As I sit at my desk at 11:30pm CT, well past my usual bedtime on a work night, I'm joining the throngs of people across the globe and beyond, all scrambling to pre-order the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2. 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 turned into a chaotic mess. Both the IGN staff and I have been attempting to secure our consoles with varying degrees of success, while social media buzzes with tales of frustration, disappointment, and the occasional victory.
At Walmart, eager buyers were quickly funneled into a digital queue. While some managed to progress and secure their systems, others remain stuck on a "stay in line" screen, left without any indication of when—or if—they'll get through. Those who do reach the checkout have encountered perplexing error messages, further complicating the process.
Target initially seemed to fare better without a queue, but soon reports surfaced of error screens disrupting the purchase process. Some customers thought they had successfully ordered a Switch 2, only to receive cancellation emails shortly after. Others found the console mysteriously removed from their carts mid-transaction, 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-order process was delayed, displaying a "Coming Soon" message for half an hour before finally starting to place customers in a queue. Some are now receiving purchase confirmations, while others face the same errors and restarts seen at other retailers. Additionally, some customers are dealing with fraud alerts from their banks, further complicating their efforts to secure a system.
As I write, Target and Walmart have officially sold out, and while some are successfully navigating Best Buy's queue, others, including myself, have been stuck for over an hour. Reports of canceled or delayed orders with no new delivery dates are also surfacing.
Target cancelled my order 10 minutes after placing
In the coming hours, we may see more successes, and there's still a chance to pre-order at GameStop starting at 11:00am ET today, both in-store and online, or at other retailers in the future. Additionally, some lucky Nintendo account holders might receive an email invitation in May to pre-order directly from Nintendo. However, with demand reportedly exceeding supply in Japan, there's no guarantee of receiving that email.
Bots are the worst
While those not deeply invested in Nintendo might find this chaos amusing, it's a source of significant frustration for fans. The journey to the Nintendo Switch 2 has been fraught with confusion and exasperation. From the initial reveal to the pricing of the system and accessories, and the implementation of tariffs in the U.S., the process has been anything but smooth. Nintendo's lack of transparency on pricing, formats, and content for both physical and digital software has only added to the confusion and concern about future price hikes and supply issues.
For those eager to play Mario Kart World at launch, this is the reality we face. Here's how to navigate the pre-order process if you're still trying:
