Nintendo Switch 2 Drops — Chaos at Best Buy, GameStop Fans Go Full Mario Kart IRL

Nintendo Switch 2 Drops — Chaos At Best Buy, Gamestop Fans Go Full Mario Kart Irl

Okay, gamers — this is not a drill. Nintendo just hit the big red “GO” button on Switch 2 preorders, and all hell broke loose faster than Wario on a speed boost.

At the stroke of midnight (because of course it had to be dramatic), the Switch 2 preorders went live… kinda. Best Buy had fans lined up in a digital queue like it was Coachella for nerds — only to pull the ol’ “Thanks for waiting, but nah” move. Users were stuck staring at “Coming Soon” screens longer than they’ve waited for a Metroid Prime 4 update.

One frustrated buyer posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“I was in line at 12:01 AM. Site crashes. I get back in at 12:17… sold out. Nintendo really said ‘good luck, plumber boy.’”

Meanwhile, over at GameStop, things got extra. Stores opened for in-person preorders this morning, and yes — people actually lined up like it was a Yeezy drop. Online preorders were set for 11 a.m. ET, but you better believe scalpers were already warming up their bots like a Smash Bros. main menu theme.

Here’s what you’re actually getting for your hard-earned rupees:
🎮 A 7.9” 1080p HDR display (finally, HD handheld!)
🕹️ 4K output when docked
💾 256GB storage — no more deleting Zelda to install Splatoon
🎮 New Joy-Con 2s that don’t drift (we hope)
🧃 And yes, it’s backward compatible. Thank you, Nintendo gods.

The Switch 2 drops June 5 at $449.99 — or $499.99 if you want the Mario Kart World bundle (spoiler: you do).

GameStop’s even dangling up to $175 in trade-in credit if you offer up your OG Switch. So if yours has been collecting dust next to that busted Wii U… now’s the time.

In Japan, over 2 million preorders hit in a flash. Nintendo’s already saying “you might not get one.” So yeah — demand’s hotter than Bowser’s lava pit.

Polygon called it “Nintendo’s most aggressive console launch yet.” We call it: the Taylor Swift Eras Tour of gaming drops.

Moral of the story?
If you snooze, you’re stuck watching TikToks of someone else unboxing theirs on launch day.

Go, go, GO.