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 global frenzy 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. Both myself and a significant portion of the IGN staff, along with countless others on social media, have experienced a wide range of issues in our attempts to secure our Switch 2s, resulting in frustration, disappointment, and occasional success.
At Walmart, prospective buyers were quickly placed into a digital queue, which moved forward for some, ultimately allowing them to add a Switch to their cart. However, many are still stuck on a "stay in line" screen without any indication of wait times or success rates. Even those who managed to reach the purchase stage encountered baffling error messages.
Target initially seemed more promising without a queue system, but soon reports surfaced of error screens disrupting the purchase process. Some customers thought they had successfully bought a Switch 2, only to receive cancellation emails shortly afterward. Others reported the system being 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-order process was delayed, with the website displaying "Coming Soon" for half an hour before finally starting to place customers in a digital queue. While some are now receiving purchase confirmations, others are facing similar errors and having to restart. Additionally, some customers have reported fraud alerts and financial issues that further complicate the process.
In the time it took to write this, both Target and Walmart have sold out, while at Best Buy, some are successfully getting through, but many, including myself, are stuck in a seemingly endless queue. Others have received emails about canceled or delayed orders, with no new delivery dates or options to reorder.
2 minutes.... from r/Switch
Target cancelled my order 10 minutes after placing from r/Switch
As the situation evolves, more successes are expected, and there's still a chance to pre-order at GameStop starting at 11:00am ET today, both in-store and online. Additionally, some Nintendo account holders might receive an email in May inviting them to pre-order directly from Nintendo, though there's no guarantee, and demand in Japan has reportedly exceeded supply expectations.
Bots are the worst from r/Switch
While it's easy to dismiss the chaos if you're not a die-hard Nintendo fan, it's particularly frustrating for those who have been through a confusing and frustrating reveal and rollout process. The excitement of the Nintendo Switch 2's initial reveal was quickly overshadowed by concerns over the system's and accessories' prices, which remained unchanged despite a pause in pre-orders due to U.S. tariffs. Nintendo's unclear plans regarding physical and digital software pricing, formats, and content have only added to the confusion. With the looming threat of future price increases and supply issues, it's understandable why so many are anxious about securing a system at launch.
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.
