Now that the Switch 2 has made its official debut, everyone is ready to put their money down to get their hands on this new console. The initial trailer showcased just a glimpse of the system but did put many minds at ease by confirming backwards compatibility. Sadly, the one major piece of information we were hoping for, the release date, was missing from the reveal. We know it is coming in 2025 and that there will be events held around the world to play it early, but most of us just want to preorder the system so we know we will have it when it does finally launch. We checked out every major retailer to give you every resource possible to secure your very own Switch 2 preorder on April 24.
After the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, we finally learned that preorders for the Switch 2 will start on April 9. However, in response to the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, preorders were delayed until an unspecified date.
As of April 18, Nintendo finally revealed that the new preorder date for the Switch 2 will be on April 24. The original price of $450 for the console or $500 for the bundle with Mario Kart World remains the same.
That said, many accessories did get price increases due to the tariffs, and Nintendo did make it clear that all Switch 2 products, including the console, could have their prices adjusted due to changing market conditions.
Most preorders will open at midnight ET, but there is some exceptions we will fill you in on below.
When April 24 arrives, you will need to be quick to get your preorder before they sell out. Below, we have rounded up every retailer that currently has pages to follow for preorders. We suggest signing up for notifications or bookmarking each one so that you can have the best possible odds of securing a console once preorders begin.
The most obvious way to reserve a Switch 2 is through Nintendo directly. Currently, you can register your interest on the official site by signing in with your Nintendo Account. Those who register will be selected and emailed when it is their turn to purchase the console based on a first-come, first-served basis. Make sure you have an active Nintendo Account with at least 12 months of paid membership and have played 50 or more hours on that account as of April 2.
You can visit the Best Buy store starting at 12 am ET on April 24 to preorder your Switch 2, games, and accessories. Depending on where you live, your store might be open at midnight on June 5 to let you pick it up the second they are released.
GameStop is the odd one out of the bunch. Unlike every other major store, GameStop will not be opening up for preorders until 11 am ET on April 24, which is 11 hours later. That could make it a good fallback option if you fail to get one at midnight at the other retailors. Every GameStop store will be open at midnight on June 5 for you to pick up the console.
The Target website has pages up and ready for the Switch 2 and bundle when they start at midnight on April 24.
Walmart shoppers can visit this page for the Switch 2 and go here for the bundle on April 24 at midnight. Walmart may be the best option out there since they are the only ones offering free delivery of the Switch 2 by 9 am on June 5.
Amazon is the only major retailer with no dedicated Switch 2 page, but it should appear here once it is available. We will update this section as things develop.
Besides the console and the Mario Kart World Bundle, there are several launch games and accessories you can preorder for launch day (or later for certain games) at all the above retailers.
Yes! Nintendo is hosting several Nintendo Experience events across the world starting on April 4 where people will be able to test out the console. For full details on where and when you can play the Switch 2 early, plus how to sign up, check out our guide.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.