It’s been a long time coming, but the time to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 is almost upon us, and you have no time to waste. After some doubts as to whether Nintendo would need to increase the console’s price in response to the ongoing tariff situation in the U.S., preorders for the Switch 2 are opening on April 24th, and you’ll want to be on standby to grab yours as soon as possible.
All major gaming retailers in the U.S. are going to have preorders soon, but there’s one big exception: Amazon. Nintendo and Amazon aren’t on good terms right now, and it seems like the console won’t be available through the world’s largest retailer anytime soon. So here’s where you can actually find it.
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Best Buy
Best Buy may just be the best place to grab your Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as it’s available to order. Pre-orders at Best Buy’s website start on April 24th at 12AM ET, so you can probably be there as soon as they open. What’s more, if you really want to have your console as soon as possible, you can put your pre-order in for in-store pickup during a special launch event, with many stores throughout the country opening at 12AM on June 5th so you can pick up your shiny new console as soon as it’s available. It’s all the fun of a midnight launch with the convenience of having your unit secured already. You’ll just have to check if there’s a store nearby you can go to.
Walmart
Walmart is another great option for preordering the Nintendo Switch 2. Preorders will also open at 12AM ET on April 24th, so you’ll want to be ready as soon as possible. Walmart isn’t promising any special store openings to pick up your system at midnight, but the company does promise a delivery by 9AM on June 5th, so you’ll still be one of the very first people to have Nintendo’s shiny new console.
Of course, you can also preorder games and extra accessories on that day, and they should also be available on the respective launch dates.
Target
Next up, we have Target, which will also be offering preorders on April 24th at 12AM ET, allowing you to secure your launch unit as early as possible — assuming you act fast enough to get it. The company hasn’t said much about when you’ll be able to pick it up or get it in your home ince the launch day arrives on June 5th, but at the very least, you should at least get it on that day, so it’s still great.
GameStop
Finally, we have GameStop, the fully dedicated game retailer that — perhaps surprisingly — is the last one to open preorders. You can get your orders in online starting on April 24th at 11AM ET, which may seem odd, but hey, at least it’s a nice backup option in case you don’t get lucky with the midnight openings at the other retailers. If you want to preorder in store, those preorders will start at store opening on the same day.
GameStop will have a midnight launch for the console at all of its stores in the country, though it’s not completely clear you can secure your preorder specifically for in-store pickup like you can do at Best Buy. Either way, it’s a good option for securing Nintendo’s new system.
My Nintendo Store
If all else fails, Nintendo will be selling the Switch 2 directly through its online store, but preorders aren’t going to start on the same day as everywhere else, and they’re not open to everyone in quite the same way. Pre-orders on Nintendo’s store start on May 8th, and they’re being made available to users gradually based on certain criteria, such as having an active Nintendo Switch Online membership and having 50 hours of playtime on the current Switch. You can find more information about this on this page.
Get your wallet ready
The time to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2 is almost upon us, so if you’re hoping to get yours as soon as possible, you’ll have to have your fingers ready to act quickly — and your wallet ready to be emptied. Of course, it’s totally worth it for the chance to play Nintendo’s latest and greatest games. If you’re planning to buy a lot of digital games, we also recommend buying a microSD Express card, as existing microSD cards for the Switch won’t work.
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