After a January sneak peek, Nintendo has now fully pulled back the curtain on the Switch 2. The hybrid handheld successor will go on sale in June, but goes up for pre-order a lot sooner – and demand is sure to be sky high.
Nintendo has put a plan in place that will hopefully limit scalpers and resellers’ ability to hoover up stock. That means if you’re eager to get your hands on one on launch day, there are a few hoops you’ll have to jump through. These vary based on where you are in the world.
USA Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders
While retailers like Best Buy and Amazon are set to take pre-orders from everyone on April 9, it’s sure to be a bun fight. Instead, Nintendo will have its own batch of consoles to distribute to its most loyal customers. If you’re a Switch Online subscriber with a minimum of twelve months’ continued membership as of April 2, and have 50 total gameplay hours on your profile, you’ll get priority access to a pre-order slot.
You’ll need to register on the My Nintendo Store sign-up page, and the first batch of invites won’t go out until May 8, which seems a long time after Joe Public gets to fight over a slot at the usual retailers. Those who get an invite will have three days to make a pre-order, otherwise it’ll expire.
The Switch 2 console will cost $450, while a bundle including Mario Kart Worlds will cost $500.
UK Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders
Nintendo will open up direct pre-orders on the 8th of April, but just on an invite-only basis to Nintendo Switch Online members. You’ll need to have been an active member for at least two years continuously by the 31st of March, spent a “certain amount” of time playing purchased games, and opted in to Nintendo promo emails. Got a family membership? Only the one who bought it will be able to get an invite.
You’ll need to pay £396 for the Switch 2 console by itself, or £430 for the bundle with Mario Kart World.
Want to pre-order accessories like the Switch 2 Camera, Switch 2 Pro Controller or Switch 2 Gamecube controller? Those will be available through the My Nintendo Store from April 24.
Other retailers, such as Currys, are already taking down details of anyone interested in buying a Switch 2, but there’s no word on when they’ll actually start accepting pre-orders – or how they’ll be combating scalpers.
