Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders: A Chaotic Launch

As I sit down to write this at 11:30pm CT, well past my usual bedtime on a work night, I'm joining millions around the globe—and possibly beyond—in the frantic rush to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2. The pre-order window opened at 9pm PT/12am ET across three major retailers: Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. However, the rollout has been anything but smooth, leaving both myself and the IGN team, along with countless others, navigating through a maze of challenges to secure our consoles.

At Walmart, eager buyers were swiftly placed into a digital queue, a system that moved forward for some, allowing them to eventually add the Switch 2 to their carts. Yet, many others remain stuck on a "stay in line" screen with no clear timeline or assurance of success. Those who did make it through often encountered perplexing error messages, as seen here:

Target initially seemed more promising without a queue, but the joy was short-lived. Reports quickly surfaced of error screens disrupting the buying process. Some customers believed they had successfully pre-ordered only to receive cancellation emails shortly after, while others found the Switch 2 mysteriously vanishing 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, showing "Coming Soon" for thirty minutes before slowly admitting customers into a digital queue. Some are now receiving purchase confirmations, but others face similar errors and must restart the process. Additionally, some buyers have encountered fraud alerts or other financial issues, further complicating their efforts.

2 minutes....
byu/trashpandacoot1 inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }By the time I finished this article, Target and Walmart had sold out, while Best Buy continued to process orders, albeit with some still trapped in long queues. Others received notifications of order cancellations or delays without rescheduling options.

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

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }In the coming hours, we might see more successful pre-orders. For those who missed out, there's another chance at GameStop tomorrow at 11:00am ET, both in-store and online. Additionally, some Nintendo account holders may receive an invitation to pre-order directly from Nintendo in May, though this is not guaranteed, especially given the high demand in Japan.

Bots are the worst
byu/CANfilms inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }While those less invested in Nintendo might dismiss the chaos, it's deeply frustrating for fans who have endured a confusing and frustrating rollout. The initial excitement of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was overshadowed by pricing concerns for the system and its accessories, further complicated by a pause in pre-orders due to U.S. tariffs, only to resume without adjusting the system's price. Nintendo's unclear communication about software pricing, formats, and content has left many in the dark about what they're actually buying and at what cost. This uncertainty, coupled with fears of future price increases and supply shortages, heightens the anxiety of not securing a console at launch.

For those determined 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.