After a tariff-induced delay, pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 are set to open up on Thursday, April 24. While Nintendo has made a concerted effort to deliver enough supply to meet demand, it's undoubtedly going to be a mad rush when pre-orders begin.
We're not sure exactly how many units are being allocated to the United States, but we saw the Switch 2 sell out almost immediately in other regions. Add in the fact that you're not only competing with other gamers to get one, but also scalpers who are trying to take advantage of desperation at secondhand market rates.
The Switch 2 doesn't launch until Thursday, June 5th, assuming there aren't any more setbacks brought on by tariffs. While retailers will likely have consoles available to buy on launch day, pre-ordering is your safest bet.
Ahead of the big event, retailers have already announced when pre-orders for the Switch 2 will begin exactly. For most of them, they will be available the moment the clock strikes midnight on Thursday, April 24th with GameStop being the only exception. Below are the start times for Switch 2 pre-orders at most major U.S. retailers and the links to their digital pre-order page.
Best Buy Switch 2 Pre-Order Details
Pre-orders for the Switch 2 will begin at Best Buy on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at midnight ET. You'll be able to pre-order the system, games, and accessories for pickup at a late-night store opening on Thursday, 6/5/25 at 12:01 a.m. ET (the day the Switch 2 launches), or choose shipping for delivery at a later date.
You can pre-order from Best Buy here. There's the $449.99 standalone Switch 2 along with the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle for $499.99.
Walmart Switch 2 Pre-Order Details
Like Best Buy, Walmart is also opening up pre-orders for the Switch 2 on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at midnight ET. Both the standalone console and the Mario Kart World Bundle will be available. In addition to the console, many Switch 2 games will be available for pre-order as well, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of hte Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Donkey Kong Bananza, and more. In fact, some games are already available for pre-order right now. Walmart is offering free delivery by 9:00 a.m. on June 5th for those who pre-order on April 24th.
You can pre-order from Walmart here.
Target Switch 2 Pre-Order Details
Switch 2 pre-orders will also begin at 12:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 24th at Target. This will include the new console and all of the games and accessories. Both console options will be available, along with the usual assortment of games and accessories.
You can pre-order from Target here.
GameStop Switch 2 Pre-Order Details
Video game retail giant GameStop is the only one so far breaking from the molde. Pre-orders still will begin both in-store and online on April 24th; however, they do not start until 11:00 a.m. EST. This is actually somewhat of a good thing since if you miss out on the midnight rush, you still have a chance to get one at GameStop.
GameStop also notes that it will hold midnight releases at all stores on June 5, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. EST / June 4, 2025 at 9:00 p.m. PST.
You can pre-order from GameStop here.
Amazon Switch 2 Pre-Order Details
Interestingly, we still don't have pre-order details for Amazon yet. The largest digital storefront has not announced when pre-orders for the Switch 2 will go live. There does appear to be a placeholder page set up, but there are no actual details. I can't imagine Amazon won't have some Switch 2 consoles available, but it looks like it will be a stealth drop, perhaps as a way to slow scalpers.
My Nintendo Store Pre-Order Details
In order to purchase a Switch 2 from the My Nintendo Store, you'll first need to sign in with your Nintendo Account and register your interest in purchasing a Switch 2 and/or accessories. When it's your time to purchase one, you'll be sent an email. This invitation will only be valid for 72 hours. Nintendo notes:
Invitation emails will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased 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. Once invitation emails have been sent to all registrants meeting the priority criteria, invitations will be sent to remaining eligible registrants on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch on June 5, 2025. Nintendo opted not to raise the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 console after the U.S. tariffs, but they did increase the cost of its accessories. Here are the updated Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices as of April 18, 2025:
- Nintendo Switch 2 - $449.99
- Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle - $499.99
- Mario Kart World - $79.99
- Donkey Kong Bananza - $69.99
- Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller - $84.99
- Joy-Con 2 Pair - $94.99
- Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip - $39.99
- Joy-Con 2 Strap - $13.99
- Joy-Con 2 Wheel Set - $24.99
- Nintendo Switch 2 Camera - $54.99
- Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set - $119.99
- Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector - $39.99
- Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case - $84.99
- Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter - $34.99
- Samsung microSD Express Card – 256GB for Nintendo Switch™ 2 - $59.99