Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are now in their second week in the UK, but we’re still waiting on a date across the pond. The US was hit with a delay shortly after an April 9 date was revealed, with the brand assessing the impact of new tariffs introduced at the start of the month. We haven’t heard anything since then, but UK pre-orders have gone ahead as planned, starting on April 8.
That means we’ve had a week of Nintendo Switch 2 stock lining the shelves, and things are looking good for UK players. Very, Argos, and EE have been the stand out winners of the pre-order race so far. All have offered regular restocks in the last week, with Very and Argos holding out for a particularly long time with each drop.
I’ve been tracking hard-to-find pre-orders to over five years now, starting at the frontlines of the PS5 and Xbox Series X console launches. That was a trial by fire, but it taught me how to find stock in even the most desperate of times and, crucially, how to get it those consoles to checkout quickly. I’m tracking all the latest Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order updates right here, between UK restocks and US timeline updates. However, you’ll also find all my top tips for making the most of each drop on this page as well.
Quick Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order links
EE: Check for stockArgos: Check for stockVery: Check for stockAmazon: Check for stockThe Game Collection: Check for stockCurrys: Check for stockNintendo: Check for stockGame: Check for stock
April 9 should have been the day that US Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders went live, but things are officially delayed across the pond. Many of the retailers below are offering updates via email notifications, though, which is well worth it to stay in the loop.
Amazon: Check for updatesBest Buy: Check for updatesWalmart: Check for updatesGameStop: Check for updatesNintendo: Check for updatesTarget: Check for updates
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the UK
Very | Check stock
Very has been consistent with its Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders, launching a wave of bundles towards the start of the day, rotating stock over the course of a few hours, and then pulling listings at around 5pm. If you see bundles listed on the site, they’re likely to return – even if they say they’re unavailable. Stock here is only dead for the day when those product pages are removed. View Deal
Argos | Check for stock
Argos was one of the first retailers to launch Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the UK, and it regularly holds out longer than the competition. That’s because stock is sorted regionally, so you may have more of a shot depending on your post code. This is well worth keeping refreshed, as I’ve seen new consoles hit the shelves frequently. View Deal
EE | Check for stock
EE has offered more Nintendo Switch 2 restocks than other retailers, but it doesn’t hold out as long as Argos and Very. It’s well worth keeping an eye out here, as stock does drop day to day but you’ll need to be fast to get it. View Deal
Amazon | Check stock
Amazon has now abandoned its invitation system for Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders, so if you see stock live on this listing page you’re free to have at it. Still, I haven’t seen too many restocks here – only one in the last week and it lasted for around half an hour. View Deal
The Game Collection | Check stock
The Game Collection was running another round of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders last week, but this was a short-lived drop. It lasted around half an hour when it dropped on Wednesday, suggesting this smaller retailer has a more limited supply at any one time. View Deal
Nintendo Store | Check requirements
Nintendo has opened its doors, with its own handheld’s pre-orders available by invitation only. If you’ve signed up previously, or want to sign up for a shot at future Nintendo Switch 2 restocks, you’ll need to be a Switch Online member for at least two years continuously, be signed up to usage sharing and messaging, and have a good amount of playtime on your system (the US asks for 50 hours). View Deal
John Lewis | Check stock
John Lewis is carrying the Nintendo Switch 2 (and the Mario Kart bundle), but it’s a little more blunt in its messaging. The site states that ‘pre-orders are now sold out’ and doesn’t suggest more are on their way.View Deal
ShopTo | Check stock
ShopTo tends to kill its landing pages once a product has run out of stock, so I’d recommend sticking to the search page to keep an eye out for more pre-order opportunities. I have seen some early movement here in the last few days, though. View Deal
GAME | Check stock
Game is very quiet, and only lists the Nintendo Switch 2 when stock is actually live. That’s rare in itself – I haven’t seen any handhelds on this site since before April 8. All is not well here – there are no in-store pre-orders up for grabs and head office looks to be shutting down. View Deal
ebuyer | Check stock
Ebuyer has been quiet so far, but there are listing pages for both the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World bundle live on the site. This is one to keep an eye on, it’s a smaller retailer but competition could be lower as a result.View Deal
Currys | Find in-store
Currys isn’t offering any online Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders, instead prioritizing its in-store handhelds. That means you won’t find stock on its website, but it’s worth taking a trip to your local store.View Deal
Check for Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the US
Amazon | Check for updates
The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t listed on Amazon’s site yet, but that’s no surprise. This retailer doesn’t push its product pages into general search until they’re live for the first time. It’s worth checking back when US stock does get released, as Amazon can strike quickly and without warning.
Nintendo Store | Check for updates
Right now you can still register your interest for a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order on Nintendo’s own site, though you’ll need to meet a set criteria to receive an invitation. This will be one of the first places we hear more news about that delayed pre-order date.
Best Buy | Check for updates
Best Buy did have the April 9 date listed on its page, but that’s been replaced with the phrase ‘pre-orders begin soon’. Interestingly, that’s a slightly different message than I saw right after the delay was announced, when the site stated ‘pre-orders coming soon’.
Walmart | Check for updates
If you’re a Walmart Plus member, it’s worth checking in on this retailer once we find out the new US Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date. The store often keeps its high-profile items reserved for subscribers. Right now, pre-orders are simply ‘coming soon.’
GameStop | Check for updates
You can “sign up to be notified when Switch 2 is available” at GameStop, which is well worth it considering the upheaval in the US right now.
When will Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders go live in the US?
Nintendo originally delayed its Switch 2 pre-orders in the US on April 4 and has more recently pushed Canadian pre-orders back as well. We’re still waiting on updates as to when the new handheld will be available in the US, and haven’t received any new information since then.
There was a flurry of excitement last week, when a May 8 date was unearthed on the Nintendo website. However, this date has been in play since before the delays were introduced and simply reflects the date Nintendo will send its own invitations out. It remains to be seen whether that timeline still holds, but we should hear more information about when US Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders will land before that date at least.
Will tariffs raise the price of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the US?
There’s another dimension to this delay; price. Nintendo pushed that US pre-order date back to assess the implications of new tariffs on goods imported into the country, a price rise that may well hurt. Nintendo announced that the Switch 2 would launch at $449.99 in the US, with a $499.99 bundle, but many are now questioning whether we’ll see those numbers shift in the coming weeks.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility. The Nintendo Switch 2 is manufactured in China and Vietnam, with the former currently facing a 145% tariff (at the time of writing) and the latter has been hit with a 46% tariff. It should also be noted that Nintendo has historically been an outlier in the console market.
Whereas Sony and Microsoft accept a loss on each console sold in order to turn higher profits on software, Nintendo was selling every original Switch console at a profit. If the company wants to continue doing that we could see even higher final costs. Thankfully, analysts have predicted that Nintendo will be selling the Switch 2 at a loss.
There are a lot of moving parts to this question. Reports are emerging that Nintendo has been stockpiling supplies from Vietnam (which is cheaper to import from), and the recent tariff pause could give the brand more time to get more devices into the country. It’s a short term solution, though – even if the first batch of units are cheaper to import, they will likely be priced according to longer term tariffs, to avoid a price increase later on.
Should you pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2?
If you’re in the UK, you’re faced with a very different question altogether. Whether or not you should pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2 depends on the games you want to play. If you know you’ll need to be on Mario Kart World as soon as it launches, I’d get your order in as soon as possible. Stock is holding out well in the pre-order stage, but I wouldn’t bank on day one supplies in the same way. Considering we’re unlikely to see a different price on release day (or for a long time afterwards), a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order is well worth it for day-oners.
If none of the launch titles speak to you, and you’ve already got a Nintendo Switch or OLED model, you’re not going to get too much out of the newer device. Yes, 4K resolutions are looking good and that extra mouse functionality took me by surprise when I went hands-on with the device last week, but at its core this is a functionally identical device if you’re playing older games.
Discounts are unlikely to hit any time soon, though. It took the original console years to see a price cut in the US or UK, and considering the current tariff situation I wouldn’t expect to see a saving until at least 2026. If you’re holding off for a lower price, it likely won’t be worth it.
Live updates
It’s all quiet today
(Image credit: Future)
It looks like the stores are all tuckered out. After a hectic week with an impressive amount of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders dropping all at once, it looks like retailers are sitting back and building back inventory. That’s not to say we’re not still stock hunting – far from it.
In fact, these are the slower moments when smaller stores often surprise me. Retailers like ShopTo, Ebuyer, and The Game Collection all have Nintendo Switch 2 listings live on their sites, but haven’t dropped new stock in some time. If they’ve been working on securing more units, there could well be more from these sites over the course of the week.
