The good news is Switch Pre-orders have gone live at US retailers, the bad news is they’ve almost immediately sold out

Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 went live in America last night, and as you’d expect, the console sold out quickly as people flocked to various retailers to secure one. Many were able to lock an order in, setting them up for a bright future of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. The rest, left suffering Switch-less.

This surge of pre-order attempts also resulted in a technical nightmare for various retailers, with tales of Switch 2s stuck in people’s checkout carts, unable to be bought. Issues with lenghthy queue times buying through Walmart, only for the console to be totally sold out once you get past said queue, and Best Buy opening Switch 2 pre-orders late adding to what was undoubtedly a hectic night of frantic online shopping.

Even Geoff Keighly, founder and host of Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards, struggled with the masses. He posted his own experience on Twitter stating: “System was in my cart, then it wasn’t, then it was, wouldn’t let me pay, etc.” If Mr Video Games himself can’t get a pre-order locked in, what hope does the working Joe? It’s rough out there folks.

It’s safe to say that there’s been a lot of excitement around the Switch 2! Ever since the reveal showcase gave us our first real peek at the console, people have been fiending for it. Our own impressions of it were incredibly positive too, which means we’re also included in that excited category of course. The pre-orders for US gamers were delayed due to the wave of US tariffs and the resulting economic turmoil, which mean that Americans could do little during the Canadian and European order rush but salivate from afar.

Did you manage to get a Nintendo Switch 2? Let us know below!