Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders: A Chaotic Launch

As I begin writing this piece, it's 11:30pm CT, and I'm sitting at my desk well past my bedtime on a work night, joining what feels like the entire world and several other planets in the frantic attempt 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 anything but smooth. Both myself and a significant portion of the IGN staff, along with countless others on social media, have experienced a wide range of challenges, leading to frustration, disappointment, and occasional success.

At Walmart, eager buyers were quickly placed in a digital queue, which moved forward for some, eventually allowing them to add the Switch 2 to their carts. Others, however, remain stuck on a "stay in line" screen with no indication of wait times or success. Even those who made it through have encountered baffling error messages during the purchase process.

Target initially seemed more promising, lacking a queue like Walmart. Yet, reports soon flooded in of error screens popping up throughout the purchase process. Some thought they had successfully pre-ordered and even reached a confirmation screen, only to receive cancellation emails shortly afterward, forcing them to start over. Others reported the Switch 2 being removed from their carts mid-process.

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, displaying a "Coming Soon" message for half an hour before slowly admitting customers into a digital queue. Some are now receiving purchase confirmations, while others face similar errors and have to restart the process. Additionally, some customers have reported fraud alerts from their banks or other financial issues, further complicating the process.

2 minutes....
byu/trashpandacoot1 inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }By the time I finished writing this, Target and Walmart had officially sold out, and while more people are getting through at Best Buy, many, including myself, remain stuck in long queues. Others have received emails about their orders being canceled or delayed, with no new delivery dates or options to reorder.

Target cancelled my order 10 minutes after placing
byu/syde1020 inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }In the coming hours, we may see more successes, and there's another chance to pre-order at GameStop tomorrow at 11:00am ET, both in-store and online, or at other retailers in the future. Additionally, some Nintendo account holders might receive an email in May inviting them to pre-order directly from Nintendo, though this is not guaranteed, especially given the high demand reported in Japan.

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 this chaos. However, it's particularly frustrating for fans who have already navigated a confusing and frustrating rollout. The initial excitement of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was quickly overshadowed by the high prices of the system and accessories, and further complicated by a pause in pre-orders due to U.S. tariffs, only to resume without adjusting the system's price. Nintendo's plans for physical and digital software pricing, formats, and content have been equally confusing, with little transparency or helpful information provided about costs and what consumers are actually buying. This has left many fans uncertain about securing a system near launch, especially with looming concerns about future price increases and supply shortages.

For those eager to play Mario Kart World at launch, this is the current reality. Here's how to navigate the pre-order process if you're still trying.