Despite concerns over pricing and tariffs, Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 console sold out almost immediately after pre-orders opened across North America on April 24th.
Originally scheduled for an April 9th pre-order window, Nintendo delayed reservations in the U.S. and Canada after sweeping tariff announcements complicated logistics. The company later confirmed a revised pre-order date of April 24th, keeping the console’s $449.99 price intact despite potential trade pressures. When the window finally opened, fans rushed to secure their systems, wiping out available inventory at major retailers within hours.
A screenshot from the trailer to Mario Kart World – YouTube, Nintendo of America
Pre-orders were offered directly through Nintendo via a registration-based lottery system, alongside listings at major outlets like GameStop, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Nintendo emailed registered customers giving them access to purchase, but warned that not all sign-ups would immediately receive an opportunity to order before launch day. Those who didn’t get an email may have to wait until after the Switch 2 officially releases on June 5th.
Third-party retailers faced overwhelming demand as well. Best Buy, Walmart, and Target all opened orders at midnight on April 24th, while GameStop launched its online and in-store pre-orders at 11 a.m. Eastern. By the afternoon, most listings were either marked as “sold out” or listed as “coming soon,” with few options remaining for latecomers. Amazon, which has not yet opened its Switch 2 listings at the time of writing, is expected to offer additional inventory once listings go live.
Link in The Legend of Zelda Breath of The Wild – YouTube, Nintendo of America
The strong sales come despite some criticism surrounding the Switch 2’s pricing strategy. The base model is launching at $449.99, and a Mario Kart World bundle is priced at $499.99. Accessory prices have also crept higher: the new Switch 2 Pro Controller now costs $85 (up from $80 initially), a pair of new Joy-Con 2 controllers is $95, and the new Switch 2 camera will retail for $55. Even Nintendo’s new Joy-Con charging grip saw a price bump, rising to $40.
The Switch 2 itself promises a slate of upgrades over its predecessor, including a larger 7.9-inch LCD screen with 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The system features enhanced speakers, dual USB-C ports for easier charging, and a larger 256GB internal storage capacity. It also includes new social features like GameChat, offering built-in voice and video chat for the first time on a Nintendo handheld.
Mario in a screenshot from the trailer to Mario Kart World – YouTube, Nintendo of America
When docked, the console can output up to 4K resolution, a noticeable boost from the original Switch’s 1080p maximum. The dock has also been redesigned to include a fan for better cooling during extended play sessions.
Still, performance expectations remain tempered. Early reports suggest the Switch 2’s processing power falls closer to a PlayStation 4 Pro than to modern PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X levels. Yet for many buyers, the appeal of Nintendo’s iconic franchises and the hybrid console form factor continues to outweigh any hardware concerns.
A screenshot from the trailer to Mario Kart World – YouTube, Nintendo of America
Adding even more demand pressure, tariffs on electronics imported from certain countries could still impact future pricing. Nintendo previously moved portions of its production to Vietnam in 2019 to mitigate potential costs, but warned that if tariffs rise again, price adjustments could follow.
For now, Switch 2 pre-orders are officially sold out across nearly every major outlet. Those hoping to secure a console for launch day are encouraged to sign up on Nintendo’s website or monitor retailer restocks closely as the June 5th release date approaches.
Did you manage to secure a Switch 2 pre-order before they sold out? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
I’m waiting for more game announcements before buying one. Donkey Kong was the only one announced so far that I’m interested in.
That is unfortunate, but expected. Normies without principles and fanboys have been the ruination of gaming.
I disagree. They know nothing about what is going on, therefore, they can’t ruining gaming. It was companies like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft as well as Ubisoft, that ruined gaming. Those normies only consume. They are Zombies without knowledge. Only if those with connections inform them, they will learn. But for that, you need sources with a big reach and that is not given, hench the sould out.
So again, blaming the normies does nothing. Blame the companies and news sources for that success.
Of course the ultimate villains are the companies implementing these policies, but the problem is that they will always do what they can get away with. If you have a principled and informed customer base who reject say microtransactions and loot boxes in fully priced games and those games flopped, the publishers wouldn’t dare to out those in again. That is the unfortunate consequence of gaming growing from a niche hobby to a mainstream one.