"Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders Chaotic Launch"

As I start penning this article, it's already 11:30pm CT, well past my usual bedtime on a work night. I'm one among countless others, including seemingly every inhabitant of Earth and beyond, all attempting to pre-order the much-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 actual launch has been nothing short of chaotic. Both myself and a significant portion of the IGN team have been navigating through varying degrees of success in securing our Switch 2s, while social media is abuzz with tales of frustration, disappointment, and the occasional victory.

At Walmart, eager buyers were quickly funneled into a digital queue, which moved forward for some, leading to successful purchases, while others remain stuck on a "stay in line" screen without any indication of when—or if—they'll get their chance. Even those who made it through encountered baffling error messages, as seen below:

Target, on the other hand, did not implement a queue, initially giving the impression that securing a Switch 2 would be easier. However, reports soon surfaced of buyers encountering error screens at various stages of the purchase process. Some thought they had successfully purchased a Switch 2 only to receive cancellation emails shortly afterward, forcing them to start over. Others found the Switch 2 mysteriously disappearing from their carts mid-process, requiring yet another attempt.

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, showing "Coming Soon" for half an hour before slowly admitting customers into a digital queue. Some are now receiving purchase confirmations, while others face similar errors and restarts. At all three retailers, some customers are dealing with fraud alerts from their banks or other financial issues, further complicating the process and denying them a chance at securing 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 sold out, and while more people are successfully navigating Best Buy's queue, others (myself included) are still stuck waiting. Some have received emails about canceled or delayed orders with no new delivery dates or reordering options.

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

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }In the coming hours, we can expect to see more successes, and there's still hope for those willing to try at GameStop tomorrow at 11:00am ET, both in-store and online, or at other retailers in the future. Additionally, some Nintendo account holders might receive an invitation to pre-order directly from Nintendo in May, although there's no guarantee, and demand in Japan has reportedly exceeded supply.

Bots are the worst
byu/CANfilms inSwitch

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }While those less invested in Nintendo might dismiss this chaos, for dedicated fans, it's an added layer of frustration following a confusing and exasperating rollout. The initial excitement of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was overshadowed by the high prices of the system and its accessories, which remained unchanged despite a brief pause in pre-orders due to U.S. tariffs. Furthermore, Nintendo's unclear plans for software pricing, formats, and content have left many in the dark about what they're actually buying. With the looming threat of future price hikes and supply issues, it's understandable why so many are anxious about securing a system near launch.

But for those eager to play Mario Kart World at launch, this is the current reality. Here's how to navigate the pre-order process if you're still trying.