Want a Switch 2 Directly From Nintendo? Launch Day Release Isn’t Guaranteed (2025)

Switch 2 preorders from Best Buy, Target, and Walmart are underway (GameStop kicks off at 11 a.m.), with many across the US securing a new console. Nintendo’s own sales will begin on May 8, but the company has clarified that it may not be able to get you a console on launch day.

An update to Nintendo’s website, spotted by The Verge, says, “Due to the very high demand, we will be working diligently to fulfill orders as product becomes available, but delivery by June 5 is not guaranteed.”

Something similar happened in Japan ahead of the country's preorder process, where 2.2 million people signed up for an invitation to buy the console directly from Nintendo, which said it couldn't accommodate all those buyers.

The company is rumored to have stockpiled over a million units in the US by the end of February, in part to avoid US tariffs. However, if you were planning to rely on an invitation to preorder from Nintendo, you may not get the console right away, even if you are in the first wave of invites. Nintendo has also clarified that it will continue to send out further waves of invites and yours may even arrive after the console has launched.

Nintendo's latest update says, "Your invitation email may arrive after the Nintendo Switch 2 launch. We'll confirm your shipping date upon purchase."

The company's system for preordering is different to third-party retailers. It asked people to sign up for an invitation to buy, and it’s working on a first-come, first-served system but it also preferences people who use Nintendo platforms regularly. That means having an active Switch Online membership for 12 months or longer and clocking over 50 hours before Feb. 28, 2025. If you don’t have that, you won’t be prioritized through Nintendo’s preorder system and you'll be waiting longer for an invite.

The Switch 2 will release on June 5 with Mario Kart World set to be the star launch game and Donkey Kong Bananza following on July 17. The Switch 2 costs $449.99 or $499.99 in a bundle with Mario Kart World included.