As I sit down to write this piece at 11:30pm CT (well past my bedtime on a work night), I find myself, along with seemingly the entire rest of the world and the populations of several other planets, attempting to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2. The excitement surrounding the launch is palpable, but the process has been nothing short of chaotic.
Pre-orders were supposed to go live at 9pm PT/12am ET at three major retailers: Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. However, the actual rollout has been a complete mess. I, along with a significant portion of the IGN staff, have been trying to secure our Switch 2s, experiencing varying degrees of success. Social media is buzzing with reports of widespread frustration and occasional triumph.
At Walmart, prospective buyers were immediately placed into a digital queue, which moved forward for some, allowing them to add a Switch to their cart. However, many are still stuck on a "stay in line" screen with no clear indication of wait times or success rates. Those who do manage to proceed often encounter baffling error messages.
Target initially seemed more promising without a queue, but soon reports emerged of error screens throughout the purchase process. Some buyers thought they had successfully purchased a Switch 2, only to receive cancellation emails shortly after, forcing them to restart the process. Others reported the console being removed from their carts mid-transaction.
The Nintendo Switch 2 sold out instantly at Target. This is unreal bro. I refreshed on the second it turned 12 am. Actually unreal pic.twitter.com/LAQ4lC03qw
— Kenj (@Kenjdx) April 24, 2025
Best Buy's pre-orders were delayed, with the website displaying "Coming Soon" for half an hour before finally starting to place people in a digital queue. While some are now receiving purchase confirmations, others are dealing with errors and restarts. Additionally, some customers have reported fraud alerts from their banks, further complicating the process.
In the time it took me to write this, Target and Walmart have sold out, while Best Buy continues to process orders amidst ongoing issues. Some customers have received emails about cancellations or delays, leaving them without a clear path forward.
While more successes may emerge in the coming hours, there's still hope for those who missed out. GameStop will open pre-orders at 11:00am ET today, both in-store and online. Additionally, some lucky Nintendo account holders might receive an email invitation from Nintendo in May to pre-order directly, though demand, especially in Japan, is reportedly much higher than anticipated supply.
While it's easy to dismiss the chaos if you're not a die-hard Nintendo fan, the situation is particularly frustrating for those who have been eagerly awaiting the Switch 2. The initial reveal and rollout have been confusing, with pricing for the system and accessories causing significant concern. Nintendo's decision to pause and then resume pre-orders without adjusting the system's price, only changing accessory costs, added to the confusion. The company's lack of clarity on physical and digital software pricing, formats, and content has left many feeling in the dark about what they're buying and how much it will cost.
Given the high demand and potential for future price increases or supply issues, it's understandable why so many are frustrated with the pre-order process. If you're determined to play Mario Kart World at launch, navigating this chaotic pre-order landscape is the reality we face. Here's how to secure your pre-order if you're still trying.
