The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally a thing you can buy in the US — or at least, a thing you can try to buy. The $450 console officially went up for sale at midnight ET on June 5, with numerous retailers offering the device both online and in-store. Predictably, online stock dried up fairly quickly and remains highly limited as of Thursday evening.
Broadly speaking, it appears people have had a bit more luck by heading to a physical retail store. There’s still no guarantee that you’ll be able to snag one that way, but a couple of Engadget staffers managed to grab a Switch 2 on Thursday at their local Target and GameStop, even with no pre-order in place.
If you can’t find the device out in the wild, your next best chance to get the Switch 2 online looks to be via Target. The retailer says it’ll resume selling the console online in the “early morning” on Friday, June 6, though it hasn’t confirmed an exact time beyond that.
To make things a little easier for those still on the hunt, we’re rounding up all of the information we can find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch and tracking any restocks that pop up.
Where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2
Walmart opened up online purchases at midnight on June 5, but both the console alone and Nintendo’s Mario Kart World bundle remain out of stock as of our latest update. Naturally, the world’s largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations. The company has noted that quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location, but it’s worth checking if any store near you still has devices available.
Target began selling the Switch 2 in stores on June 5. The retailer has warned that supply will be limited, but some stores still appear to have the console in stock as of Thursday evening, so it’s worth looking into the locations closest to you. Anecdotally, Engadget’s Billy Steele was able to pick up the device at a Target just outside of Greensboro, North Carolina as late as 4:15pm ET on Thursday.
The company says it’ll restock its online inventory in the “early morning” on Friday, June 6, while supplies last. That may be the next best opportunity to secure the Switch 2 without going to a store.
GameStop held launch events on Wednesday and is advertising in-store availability, though again this will vary by location. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low was able to buy the console without a pre-order at a GameStop store in the New York City area on Thursday morning. That particular location had a little under 80 units available, but its manager told Low that inventory will differ at other stores based on population.
As we write this, the device is unavailable on GameStop’s website. A $625 bundle that includes Mario Kart World, a microSD Express card and a few other accessories has been in and out of stock more frequently than the standard SKUs, though it’s sold out now (and kind of scummy anyway). We briefly saw it pop back up around 2:30pm ET, so it may be one to bookmark if you can stomach the extra cost. The listings for the base console and Mario Kart bundle, meanwhile, now point to a “Find a Store” page.
Best Buy held in-store launch events at midnight and said it’d have limited stock at its retail locations starting June 5. It is not selling the console online during launch week, however.
You may also have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online membership has gone in and out of stock, while Sam’s Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub available as well. You’ll need a membership to check on either of those, though. We’ve also seen online stock at BJ’s, but those listings are unavailable as of our most recent update.
Verizon briefly had the Switch 2 available on Thursday morning, but that’s dried up, and only those with Verizon service were able to order.
As of now, Amazon is the only major retailer that doesn’t have some form of Switch 2 listing on its website. The company didn’t take any pre-orders for the Switch 2 either, so it’s unclear if and when it will sell the device.
Newegg has listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it hasn’t started sales yet.
With all of these stores, we’ve generally seen the Mario Kart World bundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But considering Mario Kart is the Switch 2’s biggest launch game and retails for $80 on its own, that may not be the worst thing.
Nintendo, meanwhile, is still only selling the Switch 2 via an invite system. This requires you to have been a Switch Online member for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of Switch 1 playtime as of April 2. It can’t hurt to put your name on the list if you meet that criteria, but don’t expect it to bear fruit anytime soon — several people who registered in April still haven’t received an invite, and shipments haven’t gone out yet for many of those who did order (including yours truly).
You can find a list of every Switch 2 retail listing we could find below. Just be aware that this is meant to be a reference, not a rundown of everywhere the device is available right this second.
Where to buy Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle:
GameStop ($625 bundle with various accessories)
Costco (membership required)
Sam’s Club (membership required)
BJ’s (membership required)
Verizon (service required)
Where to buy Switch 2:
Where to buy Nintendo Switch 2 games and accessories
Nintendo is also selling a bunch of new accessories for the Switch 2, most of which became available on June 5 alongside the console. The same thing goes for games such as Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 edition of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Another big Switch 2 title, Donkey Kong Bananza, won’t be available until mid-July, though you can still pre-order it today.
As of Thursday evening, just about all Switch 2 games remain widely available. Stock for the accessories is a little patchier, but most devices are generally in stock at certain retailers. Note that you’ll need to have received an invite to purchase most accessories at Nintendo’s online store.
Mario Kart World ($80)
Donkey Kong Bananza ($70)
Additional Switch 2 games
Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60)
Joy-Con 2 bundle ($95)
Switch 2 Pro Controller ($85)
Switch 2 Camera ($55)
Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera ($60)
Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip ($40)
Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) ($25)
Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case ($85)
Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector ($40)
Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($120)
Nintendo (account required)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/how-to-buy-the-nintendo-switch-2-current-in-stock-availability-on-consoles-and-games-120039522.html?src=rss
