"Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders Launch in Chaos"

As I sit here at my desk at 11:30pm CT, well past my usual bedtime on a work night, I'm joining countless others in a frantic effort to pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2. The excitement is palpable, yet the process has been anything but smooth.

Pre-orders were supposed to go live at 9pm PT/12am ET across three major retailers: Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. However, the rollout has been a complete disaster. Both myself and many of my colleagues at IGN have been struggling to secure our consoles, facing a mix of success and failure. Social media is flooded with similar stories of frustration and occasional triumph.

At Walmart, eager buyers were immediately placed in a digital queue. While some managed to move forward and eventually add a Switch 2 to their cart, others remain stuck on a "stay in line" screen with no clear indication of when or if they'll get through. Those who do reach the purchase stage are often met with confusing error messages.

Target initially appeared to be a better option without a queue, but soon reports surfaced of error screens disrupting the buying process. Some buyers thought they had successfully purchased a Switch 2, only to receive cancellation emails shortly after. Others found the console mysteriously removed from their carts mid-process, forcing them to start over.

The Nintendo Switch 2 sold out instantly at Target. This is unreal bro. I refreshed on the second it turned 12 am. Actually unreal pic.twitter.com/LAQ4lC03qw

— Kenj (@Kenjdx) April 24, 2025

Best Buy's pre-orders were delayed, displaying a "Coming Soon" message for half an hour before finally allowing some into a queue. Success stories are trickling in, but many, including myself, remain stuck in what feels like an endless wait. Additionally, some buyers are facing fraud alerts or other financial issues, further complicating their attempts to secure a system.

2 minutes....
byu/trashpandacoot1 inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }By the time I finished writing this, both Target and Walmart had officially sold out, while Best Buy continues to process orders amidst ongoing issues. Some have received cancellation or delay notices with no new delivery dates or options to reorder.

Target cancelled my order 10 minutes after placing
byu/syde1020 inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }As more people secure their pre-orders in the coming hours, there's still hope. GameStop will open pre-orders at 11:00am ET both in-store and online, and other retailers may follow suit. Additionally, Nintendo may send out pre-order invitations to select account holders in May, though high demand in Japan suggests supply could be limited.

Bots are the worst
byu/CANfilms inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }It's easy to dismiss this chaos if you're not a dedicated Nintendo fan, but for those who are, it's deeply frustrating. The reveal and rollout of the Nintendo Switch 2 have been confusing and frustrating at every turn. The initial excitement was quickly overshadowed by concerns over the system's price, accessory costs, and unclear plans for physical and digital software pricing and formats. With Nintendo offering little clarity, fans are left anxious about securing a console near launch, especially with potential future price increases and supply issues looming.

For those eager to play Mario Kart World at launch, this is the reality we face. Here's hoping you manage to secure your pre-order amidst the chaos.