HomeNintendo Switch 2 Preorders Plagued by Initial Chaos and Confusion
Nintendo's delayed Switch 2 preorders finally began in the US at 12 AM ET this Thursday through Best Buy, Target, and Walmart — but the launch was swiftly plagued by major issues. After roughly an hour of struggles, several of us at The Verge managed to secure our preorders, but it appears most retailer stock has now run out.
Target appeared to open orders first, but the purchasing experience was far from smooth. Many customers reached the checkout screen only to encounter repeated errors, such as being prompted to reenter address details or losing stored payment information. Some online users who believed they had successfully ordered from Target later reported canceled orders. While inventory seemed to fluctuate shortly after preorders opened, Target now lists both the standalone console and the Mario Kart World bundle as sold out.
Walmart’s site initially displayed a vague waiting screen for me, warning, “This deal is almost gone.” Eventually, though, a number of us at The Verge (myself included!) successfully placed Switch 2 preorders through the retailer. Much like Target, Walmart showed brief windows of available stock for both the console and bundles before selling out completely.
Best Buy, which had committed to launching preorders at 12 AM ET, showed a gray “Coming Soon” button on the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World bundle for about half an hour. By 12:31 AM ET, I was placed in a virtual queue for the bundle, but Best Buy removed me shortly before 2 AM ET, notifying me that it was out of stock. Although I wasn’t able to complete a purchase through Best Buy, many online reports indicated successful preorders from the retailer.
Nintendo had originally announced US preorders would begin on April 9 ahead of the console’s June 5 launch, but the company postponed them due to tariff concerns without providing a new date at the time.
These preorder challenges come after Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa issued a supply warning in Japan on Wednesday. This week, Nintendo also stated that invitations to its US direct sales program may not be available to all customers before the official launch.
Last week, Nintendo confirmed that preorders would start on April 24, with the US price still beginning at $449.99. However, accessory prices saw increases. Preorders began earlier this month in several other regions, including the UK.
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Nintendo's delayed Switch 2 preorders finally began in the US at 12 AM ET this Thursday through Best Buy, Target, and Walmart — but the launch was swiftly plagued by major issues. After roughly an hour of struggles, several of us at The Verge managed to secure our preorders, but it appears most retailer stock has now run out.
Target appeared to open orders first, but the purchasing experience was far from smooth. Many customers reached the checkout screen only to encounter repeated errors, such as being prompted to reenter address details or losing stored payment information. Some online users who believed they had successfully ordered from Target later reported canceled orders. While inventory seemed to fluctuate shortly after preorders opened, Target now lists both the standalone console and the Mario Kart World bundle as sold out.
Walmart’s site initially displayed a vague waiting screen for me, warning, “This deal is almost gone.” Eventually, though, a number of us at The Verge (myself included!) successfully placed Switch 2 preorders through the retailer. Much like Target, Walmart showed brief windows of available stock for both the console and bundles before selling out completely.
Best Buy, which had committed to launching preorders at 12 AM ET, showed a gray “Coming Soon” button on the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World bundle for about half an hour. By 12:31 AM ET, I was placed in a virtual queue for the bundle, but Best Buy removed me shortly before 2 AM ET, notifying me that it was out of stock. Although I wasn’t able to complete a purchase through Best Buy, many online reports indicated successful preorders from the retailer.
Nintendo had originally announced US preorders would begin on April 9 ahead of the console’s June 5 launch, but the company postponed them due to tariff concerns without providing a new date at the time.
These preorder challenges come after Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa issued a supply warning in Japan on Wednesday. This week, Nintendo also stated that invitations to its US direct sales program may not be available to all customers before the official launch.
Last week, Nintendo confirmed that preorders would start on April 24, with the US price still beginning at $449.99. However, accessory prices saw increases. Preorders began earlier this month in several other regions, including the UK.
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