How can I pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2?

Nintendo is about to pull the veil away from the biggest release in gaming in years. The Switch 2 is poised to follow the world-conquering success of the Switch, with today’s hour-long Nintendo Direct broadcast at 9 am EDT / 6 am PDT likely to confirm the price, release date, and (hopefully) give us a peek at the launch line-up.

The Switch 2 is guaranteed to sell out on launch, meaning anyone who wants one right away is going to have to pre-order, which may begin immediately after the broadcast ends. Analysts predict a base price of $449 (with some talk of a $499 package bundled with the new Mario Kart) and a June launch.

So, what happens when the pre-orders go live, and how can you beat the rush to find one? As you’d expect, all the major electronics retailers will open pre-orders in which you’ll reserve a console and then be charged when it’s dispatched. Large quantities of Switch 2s will be allocated to major online retailers like Amazon, and ordinarily, they’d be a safe bet.

However, in this instance, I sound a note of caution about ordering online. The 2020 launch of the PlayStation 5 saw many consoles stolen during transit, with unfortunate gamers tearing open their packages to find cans of cat food or rocks in place of their new console. The Switch 2 box will be smaller, the hype will be enormous, and the stock limited, so the chances of theft in transit will be much higher.

I’m not saying it’s objectively unsafe to order online, but it’s certainly risky. To avoid this, I’m choosing to pre-order from a physical retailer and collect in person on launch day. As disreputable and generally depressing a company as GameStop is these days, if you pre-order in person and collect on launch day, they will fulfill that order. A peek at social media reveals some fans will be even be waiting outside their local game stores this afternoon so they can snag a pre-order the minute they go live.

Another plan that’ll be familiar to veterans of high-profile console launches is to pre-order from more general retailers like Macy’s, Walmart, or Target, or to check out chain toy stores, which often have small video game sections inside. These retailers aren’t the obvious choice for gamers and receive less stock, but the fact that they fly under people’s radars as places to get a new console can mean you strike paydirt.

But make no mistake, there will be way more people who want Switch 2s than there will be Switch 2s to buy, so if you snag a confirmed pre-order, consider yourself lucky. Just to explore all options and, if at all possible, get the console handed to you in person rather than have it delivered.