendo confirmed earlier in April that the Switch 2 has "a large 7.9-inch built-in LCD screen that displays in full HD at 1080p while maintaining the same thickness of Nintendo Switch."
Additionally, according to Nintendo, the Joy-Con 2 controllers that come with the Nintendo Switch 2 are "newly designed" and will "magnetically attach to the Nintendo Switch 2 console."
"In addition, either Joy-Con 2 controller can be operated like a mouse by sliding it on a surface like a table or on a pair of pants," the company said at the time. "They can be used in multiple ways, including for games that require aiming."
The Switch 2 also boasts a new GameChat feature, which allows users to "play games and talk like everyone is in the same room, even if they are miles apart," Nintendo said, and the system's built-in mic "can be used to voice chat while playing games with up to 12 people in different locations."
Finally, Nintendo noted that the new console boasts 256 GB of storage space, eight times the storage capacity of the original Switch -- good news for avid Nintendo users always running out of space to download new games.
"For additional storage, Nintendo Switch 2 only uses microSD Express cards, which have faster data reading speeds than previous microSD models," the company said at the time.
What comes with the Nintendo Switch 2?
According to Nintendo, the new Switch console comes with the following:
- Nintendo Switch 2 console
- Joy-Con 2 controllers (left and right)
- Joy-Con 2 Grip
- Joy-Con 2 Straps
- Nintendo Switch 2 Dock
- Ultra High-Speed HDMI Cable
- Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter
- USB-C Charging Cable
More details
For further details on the Switch 2, including compatibility, new games and upgraded game editions, click here.
