Best Buy Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order update: in-store events will have limited stock
Get hands-on with the Switch 2 and the chance to buy Nintendo's new console
Update: See our in-depth Nintendo Switch 2 review, which is live after a week of thoroughly testing the new console. Check out our full Switch 2 news stories, too.
🙌 Best Buy is hosting events at in-store parking lots to allow Switch 2 fans to get hands-on with the console
👀 GameTruck theaters will give people the chance to try the console at select locations, while Best Buy may also have limited inventory
📆 The events are running across three weekends in June at different Best Buy stores on June 7, 14 and 21
🪙 Best Buy is also giving out a limited edition commemorative coin for those who purchase the Switch 2 on release day at 12:01am ET in-person
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As part of a wider push for the public to experience Nintendo Switch 2 once it launches, Best Buy is running a series of events in their store parking lots.
Across three weeks in June, the retailer is hosting GameTruck theaters in the parking lots of selected stores so players can get their hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 launch games, while Best Buy itself also may have limited stock of the console on these days, too.
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Best Buy: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
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To be specific, on Saturday, June 7, the first weekend of the Switch 2 being available, the following stores will have the GameTruck events:
#107 Torrance, CA
#1411 Kissimmee, FL
#501 Kennesaw, GA
#454 Westbury, NY
#180 Frisco, TX
The following week – Saturday, June 14 – this expands to even more stores:
#872 Downey, CA
#106 Palmdale, CA
#129 Roseville, CA
#1790 Saint Johns, FL
#305 Schaumburg, IL
#325 South Bend, IN
#1886 Gateway Brooklyn, NY
#589 NE Philadelphia, PA
#169 Knoxville, TN
#57 Arlington, TX
#178 Cedar Park, TX
And on Saturday, June 21, it's at the following locations:
#253 Camelback, AZ
#179 Culver City, CA
#184 El Cajon, CA
#141 Modesto, CA
#424 Gainesville, FL
#311 Burbank, IL
#230 Greenwood, IN
#472 Union, NJ
#453 Salem, OR
#269 Springfield, VA
In addition to these events, Best Buy is also offering a limited edition commemorative coin for those who purchase a console at 12.01am ET at a late-night store opening event that features special Nintendo and Best Buy branding on either side with 2025 on it. Inventory is unsurprisingly limited, so you'll have to get there early if you want one.
Best Buy has said that most stores will be opening at midnight ET on the Switch 2's June 5 release date, as per a corporate announcement, with their Chief Merchandising Officer, Patrick McGinnis, adding the following comment:
“There are some moments gamers don’t forget, and one of those is the excitement and anticipation that comes with being one of the first to get the hot new console on launch night. We can’t wait to bring that moment to life with the Nintendo Switch 2, and help customers level up their gaming experience.”
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.