• Pre-orders are rumored to begin on April 2, 2025, at 10 a.m. ET, one hour after the Nintendo Direct event.
  
• Major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and GameStop are expected to participate, with some stores already offering reservation options.
  
• The release date is speculated to be around mid-May or early-to-mid June 2025, with a potential price point of $399.

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the Nintendo Switch 2, you might want to mark your calendar for April 2. That’s the day Nintendo is hosting its next big event – Nintendo Direct, and if rumors are right, pre-orders for the Switch 2 could go live just one hour after the event begins. Here’s everything we know about Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders until now. 

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Order Date Just Tipped

According to trusted restock tracker Matt Swider, pre-orders are likely to open on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET, exactly one hour after the Direct starts. This would follow the same pattern Nintendo used back in 2017 with the original Switch launch.

Big retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and GameStop are expected to take part. Some stores, like ShopTo in the UK, are already letting customers reserve a console for just 1p. You can also register your interest now at several stores like GameStop and Best Buy to get notified.

As for the price, multiple leaks and early listings hint that the Switch 2 will be priced at $399 (around £330). That makes it about $50 more expensive than the OLED model. One internal listing at Costco Canada even showed a placeholder price of $499.99 CAD.

While Nintendo hasn’t confirmed the release date yet, heavy speculation points to a May 15 launch, based on game release dates and insider reports. Others believe it may release in early to mid-June, after Nintendo wraps up its global hands-on experience events.

We already got a quick look at the Switch 2 in January. It has a more grown-up design, magnetic Joy-Cons, a larger 8.4-inch display, and possibly mouse-like controls for the Joy-Cons. Some new patents even hint at gyro screen rotation and upside-down Joy-Con attachment.

Under the hood, it’s expected to run on Nvidia’s Tegra T239 chip with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Leaks also mention DLSS upscaling, ray tracing, and Wi-Fi 6 support. Basically, it’s shaping up to be as powerful as a PS4, but portable.

The launch games lineup looks strong too. A brand new Mario Kart is confirmed, and insiders expect Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Metroid Prime 4, and maybe even Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero to be available early on.

Also check: Marvel Rivals Already Testing Nintendo Switch 2 Development Kits

Nintendo says it’s taking all possible steps to prevent scalping issues like we saw with the PS5 and Xbox. In an interview with the Japanese press (translated by VGC), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said, “We will take all possible measures based on the experience we have accumulated to date (regarding scalpers and the like). We are making preparations.”

Still, demand could easily outpace supply at launch. So if you’re serious about buying one, it’s best to be ready the moment those pre-orders go live.

We’ll know more for sure on April 2. Till then, set your reminders and keep your browser tabs open.