We're just days away from the official preorder date for the Nintendo Switch 2, which means you better start putting a plan in place.
Major retailers in the U.S. like Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart will all be taking pre-orders starting April 24, but not all at the exact same time, and they aren't all offering the same pickup and delivery options for the June 5 launch as each other. Allow us to help sort out the confusion here for anyone planning on desperately trying to secure a Switch 2 preorder on Thursday.
Nintendo Switch 2 retailer preorders: Everything you need to know
Everyone will be open for business on the 24th, but not in the same manner. One bit of advice that will apply to all of these retailers: Make an account on their website or app with your payment and shipping info settled in before the preorder window starts so you don't have to waste precious seconds filling in that info at checkout. This helped me secure a PS5 back in the day.
Best Buy
Best Buy helpfully has a company blog post explaining how its Switch 2 preorder situation will work, which is blessedly straightforward. Put simply, you can preorder a Switch 2, any games like Mario Kart World, and any accessories you might want starting at midnight ET on April 24 on Best Buy's website or mobile app. Retail stores will also have preorders available starting at their regular opening hours, so be sure to look up when your local Best Buy opens that day beforehand if you plan on doing it in-person.
Walmart
Walmart is another company that's doing things in a pretty easy-to-grasp way. As with Best Buy, you'll be able to preorder Switch 2 consoles, games, and accessories on Walmart's website at midnight ET on April 24. Walmart is also promising delivery of the console by 9 a.m. on launch day if you secure your preorder before June 4. If that all works out, that fake sick day you plan on taking will be even more awesome.
Target
There isn't much to say about Target's Nintendo Switch 2 preorder policy. Just like Best Buy and Walmart, if you go to Target's website at midnight ET on April 24, you should be able to at least try to preorder a Switch 2. Good luck.
GameStop
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GameStop is the one retailer of the four listed here that's doing things a little bit differently on the 24th. Namely, preorders don't start at midnight. Instead, they start in-person whenever each individual store normally opens, or at 11 a.m. ET on April 24 for online orders. If you try to get one at the other retailers at midnight and strike out, set an alarm for 11 hours later and give it another shot.
And a backup plan
Just in case none of those options work out for you, there's one more way you can try to get your hands on a Switch 2 preorder: Buying directly from Nintendo.
Be warned though that the process is a bit strange. If you go to Nintendo's preorder website, you'll be prompted to log in with an active, paid Nintendo Switch Online account. The paid part is important and I'll note why in a minute. Once you do that, you choose either a Switch 2 standalone console or the Mario Kart World bundle and then hit the confirm button to "register your interest" in preordering a Switch 2. These preorders will start going out on May 8, not April 24.
Now for the weird stuff. Only Switch Online members who have paid for at least 12 months of service and registered at least 50 hours of gameplay on their Switch consoles will get invitation links starting May 8. In other words, you better be a true Switch gamer if you want to preorder this way. Anyway, if you're eligible, you might get an invitation link to a preorder page on May 8. Nintendo also confirmed these invites will go out in waves after May 8, so if you don't get in on that day, don't be too discouraged.
