The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally a thing you can buy in the US. The $450 console officially went up for sale at midnight ET on June 5, with several retailers offering the device both online and in-store. Predictably, online stock has dried up fairly quickly and remains highly limited as of late Friday afternoon. We’ve seen with the console available at Costco most recently, but you’ll need a membership there to take advantage. Wider restocks will happen eventually, though exactly when is unclear.
Broadly speaking, people seem to have had more luck on launch week by visiting a physical retail store. We can’t guarantee you’ll be able to snag one that way, but a few Engadget staffers managed to grab a Switch 2 on Thursday at their local Target or GameStop, even without a pre-order in place. So before you call it quits, check if a nearby Target, GameStop, Walmart or Best Buy — the four official retailers Nintendo lists on its store page — still has consoles in stock.
If you’re still on the hunt for Nintendo’s newest device, we’re rounding up all of the information we can find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up.
Where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2
Walmart opened up online purchases at midnight ET on June 5, but both the console alone and Nintendo’s Mario Kart World bundle are out of stock as 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 seeing if any store near you still has devices available.
Target began selling the Switch 2 in stores on June 5. The retailer warned that supply will be limited, and the console may be sold out by the time you read this, though you should still look into the locations closest to you. Anecdotally, Engadget’s Billy Steele was able to pick up a Switch 2 at a Target just outside of Greensboro, NC as late as 4:15PM ET on Thursday.
The company restocked its online inventory around 3:30AM ET on Friday, June 6. Those listings were live for at least a couple of hours, which is longer than we would’ve expected, but they’ve since gone out of stock.
GameStop held launch events on Wednesday and has advertised 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 just under 80 units available, but its manager told Low that inventory would differ at other stores based on population.
The device is currently 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 a raw deal anyway). We briefly saw it return on Thursday afternoon, 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 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 have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since Thursday morning, with the most recent restock we’ve seen coming around 2PM ET on Friday. Sam’s Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well. We also saw the console at BJ’s early on Thursday, but that’s no longer the case as of late Friday afternoon.
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.
Amazon doesn’t have any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor does it list first-party Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. 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’s given no indication as to when it’ll actually begin sales.
With all of these stores, we’ve seen the Mario Kart World bundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But given that 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 only offering 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 sign up if you meet the criteria, but don’t expect it to bear fruit immediately — many people who registered in April still haven’t received an invite, and shipments haven’t arrived yet for some who did order.
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:
Where to buy Switch 2:
Where to buy Nintendo Switch 2 games and accessories
Nintendo is selling a number of Switch 2 accessories alongside the console, from controllers to cases to cameras for its new GameChat feature. Most of these became available on June 5 as well. The same goes for games like Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Another big Switch 2 release, Donkey Kong Bananza, won’t be available until mid-July, though you can still pre-order it today.
As of late Friday afternoon, just about all Switch 2 games remain widely available. Stock for the accessories is a little spottier, but most devices are still available at multiple retailers. Nintendo’s official Switch 2 carrying cases seem to be the exception at the moment.
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)
Credit: Source link
