Anna has been a freelance writer for more than a decade. In that time, she's covered everything from electronics to esports, from marketing to magic. Her tech and entertainment reporting has appeared on Ars Technica, Mashable, Digital Trends, and more. She especially loves playing, making, and geeking out over video games.
Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission.began sending out Switch 2 pre-order invites on Thursday to those who previously registered their interest and meet the company's" If you've been chosen, congratulations! You have 72 hours from the time your email was sent to complete your purchase.
If you previously signed up but haven't received a notice, well, we'll have to see when exactly it'll arrive. Nintendo has been accepting registrations since April 2, and it's sending invites to past Switch players and Switch Online subscribers before anyone else. If you meet the priority requirements and signed up on the earlier side, you should get your invite before most others. If you signed up later, don't be surprised if it takes awhile for Nintendo to grace your inbox. The companythat it may not be able to send all invites — or even deliver all orders that do get placed — before the Switch 2's June 5 release date.Beyond Nintendo, the song sadly remains the same. As of our latest check, the device remains fully sold out atand other retailers. This has mostly been the case in the US since the Switch 2 first went up for sale on April 24, and it remains unclear when it'll change. That said, we're keeping an eye out for any surprise restocks that pop up. If you're still hoping to get your hands on the device early, we've rounded up all the Switch 2 pre-order listings we could find for easy access and broken down what to know about buying the console.As noted above, Nintendo is only selling the Switch 2 through an invite system, which began on April 2. While it seems unlikely you'll receive your console before launch day if younow, we still recommend doing so in case stock remains low at other stores. Registration is free, and you'll receive your invite eventually, even if it takes some time. On that point, Nintendo says it is prioritizing invites"on a first-come, first-served basis" to registrants who meet the following criteria:You must have purchased a Switch Online membership as of April 2, 2025. If you've only ever been part of a family plan and weren't the paying account, that's a no-go.You must have logged at least 50 hours of total Switch gameplay time as of April 2, 2025. You must have opted into sharing gameplay data with Nintendo as of April 2, 2025. You can confirm this in your account'sIf you fulfill those requirements, you'll be ahead in Nintendo's invite queue. If not, you'll have to wait until after the priority registrants receive their emails. Once they do, the remaining invites will go out on a first-come, first-served basis. Whenever you get your email, you'll have a 72-hour window to buy.for $500. Note that you can only purchase one console per invite. You'll also be able to pick up certain accessories when it's your time to shop.We received our invite late Thursday evening after signing up about an hour after the registration window first opened. We've posted screenshots of what the official invite email and buying process looks like below. Broadly speaking, the experience is far less chaotic than it's been at other stores. Our confirmation email says that our console will ship by June 4.How to pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 at other retailers, Nintendo finally kicked off Switch 2 pre-orders at third-party retailers in the US and Canada at midnight ET on April 24. A couple of hours later, stock at Walmart, Target and Best Buy had sold out. GameStop began taking pre-orders later that morning but quickly, we assume the Switch 2 will eventually be available there, but it's not today, and there's been no indication as to when that might change. If you're desperate to catch a restock, it's a good idea to create a free account with the retailers above and ensure all of your shipping and billing info is up to date with each. Downloading each store's mobile app and signing up for notifications may help too, though that could get annoying fairly quickly. *As of 1:15pm ET on Friday, May 9, Amazon has not listed either Switch 2 console package for sale. We will update this article with direct links if they arrive; until then, we're linking to the site's Nintendo-focused hub.up for pre-order alongside the Switch 2 itself. While Nintendo hasn't changed the console's price since delaying its initial pre-order date, it has, for instance, now costs $55 instead of its original $50, while the Switch 2 Pro Controller leapt from $80 to $85. An extra set of Joy-Con 2 controllers is up to $95 from $90, and the official Joy-Con Charging Grip costs $40 instead of $35. Most of Nintendo's official Switch 2 accessories are still up for grabs at one or two retailers at a minimum, but stock has become spottier since they first went up for sale. Upcoming Switch 2 games like *As of 1:15pm ET on Friday, May 9, Amazon has not listed any first-party Switch 2 accessories or games for sale. We'll update this article with direct links if they arrive; until then, we're linking to the site's Nintendo-focused hub.would be bigger than its predecessor and take a new approach to its detachable Joy-Cons. The Joy-Con 2s, as they're called, now attach magnetically and include a C button,and a built-in gyroscope for tilt control. The console itself is indeed larger, with a 7.9-inch LCD screen that supports a 1080p resolution, a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz and HDR10. The hardware also has a built-in mic to support a new feature calledthat'll let you communicate with friends in-game. Nintendo says this service will be free to all Switch 2 users until March 31, 2026, at which point it'll require a Switch Online membership. When docked, you'll be able to play up to 4K on your TV. Nintendo says it's improved the consoles internal speakers as well. The updated dock has a built-in fan to keep the console cool and help maintain performance during long play sessions. Though we won't knowof a power upgrade the Switch 2 is over to the first Switch until it's released, it looks to be fairly significant leap, given thatElsewhere, the Switch 2 has dual USB-C ports for charging, while the internal storage amount has jumped from 32GB to 256GB. That storage is still expandable, but the device willat the start of April, Nintendo showed off more of the Switch 2 than it ever had before. That included the reveal of its original April 9 pre-order date, in addition to its $450 starting price. Shortly after, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on China and other countries, prompting Nintendo to delay pre-orders in the US and Canada.affecting 75 countries, but also announced that the tariff imposed on China will go up even further (right now, it sits at We now know that the original $450 price for the Switch 2 will remain the same in the US and Canada, but based on its official statement, it appears Nintendo is leaving the door open for potential future price increases.in 2019. The increased tariff for Vietnam was set to be 46 percent, but that's temporarily on hold in favor of a 10 percent tariff that’s in effect for the 90-day pause period. It has been speculated that Nintendo will boost production of Switch 2 consoles in Vietnam so it can stay on schedule, even if it: According to Nintendo, 2.2 million people entered the pre-order lottery in Japan alone, which is far more devices than it is expected to deliver in that region on launch day. In total, the company
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