Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders will no doubt be chaotic, but this article should have you prepared and give you the best chance to get one.
Switch 2 is pretty much guaranteed to sell in extremely high numbers from day one, with analysts suggesting it might be the biggest video game console launch of all time.
Nintendo will be doing everything it can to get as many Switch 2 consoles available in time for its release date, but despite this it may still be quite difficult to pre-order a Switch 2.
Not only will countless players be trying their best to secure the first new Nintendo console in eight years, it’ll also no doubt attract the attention of scalpers who want to snap up all the stock and make a profit on it.
Where can you pre-order a Switch 2, then, and how can you best ensure your chances of getting one? We’ll tell you everything we know so far.
When do Switch 2 pre-orders go live?
Pre-orders for Switch 2 consoles will go up at different times depending on the store, but there’s one date in particular that you should mark in your calendar.
On April 2, Nintendo will be broadcasting a special Nintendo Direct presentation focusing entirely on the Switch 2, where it’ll show off the hardware and its games.
This is also where Nintendo is expected to announce the Switch 2 release date and price, which is the information that’s been preventing shops from holding pre-orders so far.
Without an official date or price, shops have been wary putting up Switch 2 pre-orders in case they either guess wrongly, or sell more stock than they’re going to end up getting.
However, April 2 will be the earliest date that shops will start putting up pre-orders, and one has already confirmed it’ll be doing just that.
Best Buy Canada has confirmed that Switch 2 pre-orders will open on its website on April 2, so Canadian players can sign up here to get a notification when they go up.
This may not always be the best strategy, however, because email notifications are sometimes delayed slightly, and if the Switch 2 pre-orders are a worst case scenario – when they sell out within minutes – by the time you get your email notification you may already be too late.
Your best bet is to watch the Nintendo Direct live on April 2 – it starts at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST – and as soon as it ends start looking out for shops starting pre-orders.
We’ll update this article as soon as we know of more sites starting pre-orders, as well as any other leads we have on when other retailers are set to start taking them.
