- Nintendo Switch 2 preorders begin April 24. Getting your hands on one could be tricky. Retailers will begin taking preorders at different times.
The Nintendo Switch is the company’s top-selling home console of all time, so anticipation for its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, is absurdly high. That could make it especially hard to get your hands on one at launch.
Console launches are almost always feeding frenzies. While manufacturers swear up and down that they don’t constrain supply, there never seems to be enough to meet demand. That means people line up for them and they become the red-hot holiday item topping everybody’s list, which garners the company some free public relations as media write stories about how popular the game system is. It’s a circle that the industry has exploited for decades.
(Nintendo has not commented on how many systems it will have available for preorder.)
This year, console launches come with a twist, though. Not only is the Switch 2 priced 50% higher than its predecessor, the threat of that price going even higher continues to loom, even with Nintendo’s affirmation that it will keep the $449 price point.
Gamers don’t generally pay a lot of attention to trade wars. That’s the mundane, real-world stuff they’re trying to avoid. But President Donald Trump’s threatened levies have led Nintendo to warn that price adjustments could come to “any Nintendo product” (including the Switch 2) in the future, depending on market conditions.
So, how can you get your hands on a Switch 2 at its advertised launch price?
Stay up late
Major retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, will begin conducting Switch 2 preorders at 12:00 a.m. on April 24. The system will almost certainly sell out, so if you need to have one on day one (or want to avoid a possible shortage around the holidays), staying up late tonight could be your best bet.
You might want to avoid Amazon in this case. The online retailer hasn’t announced any information on Switch 2 preorders so far, so there’s no guarantee it’ll be offering the consoles in advance.
Be sure to be logged into your account on whatever site you choose—and it’s not a bad idea to have multiple browsers open for several stores, in case the rush of wannabe buyers slows things down. Start hitting the refresh tab at midnight to claim a system.
It might even be worth preordering from more than one retailer, in case one oversells and pushes your order to a later date.
Take an early lunch Thursday
If you have no luck with online preorders, GameStop stores will begin taking preorders for the Switch 2 at 11:00 a.m. on April 24.
Buy direct from Nintendo (if you qualify)
Nintendo is taking preorders for the Switch 2 as well, but not on April 24—and not everyone will be eligible.
The company is letting players who have logged at least 50 hours of play on their Switch and have had an active Switch Online account for over 12 months register their interest with the company. Some of the people who do this (Nintendo has not given a number) will receive a note on May 8, inviting them to accept a preorder. You’ll have 72 hours to accept that offer.
