The Switch 2 preorder launch is a mess

Summary

Switch 2 preorders were chaotic: website crashes, in-line wait times, and cancellations.
Some managed to secure a Switch 2, but luck played a key role in getting through the frustrating process.
Amazon Canada introduced an invitation-based system for preorders, suggesting a potential solution for future high-demand launches.

The moment many people had been waiting for finally arrived when the clock struck midnight on April 24: the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 preorders. After

teasing the console
in January,

fully unveiling it at the beginning of April
, and delaying preorders due to

tariff concerns
, preorders for the Switch 2 recently

became available in the US
. However, the experience turned into an emotional rollercoaster for many.

You’d think that after all the trials and tribulations associated with the launch of the PS5 in 2020, retailers might have finally figured out how to prepare for and manage preorders for the most highly anticipated console of all time. But it seems that demand far exceeded anything they could’ve imagined.

People hoping to secure Switch 2 preorders frantically rushed to the websites of numerous US retailers early Thursday morning, trying Walmart, Best Buy, and Target to secure a Switch 2, with GameStop launching its preorders later in the day at 11am. Now, what’s one thing all these retailers have in common? Their websites instantly exploded like the Death Star from Star Wars.

Nintendo Switch 2

4K Capability: Yes
Brand: Nintendo
Screen: 7.9-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution LCD, HDR, 120Hz refresh rate (4K/60fps 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution when docked)
Game support: Switch 2, Switch 2 Edition, Switch
Storage: 256GB (microSD Express cards)
CPU: custom NVIDIA processor

Preordering the Switch 2 was/is a nightmare

People got orders through, but not without a fight

Pocket-lint / Nintendo

As many could have guessed, the moment preorders started for the Switch 2 at midnight, the websites of Walmart, Best Buy, and Target all imploded shortly after. When GameStop launched preorders at 11am EST, it only took a matter of minutes for their website to crash, with “Oops something wrong” starting to pop up on people’s screens.

Many individuals attempting to secure a Switch 2 faced long virtual queues, nearly instant out-of-stock pages, and constant refreshing for over an hour, only to be met with the dreaded message, “something went wrong and the item was not added to your cart. Please try again.”

For about two hours after preorders went live, people dealt with Best Buy’s endless in-line wait times that frequently timed out or showed no progress at all. Target may have been the worst offender, crushing the dreams of some who thought they had placed an order. One user on X wrote that after refreshing the page to preorder on Target and waiting to checkout for 20 minutes, when the order was finally placed, they were met with a cancellation notice immediately.

Walmart had its fair share of issues as well, with what seemed like endless queue times and the horrifying message of this “deal is almost gone” as you waited.

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Victory for some, disappointment for others

There must be a better way to go about this

Nintendo

In all fairness, despite the many issues that arose at midnight with Switch 2 preorders, a lot of people managed to snag one, including myself and a few of my friends who were able to get theirs at Walmart after enduring constant problems for over an hour. However, it all came down to luck. There wasn’t anything I or my friends did differently compared to anyone else refreshing the page or waiting in long lines.

But it really does raise the question: is there a better way to do this? The Switch 2 preorder experience was by far the worst I’ve encountered, and according to many others I’ve spoken to, they feel the same way whether they secured a console or not.

It was never going to be a perfect experience trying to get the Switch 2, given the demand and hype surrounding it. Nintendo even put out a statement before US preorders began, saying it wouldn’t be able to meet the demand in Japan in time for launch, perhaps trying to temper expectations. The Nintendo Store in the US posted a statement after US preorders went up, indicating that deliveries by June 5, the console’s launch date, aren’t guaranteed from the My Nintendo Store.

Interestingly enough, one of the largest online retailers in the US, Amazon, has yet to list preorders for the Switch 2 or the Switch 2 Mario Kart Bundle. What Amazon in the US plans to do is uncertain, but if Amazon in Canada is any indication, it could be doing something quite different from Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

Amazon Canada recently listed Switch 2 preorders with a catch: you have to request an invitation. If you’re invited to purchase the Switch 2, you’ll receive an email with a link that gives you 22 hours to buy the console. Amazon Canada states it did this “to ensure that as many genuine customers as possible can buy this high-demand item.”

…every major retailer’s website exploding instantly can’t be the solution forever for massive launches like the Switch 2.

Is this the path forward for preorders in the future? An invitation system that doesn’t crash websites? I don’t know, and I’m not an IT infrastructure expert. But what I do know is that every major retailer’s website exploding instantly can’t be the solution forever for massive launches like the Switch 2.

The launch of the PS6 and new Xbox is likely only a couple of years away, so it will be interesting to see if the status quo changes. While Switch 2 preorders will likely be restocked, it may take months, if not until the end of the year, for the console to reach everyone who wants it. If you’re trying to secure a Switch 2, you can check out

Pocket-lint’s story with all the preorder links
. While they are sold out now, they may return at some point.