Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order live blog: retailer links, times and stock alerts
We're tracking Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders live throughout the day
Update: See the latest Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order news in the US from our restock experts, as American retailers confirm their launch day plans.
📆 Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders went live at midnight
⏰ Three online stores began pre-orders at midnight Eastern Time
🌟 We recommended this Walmart bundle to save $30.99
🔗 The Shortcut subscribers can access pre-order links to US stores below
📧 The Shortcut subscribers get priority link alerts in our Substack Chat
Switch 2 pre-order links 👇
Walmart: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
Best Buy: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
Target: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
GameStop: 11 am ET/8 am PT: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
Sam’s Club: Unknown time Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
Confused? You can reach us directly for help in our newly launched Substack Chat. You’ll also be the first to know when pre-order links are live. If you have questions about Switch 2 or anything else about tech (TVs, headphones, etc), just ask!
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order live blog ✍️
2:16pm ET: That’s all for GameStop, folks. The retailer has now sold out.
11:42am ET: Probably the most ironic tweet of all time from GameStop’s X account here. However, some people are reporting that the site is no longer crashing and that the GameStop app is working! Worth a try if you haven’t given up yet.
11:07am ET: Urgh, just like Matt warned, the GameStop website really is struggling right now. The GameStop app is also crashing for some, but hang in there. Things should improve, though it’s understandable if people are getting frustrated. I mean, it’s not like GameStop hasn’t had time to prepare or learn from the PS5 restock debacle all those years ago!
10:38am ET: There’s less than 30 minutes until GameStop Switch 2 pre-orders go live! Hopefully those who missed out can snag the console. Unfortunately, Nintendo has issued a statement affecting those who were planning to get a Switch 2 pre-order from the My Nintendo Store. Due to demand, invites might be sent out after June 5, and even if you receive one before then, the console could be shipped after launch. Ouch.
8:29am ET: It’s the morning after the night before, and we’ve seen loads of wins, and – as expected – some L’s from people trying to get a Switch 2 pre-order. However, today is a new day, and GameStop is the next retailer to go live with Switch 2 pre-orders at 11 am ET/8 am PT. Our Substack Chat members have also alerted us to some stock reappearing at Walmart, such as the standalone console. It means Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders aren’t sold out yet!
1:46am ET: Looks like people are having success at Target again! Worth a shot if you haven’t got your Switch 2 pre-order confirmed yet. Give it a go.
Target: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
1:36am ET: Things are winding down now but we’re still seeing people get through via Walmart or the Best Buy app. Of course, there are thousands of others who may have missed out. The next port of call? GameStop. Switch 2 pre-orders go live at 11am ET / 8am PT. GameStop is also doing in-store pre-orders, if you fancy trekking to a brick and mortar store.
GameStop: 11 am ET/8 am PT: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
1:03am ET: Don’t be discouraged. Walmart just went live without a queue and I’m seeing more people pick up the console. That’s crazy considering pre-orders went live over an hour ago. Unheard of, even.
Walmart: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
12:40pm ET: Seeing lots of happy future Switch 2 owners in The Shortcut’s Substack Chat, but not everyone has been lucky. Keep trying, stay persistent, and don’t forget GameStop will be going live later today. There’s also an outside chance available with the My Nintendo Store on May 8, if you meet the invite criteria.
12:34pm ET: Yep, Best Buy Switch 2 pre-orders are definitely live and people are being placed in a queue, including our very own Kevin Lee! If you’re still seeing coming soon try using a different browser. If you’re in line, don’t refresh or mess around.
12:28pm ET: It seems like Best Buy may be live now! Go, go, go!
Best Buy: 12 am ET/9 pm PT: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
12:19pm ET: Things are looking up! We’re seeing a lot of happy future Switch 2 owners on our Substack Chat. Walmart seems to be the most reliable, with Target second. Not much luck at Best Buy.
12:07pm ET: Okay, some good news and bad news. Lots of people are in the Walmart queue, that’s the good news. The bad news is that Best Buy’s website keeps crashing, leading to mass panic and frustration, and Target says it’s already sold out! It’s 2025 and retailers still can’t get their websites to work! Cue flashbacks to the PS5 restock.
11:59pm ET: Some of The Shortcut subscribers are already in the queue at Walmart. Worth refreshing your page if you can’t see it yet! Other retailers are now live, too, so hopefully you can secure Nintendo’s latest and greatest console.
11:55pm ET: Okay, it’s time to open your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order links now! BUT… don’t start refreshing the page until closer to 11:57pm. You don’t want the retailers to think you’re a bot. Also, when you do refresh – don’t go crazy. Slow, steady refreshes is your best bet until we reach midnight. Good luck, I believe in you!
11:49pm ET: I won’t sugarcoat it. Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders will sell out fast. We’ve seen it happen across Europe, and Japan has received over 2.2 million lottery applications just for the My Nintendo Store. Nintendo’s next console is hot property.
11:31pm ET: Baw gawd! It’s Adam! That son of a gun is back! Thanks for manning the fort, Kevin, but I’ve risen from my bed like The Undertaker to take over the live blog once again. We’re just 30 minutes away from Switch 2 pre-orders going live. These are the three retailer pages you’ll want open when the time comes! 👇
Walmart: 12 am ET/9 pm PT: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
Best Buy: 12 am ET/9 pm PT: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
Target: 12 am ET/9 pm PT: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle
11:00pm ET: It’s t-minus 1 hour until Switch 2 preorders kick off. We highly suggest that you double check your address and payment info is up to date on Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. These three retailers are likely going to be overloaded at midnight and it would be the worst idea to try and update your information while you’re trying to make your purchase.
8:57pm ET: Kevin Lee here reporting from Queens, NY. We just made a stop by the GameStop at Astoria near Steinway Street and Broadway Avenue and can confirm that it will have 85 Switch 2 consoles for preorder at 11am ET on April 24. The store noted it had 30 Switch 2 console preorders and 55 Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundles. Go check out your local GameStop to see how many Switch 2 console’s they’ll have available for preorder. We’re moseying on over the Union Square GameStop in NYC next. So we’ll update you again in an hour or so!
7:02pm ET: It’s the final update from me as it’s now gone midnight in the UK. I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that you can secure a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order when they go live. Don’t forget: we’ll be dropping the pre-order links in our Substack Chat as soon as they’re up, and you’ll want to follow Matt Swider on X and turn on notifications. It’ll look like this:
Some final quick fire Switch 2 pre-order tips before I sign off and hand over the live blog to one of my esteemed colleagues:
Make sure you’ve made an account at the stores you want to buy from
Make sure you have an up-to-date credit card on your account
Don’t refresh a page constantly before 11:50pm ET – you might get flagged as a bot
Instead, refresh the page steadily around 11:57pm ET
Use multiple devices to sway the odds in your favour: there’s no harm in having Walmart up on your desktop and your mobile, especially if you’re in a waiting room
Don’t hang around. Secure the console first, then come back for the games and accessories
Good luck! If you strike out at Walmart, Target or Best Buy, GameStop will be your next port of call. After that, it’s the My Nintendo Store on May 8. However, pre-orders are invitation only.
6:45pm ET: Wondering how many Nintendo Switch 2 units your local GameStop store will have? A picture is doing the rounds that shows one store with less than 100 units. However, there’s more stock of the Mario Kart World bundles than the standalone console, which was widely expected. GameStop Switch 2 pre-orders begin tomorrow, April 24 at 11am ET / 9am PT.
5:00pm ET: Remember when I said Amazon was out of the running for Switch 2 pre-orders? Turns out that will remain the case for the foreseeable. Nintendo hasn’t included Amazon as a listed retailer on its website, so don’t get sucked down a rabbit hole looking for a Switch 2 come midnight. You won’t find one.
4:28pm ET: Looking forward to playing Nintendo GameCube games on Switch 2? I know I am. You’ll want to make sure you pick up the new wireless Nintendo GameCube controller for that classic feel. It’s only available from the My Nintendo Store, but it should be available without an invite sometime after May 8. Nintendo has also clarified what I already suspected: the controller will work in other games, but it might not be optimal.
"Since it doesn't have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games," Nintendo said. "The Nintendo GameCube controller can only be used on Nintendo Switch 2 and is not compatible with Nintendo Switch."
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers can look forward to playing The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur 2 on June 5.
4:18pm ET: Here’s one Switch 2 accessory I’d recommend picking up at a later date: a microSD Express card. The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with 256GB of storage – a four times increase on the 32GB found the original model. However, I’ve seen a lot of people picking up a 256GB microSD Express card ahead of the Switch 2’s launch. Honestly, I’d hold out for a 512GB or 1TB microSD Express card if you can, as you should have more than enough room to last you for now. Nintendo’s first-party games, in particular, don’t take up much space, and waiting for a 512GB or 1TB microSD Express Card to come down in price seems like a more future-proof, cost-saving solution. Remember: your microSD Card for Switch won’t work. We’ve rounded up the best microSD Express cards for Nintendo Switch 2.
2:02pm ET: Are there any Nintendo Switch 2 accessories you’ve got your eye on? Personally, I picked up the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera and the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. I wasn’t sold on the Switch 2 Camera at first, but seeing how it displays your friends’ faces during Mario Kart World is the kind of silly novelty I just can’t help but love. The Switch 2 Pro Controller was admittedly a luxury purchase, especially as most Switch accessories work on Switch 2. However, after finding out it’s a little bit lighter, charges faster, and lasts just as long – I’m feeling better about my purchase. I just hope Nintendo has fixed that damn D-Pad.
12:45pm ET: Here’s one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order tips I can give. If you haven’t already, sign up to multiple retailers. Create an account at Walmart, Best Buy, Target etc. otherwise you’ll be wasting precious time registering when you could be checking out with your new console. If you have your heart set on one particular retailer, that’s okay, but when I pre-ordered a Switch 2 in the UK I ended up going to a retailer I didn’t normally use. The first time I didn’t have an account, which cost me dearly. However, I rectified that mistake and was able to grab one the next time it came back in stock. That was pretty fortunate, as the Switch 2 has been sold out ever since!
11:26am ET: You know it’s official when Nintendo posts about Switch 2 pre-orders on X, but who are those “select retailers” it mentions? Quick reminder: Walmart, Best Buy and Target pre-orders all go live at 12am ET on 4/24 / 9pm PT on 4/23. GameStop pre-orders go live tomorrow at 11am ET / 8am PT on 4/24. As for Amazon? Well, don’t expect to get your Switch 2 from Jeff Bezos. Nintendo has some strange dispute going on with the e-commerce giant in the US and isn’t listing new hardware or games on Amazon currently.
10:28am ET: Do you need to pick up one of the many Nintendo Switch 2 launch games with your console? Not necessarily – the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with the best Switch games after all. However, if you do want to pick up a game with your console, the Mario Kart World bundle is definitely the one to go for. Not only is Mario Kart World shaping up to be absolutely fantastic, but you can save $30 as part of the bundle. On its own, Mario Kart World costs $79.99.
9:09am ET: Here’s a weird situation about the Switch 2 launch: if you pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2 today, you might actually be getting the console for its lowest-ever price. That’s never been the case with past console launches – we’re used to consoles getting cheaper as a generation goes on. But just look at the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Both Sony and Microsoft’s consoles have increased in price since they launched (at least outside of the US), and the same could happen to Nintendo Switch 2. Don’t expect Nintendo to cut the price of the Switch 2 either. The Nintendo Switch held steady at its MSRP, and even the Wii U, which was a colossal failure, didn’t get a price cut.
8:17am ET: Want to know how popular Nintendo Switch 2 could be? Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has issued a statement on X, addressing the phenomenal demand for Switch 2 in Japan.
“This is Furukawa. To deliver Nintendo Switch 2 to all of you, we have been procuring a large number of components in advance and proceeding with production. On April 2, we announced the details of Nintendo Switch 2 and began accepting applications for a lottery sale on the My Nintendo Store. As a result, we received applications from an astonishing 2.2 million people in Japan alone.
“However, this far exceeded our prior expectations and greatly surpasses the number of Nintendo Switch 2 units we can deliver from the My Nintendo Store on June 5. Consequently, it is with great regret that we anticipate a significant number of customers will not be selected in tomorrow’s lottery announcement on April 24.”
To put this number into perspective, Nintendo sold around 330,000 Switch units when it launched in Japan. To have received 2.2 million applications is nothing short of astonishing, and that’s only taking into account applications for the My Nintendo Store.
Will we see similar demand in the US? It’s looking like a guarantee the Switch 2 will sell out either way.
7:48am ET: Today’s the day! Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders begin at midnight at Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. GameStop takes place tomorrow, 11am. In honor of this prestigious event, and to give you every chance of nabbing a Nintendo Switch 2, we’re running a live blog throughout the day.
If you haven’t read our extensive Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order guide, head on over and give that a mosey. It contains all the tips and tricks you’ll need to ensure you get a Switch 2 when pre-orders go live. We’ve help hundreds of thousands of people get the tech they’re after, so you know you can rely on our expert advice.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.