Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders live: latest restock updates and retailers to check now

Costco now has a Switch 2 product page...

There's no stock right now, but Costco has launched its Switch 2 pre-order page. The Costco bundle includes the Switch 2 Mario Kart World console with a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack/Membership. There's no price listed at the moment (you might be able to see it if you have a Costco account), but we expect the price to show up as we approach launch day.

Switch 2 Mario Kart World + 12-Month NSO @ Costco

Stock alert! Switch 2 consoles at Very (UK)

Hey, everyone! Deals editor-in-chief Louis back for another day of Switch 2 pre-order watch. It's been a somewhat quiet week in the U.S., but Switch 2 restock has made a few appearances in the U.K. In fact, right now Very has three console bundles in stock.

Unfortunately, there are no standalone consoles, so the starting price right now is £479. Check out the links below...

• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + MicroSD Express: for £479 @ Very
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + Switch 2 Camera: for £479 @ Very
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + Tears of the Kingdom: for £494 @ Very

Restock alert! My Nintendo Store in the UK offering pre-orders

It's official, there's still no sign of pre-order restocks appearing at any of the major U.S. retailers at the time of writing.

However, yet again the U.K. market has been blessed with some new restocks.

British readers can head over to the My Nintendo Store to find pre-orders available for both the regular Switch 2 at £395 and the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle at £425.

Because this is coming direct from Nintendo, you'll need to be a Nintendo Switch Online member to take advantage. But it's a much more attractive option for those that just want a console than some of those £500+ accessory bundles I've been seeing at other retailers.

• Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle: £429 @ My Nintendo Store UK
• Switch 2 console only: £395 @ My Nintendo Store UK

A sizeable Switch 2 hardware leak

It appears that a number of alleged Nintendo Switch 2 mortherboards have landed on Chinese retail sites, with a couple of enterprising YouTubers picking them up and learning much more about the beating heart of Nintendo's new console.

You can read the full story here but it appears all those rumors from a few years ago about an alleged Switch 2 Pro could have just been because Nintendo has been preparing the Switch 2 for longer than we first thought.

Most of the analysis from the chips seems to corroborate previous Switch 2 rumors, including the fact it has a custom Nvidia T239 processor, with eight ARM A78-class CPU cores and a custom RTX 30-series Ampere GPU.

• Read the full story: Switch 2 hardware leaks detail more console specs — and finally reveal what happened to Switch Pro

UK retailer Very still has Switch 2 bundle stock

Hi all, Jeff Parsons here taking over the Switch 2 pre-order watch for awhile. If you're looking to pick up a Switch 2 in the U.K. this morning, you've still got options to choose from — providing you're happy to pay for a bundle.

Right now, you can pick up the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World package bundled with the Nintendo Switch 2 camera at online retailer Very for £479. If you'd rather have a MicroSD card over the camera for the same price, that bundle is still available too.

I was able to add this to my cart, but I did get a little reminder this pre-order is "selling fast", so there's no telling how long it'll stick around for.

• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + MicroSD Express: for £479 @ Very
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + Nintendo Switch 2 camera: for £479 @ Very

YMMV: GameStop may take Switch 2 pre-orders in-store

Your mileage may vary with this one, but it appears that GameStop has added some copy to its Switch 2 product page that says you can pre-order the Switch 2 console in select stores right now. I placed a quick call to my local GameStop, but they told me they were fresh out of stock and not sure when inventory would be refreshed.

Like I said, YMMV here, but it might be worth a quick call to your local GameStop to see if they're taking pre-orders in person. (Thanks, Cory, for the heads up!)

Switch 2: for $449 @ GameStop (check stock)

Restock alert! Multiple Switch 2 bundles (UK)

It's turning out to be a great day for Switch 2 stock in the UK. A few retailers have some Switch 2 stock up for pre-order, but the catch is.....they're all bundles. The cheapest bundle is £479 from Very and it includes the Switch 2 Mario Kart World with a Samsung MicroSD Express card.

You can check out all of the UK bundles via the links below. (Sadly, no pre-orders are available here in the States at the moment).

• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + MicroSD Express: for £479 @ Very
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + Joy-Con 2 Wheels + Switch 2 Camera: for £569 @ Currys
• Switch 2 Cyberpunk, Hitman WOA, more: for £609 @ Game Collection
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + Cybepunk, more: for £644 @ Game Collection

Flashes of stock at Amazon (UK)...

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Deals editor Louis here keeping an eye on Switch 2 pre-order stock for today. Things are quiet in the U.S., but over in the U.K. there have been some quick flashes of stock at Amazon.

Interestingly enough, Amazon UK has a two different product pages for the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle. There's no stock at this second, but I've included the all important links below.

• Switch 2: for £395 @ Amazon
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World: for £429 @ Amazon
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World: for £429 @ Amazon

Retailer sweep: quiet for US, but UK bundles still available

It's another quiet day when it comes to pre-order restocks in the U.S. with none of the retailers announcing any pre-order restocks.

Some continue to keep our hopes alive with vague promises that more will be coming. For example, GameStop is letting customers know they could find pre-orders available in their local stores. So I suggest making good friends with your local GameStop staff and asking them nicely to let you know if this does in fact happen.

Over in the UK, it's all about the crazy expensive bundles. Currys continues to have its £569 Switch 2 bundle pre-order and The Game Collection is also stocking console bundles that include Cyberpunk 2077, SD cards and the Nintendo Switch 2 camera for over £600 if you're really getting desperate.

• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + Joy-Con 2 Wheels + Switch 2 Camera: for £569 @ Currys

Nintendo president discusses Switch 2's high price

We've not seen any big restock news as yet, but an interesting nugget of information on the Switch 2 price has slipped out this week courtesy of Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.

Furukawa responded to questions from investors Nintendo's 15 million sales forecast for the Switch 2. He admitted the high price was a "challenge" to adoption but also confirmed that tariffs weren't a factor in the decision.

"We set this figure with the aim of reaching the same level of sales we achieved with Nintendo Switch in the roughly 10-month period between its launch in March 2017 and December that year."

Earlier comments from Furukawa suggest Nintendo hasn't ruled out a price hike for the already-expensive console so we'll continue to surface pre-orders here when they appear, so you can lock in a Switch 2 for yourself at the current price.

• Read the full story: Even Nintendo thinks the Switch 2 is expensive — but it's not due to tariffs

Recap: Inventory, accessories and the UK

We had a little more action today with Best Buy announcing that there would be Nintendo Switch 2 consoles available on launch day June 5. Though no more news on pre-orders.

Some UK retailers like Curry's got a bit of a restock.

Lastly, Nintendo opened up pre-orders for the Switch 2 version of the GameCube controller, though the official website has been bogged down with people attempting to login and order one.

Pre-order the Switch 2 GameCube controller

While the console itself isn't showing up much, the new wireless GameCube meant for the Switch 2 is available to be pre-ordered.

You have to have a Switch Online account, and the controller is currently limited to one per account.

The GameCube controller will set you back $64.99. If you do pre-order one, you'll get it on June 5, the Switch 2 launch date.

Demand is already high, so you may need to wait a minute before you can buy one, so don't click away.

Restock alert! Currys still has Switch 2 stock (UK)

It's late over in the UK, but if you like shopping after hours — Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders can be found at Currys. That said, it does come with the caveat that you'll need to spring for a few extras as the retailer is opting to put its allocation of Switch 2 consoles into pricey bundles.

It's not the priciest bundle I've seen, but it's certainly a bigger ask than £429 cost of the standalone Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle.

• Switch 2 Mario Kart World + Joy-Con 2 Wheels + Switch 2 Camera: for £569 @ Currys

Best Buy will have inventory on launch day...

Good news, folks! Looks like Best Buy will indeed have Switch 2 consoles available for sale on launch day. A Best Buy spokesperson reached out to us and said:

"Most Best Buy stores will also have a limited number of the Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, games and accessories available for walk-in customers during our midnight openings on June 5."

So even if you didn't pre-order, there's a chance you could get lucky and find stock at your local Best Buy. Just remember, it's likely that stock will sell out fast.

Additionally, gamers attending the midnight openings will have the chance to walk away with a Nintendo collectible item that'll be available in limited quantities. We don't know what the collectible item is, but there'll be lots happening at Best Buy stores come launch day.

Check your local Best Buy late-night store openings

Retailer sweep: No stock anywhere...

Greetings, all! Deals EIC Louis here jumping in for a quick look at where we stand on Switch 2 pre-order stock this Tuesday. Well, the bad news is that there's no news. No retailer has any inventory today. All signs point to yet another slow day, but things could change in mere seconds, so I'll be live blogging today should any Switch 2 stock return.

• Walmart: check stock
• Amazon: no pre-order info
• Nintendo: pre-order today (May 8) w/ invite
• Newegg: check stock
• Target: check stock
• Antonline: check stock
• Best Buy: check stock
• GameStop: check stock
• Sam's Club: no pre-order info
• Dell: no pre-order info

Best Buy sending mixed messages

We're not quite sure what's going on with Best Buy's launch plans for the Nintendo Switch right now. The retailer confirmed it plans to host late-night store openings to fulfil pre-order requests, but has been sending mixed messages over additional stock.

According to Comicbook.com, Best Buy's website initially suggested there would be "limited inventory" for those who didn't secure a pre-order to buy the console on launch day. You can see it in the screenshot above. However, that language was swiftly removed from the site with no explanation given. At time of writing, it's still not mentioned anywhere on Best Buy's site but you can see what it did say in the screengrab below.

What we do know is that for the first time in six years, Best Buy will open at 12 a.m. (ET), 11 p.m. (CT), 10 p.m. (MT), and 9 p.m. (PT) for pre-order pickup on June 5. You can use the online Best Buy store locator to find out which stores will participate in the late-night opening.

UK gets an expensive bundle but no news from US retailers

Gamers in the U.K. have had an easier ride securing Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders than their U.S. counterparts and electronics retailer Currys currently has some pre-orders for the new console available.

The downside is that you're going to need to pay £569 (around $750) for the privilege because it comes bundled with Mario Kart World, a second pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers, Joy-Con 2 Wheels and the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. So if you're prepared to hand over that level of cash, and live in the U.K., you can secure yourself a console.

Sadly, in the U.S. it looks like there's still no restocks in any of the main retailers listed above, but stay tuned because we'll keep sweeping the sites to bring you the latest news.

Another quiet day

I did one more sweep of the retailers at around 5 pm, Pacific, and nothing has changed since our last sweep a couple of hours ago.

No more pre-orders have popped or new pages on sites that weren't sharing them before.

Hopefully, tomorrow is better. Good luck!

What's the deal with Game-Key cards?

The Game-Key cards revealed by Nintendo for the Switch 2 drew some consternation and many wondered why a publisher might opt for a Game-Key card over a digital only or physical cartridge when releasing their games.

A new leak might have given us the answer, and largely, like many things it appears to come down to money.

We have more details in the linked article above, but simply, Nintendo appears to have limited physical cartridge sizes to 64GB with those cards costing $16 to produce.

A Game-key card might be cheaper to produce while still letting a studio produce a physical product for fans. Especially since the cards aren't tied to systems or accounts. Though servers and and internet connections can always go down.

Nintendo takes on pirates with new rules

Recently, Nintendo updated the Nintendo Account Agreement with more severe warnings against "unauthorized use."

Part of the update includes language that indicates Nintendo might make your console unusable "in whole or in part."

It's fairly intense, but Nintendo is known for going after pirates and emulators with legal zeal, so not too surprising.

Checking out the retailers

It's about 2:45 pm, Pacific, in Los Angeles, and I've taken a spin around the retailers to see if more pre-order stock has dropped.

Still quiet.

It's looking grim out there if you're waiting for new pre-orders slots to open up, but not out of the realm of possiblity.

As a reminder, these are the retailers that we're regularly checking:

• Walmart: check stock
• Amazon: no pre-order info
• Nintendo: pre-order today (May 8) w/ invite
• Newegg: check stock
• Target: check stock
• Antonline: check stock
• Best Buy: check stock
• GameStop: check stock
• Sam's Club: no pre-order info
• Dell: no pre-order info

Should you get a Switch 2?

You're looking at this pre-order tracker, so you are probably interested in buying a Nintendo Switch 2.

Still, we asked the Tom's Guide team to weigh the pros and cons of picking up the new console and whether or not they're going to purchase one via pre-order or on launch day.

It may change your mind or solidify your future purchase.

When is the Switch 2 getting a new 3D Mario game?

Nintendo announced several Switch 2 games that will be available on or near the console's June 5 launch. This includes Mario Kart World with a fun open-world mode and a raucous-looking Donkey Kong Bananza.

Notably absent was a 3D Mario game. Sure, Mario's name is front and center in the new Mario Kart game, but a Mario platformer is one of the games that most Nintendo fans are looking forward to.

Mario hasn't been forgotten, though, as Nintendo of America's President Doug Bowser addressed when a mainline Mario game would hit the market. While he didn't provide a release date or even a window when interviewed by CNN, he did tell fans to "stay tuned," which implies that something is on the horizon.

"You know, we have a long, long catalogue," Bowser elaborated. "And a long list of [intellectual property] that I'm sure will make its way to the platform."

As exciting as it would have been for Bowser to name-drop a specific 3D Mario game or say that something will come this year, at least this quote lets us know that the beloved plumber is coming at some point (which isn't overly surprising, as every Nintendo console gets a proper Mario game at some point).

Mario Kart World was one of the first confirmed Nintendo Switch 2 titles and will likely be one of its first big hits. The game takes a new approach to the standard racing fare by letting players drive off-road for the first time.

Billed as an all-new entry in the long-running Mario Kart franchise, Nintendo has confirmed that Mario Kart World will launch on the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2 console.

Clearly aiming to be the biggest, best Mario Kart yet, this new entry will allow up to 24 drivers to take part in each race — something the early Nintendo Switch 2 rumors had hinted at.

Mario Kart World: $79 at Walmart

Mario Kart World will launch on the same day as the Switch 2. This new entry will allow up to 24 drivers to take part in each race and you'll be able to drive anywhere on track. Nintendo also said gamers can expect new power-ups.
Additional retailers: Best Buy | GameStop

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Nintendo expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles

Even though it's considerably pricier than its predecessor (and currently difficult to pre-order), Nintendo says it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles in the fiscal year ending March 2026, reports CNBC. This is the first time Nintendo has set a sales forecast for its new console.

Meanwhile, research from Omdia says Nintendo could sell as many as 14.7 million Switch 2 consoles in 2025 alone. That would be 10% more than what Nintendo sold during the year the original Switch debuted.

Those numbers seem very lofty, but considering how Switch 2 is riding the original's success, don't be surprised if this system becomes a big seller. Of course, low stock could set back Nintendo's projections.

Another retailer sweep

It's almost 3:15 pm here in NYC, and I've just wrapped up a retailer sweep for Switch 2 stock. As expected, it's pretty quiet everywhere. The chances of Switch 2 pre-orders showing up look pretty slim, but not completely impossible.

So below I've left a quick cheat sheet of all the retailers I'd personally check. These are the same ones I posted recently, but I wanted to link them again for anyone who didn't catch the earlier post. Good luck!

• Walmart: check stock
• Amazon: no pre-order info
• Nintendo: pre-order today (May 8) w/ invite
• Newegg: check stock
• Target: check stock
• Antonline: check stock
• Best Buy: check stock
• GameStop: check stock
• Sam's Club: no pre-order info
• Dell: no pre-order info

$450 might not be the final price

While preorders have been quiet, it still might be the best time to buy a Switch 2 if you can catch one of the preorder restocks.

Recently, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that due to President Trump's tariffs, prices could increase for the console.

"Our basic policy is to recognize tariffs as a cost when determining sales prices in any country or region and to incorporate them into the price," he said in an earnings call.

The gaming giant is also concerned that increased prices combined with rising costs for "daily necessities" could reduce demand and impact people's budget for games.

It's a catch-22 for not just Nintendo but most companies in this fraught economic climate. Hopefully, the recent deal that slashed tariffs for the next 90 days can ensure prices won't go up, or by too much. Regardless, we recommend pre-ordering a Switch 2 to be safe.

No signs of stock right now...

It's 2:15 here in NYC, and sadly, there are no signs of Switch 2 stock anywhere. I just did a thorough retailer sweep, and everyone is sold out right now.

It's worth mentioning that there are still a few stores with no Switch 2 product pages (I'm looking at you, Amazon), but it's unlikely they'll suddenly have stock today or even this weekend. So, we're forced to wait a little more for that next drop....

• Nintendo: pre-order today (May 8) w/ invite
• Walmart: check stock
• Amazon: no pre-order info
• Newegg: check stock
• Target: check stock
• Antonline: check stock
• Best Buy: check stock
• GameStop: check stock
• Sam's Club: no pre-order info
• Dell: no pre-order info

A must-have accessory...

If you've been fortunate enough to already secure a Switch 2 pre-order, or you just want to get something Switch 2-related in your cart at this stage in the game, don't forget about the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.

I'm pretty confident this will be the most popular Switch 2 accessory, and it already appears to be selling out at select retailers. If you know you're going to get a Switch 2 on launch day, make sure to secure a Switch 2 Pro Controller as well.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: $84 at Walmart

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is practically guaranteed to be the most in-demand Switch 2 accessory, and it packs a suitable upgrade over its predecessor adding a headphone jack, the new "C" button, and customizable back buttons.
Additional retailers: Best Buy | GameStop

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Another week of Switch 2 stock hunting begins!

Welcome! It's the start of another week, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch in less than a month. We're here tracking console stock across all major retailers, to help you lock in your Switch 2 ahead of the June 5 release date. While there's no fresh restocks confirmed yet, the situation can change at a moments notice, so stick with us, and we'll keep you updated with the latest alerts and retailers to check today.