As I begin writing this piece, it's 11:30pm CT (well past my bedtime on a work night), and I'm sitting at my desk, joining the countless others around the globe, including those from several other planets, in the frantic effort to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2.
Pre-orders were supposed to go live at 9pm PT/12am ET at three major retailers: Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. However, the rollout has been nothing short of chaotic. The IGN staff and I have experienced varying degrees of success in our attempts to secure a Switch 2, while social media is buzzing with reports of widespread frustration and occasional victories.
At Walmart, eager buyers were quickly funneled into a digital queue. Some managed to progress and ultimately add a Switch 2 to their carts, but many are still stuck on a "stay in line" screen with no clear timeline or assurance of success. Those who do reach the checkout phase have encountered perplexing error messages.
Target initially seemed more promising without a queue, but soon, reports surfaced of error screens disrupting the purchase process. Some customers believed they had successfully ordered a Switch 2, only to receive cancellation emails shortly after. Others found the console mysteriously removed from their carts mid-process, forcing them to start over.
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, showing "Coming Soon" for half an hour before finally starting to process orders. While some are now receiving purchase confirmations, others are facing the same errors and having to restart. Additionally, some customers are dealing with fraud alerts from their banks, further complicating the process and preventing them from securing a system.
2 minutes....
byu/trashpandacoot1 inSwitch
.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }In the time it took me to write this, Target and Walmart have sold out, and while more people are getting through at Best Buy, many, including myself, have been stuck in a queue for over an hour. Others have received emails about their orders being canceled or delayed, with no new delivery date or chance to reorder.
Target cancelled my order 10 minutes after placing
byu/syde1020 inSwitch
.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }As time progresses, more successes may emerge. There's also an opportunity to pre-order at GameStop tomorrow at 11:00am ET, both in-store and online, and other retailers may offer future chances. Additionally, some Nintendo account holders might receive an email in May inviting them to pre-order directly from Nintendo, although demand in Japan has reportedly exceeded supply projections.
Bots are the worst
byu/CANfilms inSwitch
.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }For those not deeply invested in Nintendo or willing to wait, it's easy to dismiss the chaos. However, the situation is especially frustrating for fans who have endured a confusing and exasperating rollout. The initial excitement of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was overshadowed by the high costs of the system, accessories, and games, followed by a pause in pre-orders due to U.S. tariffs. When pre-orders resumed, the system's price remained unchanged, but accessory prices were adjusted. Nintendo's plans for physical and digital software pricing, formats, and content have been equally confusing, with little transparency or clarity on costs and what consumers are buying. This uncertainty, combined with the difficulty in securing a system near launch, has left many fans anxious about potential future price increases and supply issues.
Yet, if playing Mario Kart World at launch is a priority, this is the current reality. For those still trying, here's how to navigate the pre-order process.
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