Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders: When will they start and where will stock be available?

The launch of a new console is always an exciting time for gamers, but it does come with some stress, especially when stock shortages occur — who could forget the struggle to buy a PS5 a few years ago?

The Nintendo Switch 2's first trailer teased new games — hello, Mario Kart 9! — and exciting new features, but you have to read between the lines if you want to get ahead of the game on Switch 2 pre-orders.

Read on for everything we know, with a healthy sprinkling of speculation and guesswork to fill in the gaps!

When will Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders start?

We predict that Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders will start on 2nd April 2025.

Nintendo has confirmed that a full Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event will be taking place online on that date, and it seems incredibly likely that the presentation will end with the dramatic reveal that pre-orders are now open.

The exact time of this event is yet to be confirmed, but we'll be sure to update this page when it is. You might want to have your bank card ready as you watch!

This online Nintendo Direct event was announced during the Switch 2's first-look trailer, specifically at two minutes and 10 seconds into the video.

Do you want to try the Switch 2 before you buy it? Well, you're in luck!

Nintendo has announced that there will be a Nintendo Switch 2 experience taking place in real life in a number of major cities during April, May and June 2025.

The London leg of the event is taking place at the ExCel Centre from 11th April to 13th April. You can find more details on how to sign up on the official Nintendo website.

Which retailers will have Nintendo Switch 2 stock?

If you want to buy a Nintendo Switch 2, we have absolutely no doubt that the official Nintendo website will be one of the main places that have stock.

After all, when a new console comes out, the manufacturer could choose to sell a big chunk of the pre-orders through their own platform, eschewing the need to give a cut to third-party retailers.

So, you'll definitely want to have the console page on the Nintendo Shop bookmarked!

That being said, we don't think that Nintendo will completely abandon its long-standing relationships with major third-party retailers.

Here in the UK, we would expect to see Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders going through these retailers:

• Official Nintendo Shop
• Amazon
• Currys
• Argos
• GAME

For now, all of those retailers are selling older Switch consoles including the OLED Model, as well as some of the best Switch games on the market. When Switch 2 pre-orders open, we'd be surprised if they weren't selling it!

We'll update this page with all the correct links once Nintendo Switch 2 product pages start to appear.

Of course, if Switch 2 consoles start selling out, you might want to try less obvious shops including supermarkets like Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury's. Of those three, ASDA seems to be stocking the most gaming gear right now.

If there ends up being a big Nintendo Switch 2 stock shortage, you also might be tempted to look at CeX and hope that the mark-up isn't too high on second-hand units.

Places like CeX will also be handy if you want to trade in an original Switch to put a bit of money in your pocket towards a Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 price is a mystery at this point, so we'll keep our eyes peeled on that front as well.

In the meantime, the original Switch is still readily available if you want to make a head start on those backwards compatible games!

Read more on Nintendo:

• Best Nintendo Switch games for kids
• Best Nintendo Switch micro SD cards to buy
• How to charge Nintendo Switch controllers
• The best Nintendo Switch Lite games - take these on the go
• How to connect Nintendo Switch to TV

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