Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders Chaotic Launch

As I begin writing this piece, I'm sitting at my desk at 11:30pm CT (well past my bedtime on a work night) trying, along with seemingly the entire rest of the world and the populations of several other planets, to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2. Pre-orders went live at 9pm PT/12am ET at three different retailers: Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. Or at least, they were *supposed* to, but the actual rollout so far has been a chaotic mess. Myself and a big chunk of the IGN staff have been attempting to secure our Switch 2s with varying degrees of success, while social media is flooded with reports of numerous issues, resulting in widespread frustration, disappointment, and occasional triumph.

Over at Walmart, eager Nintendo Switch 2 buyers were immediately placed into a digital queue, and while some managed to progress and eventually add a Switch to their carts, others remain stuck on a "stay in line" screen with no indication of wait time or success probability. Those who reached the purchasing stage encountered baffling error messages, as seen here:

Target initially seemed more successful without a queue system, but soon reports emerged of error screens disrupting the purchase process. Some customers believed they had successfully ordered a Switch 2 and even received confirmation, only to find cancellation emails in their inboxes shortly after, forcing them to start over. Others experienced the Switch 2 being removed from their carts mid-process, necessitating repeated attempts.

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 faced delays, with pre-orders not going live on time. The site displayed "Coming Soon" for half an hour before slowly admitting customers into a digital queue. Some are now receiving purchase confirmations, while others are encountering errors and having to restart. Additionally, some customers reported fraud alerts from their banks and other financial issues, complicating the process further and potentially denying them a chance to secure a system.

By the time I finished writing this, Target and Walmart had sold out, and while more people are successfully ordering from Best Buy, others, including myself, have been stuck in a seemingly endless queue for over an hour. Some have received emails stating their orders were canceled or delayed, with no new delivery date or option to reorder.

In the coming hours, we might see more successes, and there's still an opportunity to pre-order at GameStop tomorrow (well, today) at 11:00am ET, both in-store and online, or at other retailers in the future. Additionally, some lucky Nintendo account holders may receive an email from Nintendo in May, inviting them to pre-order directly from the hardware maker. However, there's no guarantee of receiving that email, and Nintendo has indicated that demand in Japan has far exceeded projected supply.

For those not deeply invested in the Nintendo ecosystem or willing to wait, it might be easy to dismiss this chaos. However, for dedicated Nintendo fans, the situation is particularly frustrating following a reveal and rollout process filled with confusion and exasperation. The initial excitement over the Nintendo Switch 2's announcement was overshadowed by concerns over the high prices of the system and its accessories, compounded by a pause in pre-orders due to U.S. tariffs. When pre-orders resumed, the system's price remained unchanged, but accessory prices did not, adding to the confusion. Moreover, Nintendo's plans for physical and digital software pricing, formats, and content have been unclear, and the company has not been forthcoming in addressing these concerns. This lack of clarity, combined with the uncertainty of securing a system near launch, especially with looming threats of future price increases or supply shortages, has left many fans feeling frustrated and anxious.

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