As I begin writing this piece, it's 11:30pm CT, well past my bedtime on a work night, and like countless others across the globe, I'm attempting to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2. The pre-order window opened at 9pm PT/12am ET across three major retailers: Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. However, the rollout has been anything but smooth, leaving many, including a significant portion of the IGN staff, facing a rollercoaster of challenges and minimal success.
At Walmart, eager buyers were quickly funneled into a digital queue system designed to manage the high demand. While some managed to progress through the queue and secure a Switch 2 in their carts, others remain stuck on a "stay in line" screen with no clear timeline for advancement or assurance of success. Those who finally reached the purchase stage encountered perplexing error messages, disrupting their attempts to complete the transaction.
Target initially appeared to be a more promising option without a queue system, but soon reports surfaced of widespread errors during the purchasing process. Some customers thought they had successfully pre-ordered only to receive cancellation emails shortly after. Others found the Switch 2 disappearing from their carts mid-process, forcing them to restart the ordeal.
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, with the "Coming Soon" message lingering for half an hour before transitioning to a slow-moving digital queue. Some are now receiving purchase confirmations, but many, including myself, have been stuck in the queue for over an hour. Additionally, issues such as fraud alerts and payment processing errors have compounded the frustration, leading to canceled or delayed orders.
2 minutes....
byu/trashpandacoot1 inSwitch
.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }As I write this, both Target and Walmart have sold out, and while Best Buy sees some success stories, others face continued delays and cancellations.
Target cancelled my order 10 minutes after placing
byu/syde1020 inSwitch
.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }In the coming hours, more successes are expected, and there will be another opportunity to pre-order at GameStop starting at 11:00am ET, both in-store and online. Additionally, some Nintendo account holders may receive an invitation in May to pre-order directly from Nintendo, though this is not guaranteed, particularly with high demand in Japan outstripping supply.
Bots are the worst
byu/CANfilms inSwitch
.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }While those not deeply invested in the Nintendo ecosystem might dismiss the chaos, for fans, the frustration is palpable. The rollout of the Nintendo Switch 2 has been mired in confusion and challenges from the start, with pricing and accessory costs causing initial shock, followed by a pause in pre-orders due to U.S. tariffs, and now a resumption without adjusting the system's price. The lack of clarity on physical and digital software pricing, formats, and content has only added to the confusion. As fans struggle to secure a pre-order, concerns about future price increases and supply issues loom large.
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.
