Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Order Chaos: Here’s What You Need to Know

Console pre-orders are a notoriously painful process. If you’re trying to get them online, scalpers and bots are likely to snatch them up at stores like Target or Best Buy. With the Switch 2 coming in hot, Nintendo is putting some restrictions in place on its online store to hopefully make sure people who actually want to buy and own the new console can get it, rather than predatory resellers who will charge you twice as much on eBay. But they’re uh, pretty restrictive, to the point where even the most dedicated Nintendo fan might not be able to buy directly from the company.

Right now, if you want to purchase a Switch 2 through Nintendo in the U.S., you have to register interest on the company’s website for either the standard $450 system or the $500 Mario Kart World bundle. Nintendo will send the first round of purchase invites on May 8, almost a month after pre-orders go live elsewhere on April 9. The company will roll out more invites before its official pre-orders open to the general public, and if you receive one you’ll have 72 hours to make a purchase. But what makes you eligible? That’s where things get tricky. The priority requirements as listed on Nintendo’s site are:

“As of 4/2/2025, (i) you must have been the one who purchased any Nintendo Switch Online membership, (ii) you must have had any paid Nintendo Switch Online membership for a minimum of 12 months, and (iii) you must have opted in to share gameplay data and have at least 50 hours total gameplay hours.”

Luckily for me, I’ve had an ongoing Nintendo Switch Online membership because I was really into Pokémon Unite for a year then never canceled. But a lot of people are single-player sickos, or primarily play multiplayer games on other platforms, and have no incentive to pay for an online membership. Also, who remembers if they opted to share gameplay data with Nintendo. I probably made that decision years ago and forgot about it? If this is what makes it difficult for me to get my hands on Switch 2 in a timely manner, that’s some bullshit.

You might have more luck pre-ordering at another store. My one pro tip from years of pre-order consoles is that, if you’re not in a big city, you can probably manage to get an in-store pre-order at your local shop. One of the only things I miss about living in the middle of nowhere is that I was guaranteed a console pre-order if I got to my local GameStop the day pre-orders went live. Good luck to everybody else, I guess. May the odds be ever in your favor.

You’re reading part of Kotaku’s ongoing coverage of the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct. Check our roundup for more news from the showcase including launch games, pricing information, release date, pre-order information, and what that mysterious C button Nintendo keeps teasing actually does.
We’ll be continuing to update stories with news and analysis throughout the day as Nintendo pulls back the curtain on its most anticipated console launch ever. You can find more details about today’s Switch 2 Direct and Nintendo online Treehouse Live demos going on throughout the week here.