Late at night, I’m at my desk, well past midnight on a work night, joining countless others in a frantic attempt to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2.

Pre-orders launched at 9pm PT/12am ET across Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, but the rollout has been chaotic. My colleagues at IGN and I have faced mixed success, while social media buzzes with reports of widespread issues, leaving fans frustrated, disappointed, or occasionally victorious.

At Walmart, eager buyers were funneled into a digital queue. Some progressed to secure a console, but others remain stuck on a "stay in line" page with no clear timeline or guarantee of success. Those who reached checkout often encountered cryptic error messages.

Target skipped the queue, initially seeming promising. However, buyers quickly hit error screens during checkout. Some received confirmation only to get cancellation emails minutes later, while others saw their carts emptied mid-process, forcing restarts.

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, stuck on "Coming Soon" for 30 minutes before slowly queuing users. Some are now receiving confirmations, but others face errors or restarts. Across all three retailers, buyers report fraud alerts from banks or financial glitches, derailing purchases entirely.

2 minutes....
byu/trashpandacoot1 inSwitch

As I write, Target and Walmart have sold out. Best Buy queues are moving for some, but others, including me, remain stuck after over an hour. Cancellation or delay emails are hitting inboxes, leaving buyers without clear recourse.

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

Hope remains as GameStop opens pre-orders at 11:00am ET, both in-store and online, with other retailers to follow. Some Nintendo account holders may receive direct pre-order invites in May, though supply in Japan is reportedly far below demand.

Bots are the worst
byu/CANfilms inSwitch

For casual observers, the frenzy may seem trivial, but for Nintendo fans, it’s exasperating. The Switch 2 reveal was thrilling yet marred by confusion over pricing, accessories, and software formats. Nintendo’s brief pre-order pause due to U.S. tariffs, followed by a restart with unchanged console prices, added to the chaos. Lack of clarity on costs and product details has left fans uncertain about securing a console near launch, especially with potential price hikes or supply shortages looming.

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.