Everything You Need to Know About Preordering a Nintendo Switch 2

You might have already made up your mind about lining up outside a GameStop to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches on June 5. Or maybe, if you're like me, you're wondering whether it's smart to shell out $450 for Nintendo's console when prices are jumping everywhere.

Whatever you decide, the first thing to know is that, as of April 24, Nintendo has launched preorders in the US and Canada. Preorders went live in other countries earlier, but Nintendo canceled the original April 9 preorder window for the two countries to assess the impacts of the tariffs. The good news is that the price of the Switch 2 console remains at $450, and the Mario Kart World bundle is still $500. That said, a few accessories have been hit with a small price hike.

In today's age of scalpers, preordering a Nintendo Switch 2 isn't as simple as adding it to your cart when the website goes live. If you buy directly from Nintendo, for example, you need to meet certain requirements. Don't worry, we break it all down in this guide.

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The Switch 2 will feel extremely similar to anyone who has used a Switch. It's now larger, with a 7.9-inch screen versus the original's 6.2 inches, but it maintains the hybrid functionality—it's a portable console, but you can dock it to play on a TV. Everything you play on it will look better, thanks to a custom Nvidia graphics card. Nvidia claims the Switch 2 has 10 times better graphics than the original Switch, with ray tracing support and AI-powered upscaling.

The LCD screen might feel like a step back from the Switch OLED version—OLED typically offers better contrast and vibrant colors, but LCD is often brighter. That said, the 7.9-inch screen now sports a 1080p resolution with HDR support. It also has a 120-Hz variable refresh rate, meaning you'll see more frames in a single second, making everything on the screen feel more fluid.

The Joy-Con 2 controllers are larger to accommodate the bigger console, and now, you can use them as mice in certain games like Drag X Drive. That might also mean that shooting in a first-person shooter can feel more precise, and it can enhance the gameplay of a real-time strategy game like Civilization VII, if your arms don't get tired first. Nintendo confirmed the Joy-Con 2 controllers do not use Hall effect sensors, but are still more durable and smooth. Hopefully, that means no more Joy-Con drift. They now connect to the Switch 2 via magnets.

The speakers are better (they now support 3D audio via headphones), and the built-in microphone filters out unnecessary background sounds so your teammates won't hear the blender running in the kitchen. The Switch 2 comes with two USB-C ports, allowing you to charge it in handheld mode when it's on a table, and also connect peripherals like the new Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, which lets you bring your face into games when socializing with friends.

The new social features are driven by the C button on the right Joy-Con 2, which triggers GameChat. It lets you speak to in-game friends using the mic, and you can even share your screen so your teammates can help you navigate puzzles in case you're stuck, even if they're playing a different game. These GameChat features require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

When you place the Switch 2 on the dock, it now outputs 4K resolution with HDR to TVs (up from 1080p). When docked, you will be capped at 60 frames per second at 4K and 120 fps at 1440p resolution. The dock has a USB-C port for power, an Ethernet port for faster internet speeds, and an HDMI port to hook it up to the TV. On the front are two USB-A ports to connect accessories.

You can use physical game cartridges, and the Switch 2 cartridges are red. As for storage, you now get 256 GB included (up from 32 GB), and a microSD Express slot to expand space. You cannot use your old microSD card—microSD Express is significantly faster, which affects download speeds and how quickly games load.

The Switch 2 costs $450, which is $150 more than the original and $100 more than the Switch OLED. The only game bundle at launch is with Mario Kart World.

Preorders are live for the Switch 2 as of midnight Eastern time on April 24 or 9 pm Pacific on April 23. The console officially goes on sale June 5. Here are the nitty gritty details from the top retailers, including when stores will open on launch day:

• GameStop: Preorders start when doors open at retail stores on April 24. That also includes the Mario Kart World bundle. Online preorders begin at 11 am Eastern/8 am Pacific. All GameStop stores will be open on June 5 at 12 am Eastern/June 4 at 9 pm Pacific for the console launch if you want to queue up.
• Target: Preorders started at 12 am Eastern on April 24/9 pm Pacific on April 23. It's unclear if you'll be able to place a preorder in-store. (Update: Target's website is extremely slow and showing many errors. If you get to the checkout page, keep pushing through and press Place Order until it works—at least, according to a few Redditors. This did not work for me.)
• Best Buy: Preorders began at midnight Eastern on April 24. (Update: For nearly 30 minutes after midnight, Best Buy's Switch 2 page said, “Coming Soon.” It's now finally available. You'll be placed in a queue, though your luck depends on inventory.) The retailer says most of its stores will be open at midnight on June 5 if you want to pick up your preorder. Make sure you select that at the time of purchase.
• Walmart: Like Target and Best Buy, you can preorder now at Walmart. (Update: The retailer puts you in a queue, and this was by far the simplest and most seamless checkout process of the big retailers.) Walmart is the only retailer promising that your order will be delivered before 9 am Eastern on June 5 (as long as you preorder by June 4 at 8 am Eastern, while supplies last). This offer only applies to the Switch 2 console and the Mario Kart World bundle.

It doesn't look like you'll be able to preorder the Switch 2 through Amazon, but this could change. You can keep an eye on Nintendo's Amazon storefront.

There's some risk involved in preordering a Switch 2 from one of the big retailers. Scalpers and bots could get to them first, a plague we've seen before with graphics cards.

Thankfully, Nintendo has a solution to prevent all the Switch 2 stock from going to scalpers if you buy directly from the company. First, sign in to your Nintendo Account here and register your interest in purchasing the console (you need to be at least 18 years old). You'll then receive an email when it's your time to purchase, and the company says the first batch of invites will go out on May 8. The invites are first-come, first-served, and you'll have 72 hours to complete the purchase from the time the email is sent out.

You have to be the person who purchased the Nintendo Switch Online membership to register, must have paid for it for a minimum of 12 months, and must have opted in to share gameplay data and have at least 50 hours of total gameplay.

You can pay with Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay, or Apple Pay, and you'll be paying the whole amount at checkout. Orders will be shipped to your address of choice in the US and Canada. Nintendo says “release-day delivery is not guaranteed due to processing and shipment times,” so you might not have a Switch 2 on June 5.

While Nintendo announced a bevy of games during the Switch 2 Direct on April 2, only a select number will be available on June 5.

• Mario Kart World ($80)
• Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour ($10)
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition ($80)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition ($70)
• Sid Meier's Civilization VII Switch 2 Edition
• Street Fighter 6 ($60)
• Fortnite (Free)
• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition ($70)
• Deltarune ($25)
• Yakuza 0 Director's Cut
• Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer
• Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
• Split Fiction ($50)
• Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening
• Hogwart's Legacy
• Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster ($40)

There will be several other games launching over the summer, like Donkey Kong Bananza, Drag X Drive, and Super Mario Party Jamboree. In the fall and winter, you'll see titles like Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Elden Ring, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

The Switch 2 has broad backward compatibility, meaning most Switch games will work just fine. However, Nintendo has announced a handful of “Switch 2 Edition” games that will take advantage of the Switch 2's hardware for enhanced graphics, smoother gameplay, and in some situations, new content.

If you do not own Breath of the Wild, the Switch 2 Edition will cost $80. However, if you bought it for the original Switch—physical or digital—you can buy an upgrade pack on the Nintendo eShop for $10. Some upgrade packs will cost $20 if there's new content in addition to the graphics enhancement, like the Star-Crossed World expansion for Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

At launch, anyone with a Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership can get the upgrade pack for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for free.

There are several first-party accessories you can snag for the Switch 2 console. Some of these have seen price hikes due to the tariff trade war.

• Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: $85 (Previously: $80)
• Joy-Con 2 Pair: $95 (Previously: $90)
• Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip: $40 (Previously: $35)
• Joy-Con 2 Strap: $14 (Previously: $13)
• Joy-Con 2 Wheel Set: $25 (Previously: $20)
• Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: $55 (Previously: $50)
• Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set: $120 (Previously: $110)
• Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector: $40 (Previously: $35)
• Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case: $85 (Previously: $80)
• Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter: $35 (Previously: $30)
• Samsung microSD Express Card (256 GB) for Nintendo Switch 2: $60
• Lexar microSD Express Card (256 GB) for Nintendo Switch 2: $56

You might be better off holding onto your original Nintendo Switch, but if you want to reduce the sting of buying a Switch 2 even a little bit, GameStop will have special trade-in values that start on April 24. You can get up to $125 for a standard Switch, $175 for a Switch OLED, or $100 for a Switch Lite. The catch is they need to be in pretty good condition—GameStop will not accept Switch consoles with Joy-Con drift. You also need everything that came in the original box.

One of the big announcements from the April 2 Nintendo Direct was that GameCube games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Just like how you've been able to enjoy SNES and Game Boy games, now you can relive the glory days of the GameCube. Titles include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soul Calibur 2. These games will look better and play at higher resolution, though they’re not remasters.

These GameCube games will launch on June 5 alongside the Switch 2, and you'll need to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online: Expansion Pack. (That's a separate, pricier tier from the standard Switch Online membership.) You can also snag a cordless, modernized version of the GameCube controller to play these games, though the original will still work with the right adapter. Unfortunately, you will need a Switch 2 console to play these GameCube games. They're not compatible with the original Switch.