GameStop, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy announce when their Switch 2 preorders start

You might want to set some alarms.

by Jay Peters

Updated Apr 21, 2025, 10:06 PM UTC

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Jay Peters is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.

Nintendo said that Switch 2 preorders in the US will begin on April 24th ahead of the console’s June 5th launch day, and now GameStop, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy have shared exactly when you can try to snag a preorder.

GameStop said on X that in-store Nintendo Switch preorders will start when “doors open” on April 24th. Online preorders will kick off that day at 11AM ET. The company also says that “all stores” will open on June 5th at 12AM ET / June 4th at 9PM PT for console launch.
Target’s Switch 2 preorders will kick off on April 24th at 12AM ET, according to Target’s website. The preorder time applies to consoles, games, and accessories.
Walmart’s Switch 2 preorders begin on April 24th at 12AM ET, company spokesperson Leigh Stidham tells The Verge. Walmart’s website also says that you’ll get your console before 9AM on June 5th if you preorder by June 4th at 8AM ET “while supplies last.”
Best Buy has announced that preorders for the “console, games and accessories” will start on April 24th at 12AM ET via the Best Buy Mobile App and BestBuy.com. Best Buy also says that “most stores” will open for preorder pickup on June 5th at 12AM ET / June 4th at 9PM PT.

We’ve also asked Amazon if it will offer Switch 2 preorders and when they may start.

Nintendo originally planned to have preorders start on April 9th, but it delayed them “in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”

As part of this morning’s announcement, Nintendo said that the Switch 2’s starting price would remain $449.99, and the bundle that includes Mario Kart World would also stay at $499.99. But accessories got price bumps, including $5 increases for the Switch 2 Joy-Con and Pro Controller.

Prices could also change down the line; Nintendo said today that “other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions.”

Updates, April 18th: Added details from GameStop, Walmart, and Best Buy.

Update, April 21st: Added preorder time from Best Buy.

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