Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders Get Some Nintendo Store Restrictions, Presumably to Thwart Scalpers

The Nintendo Switch 2 arrives connected June 5, 2025, and it volition apt beryllium a blistery commodity erstwhile it launches. Over connected the authoritative Nintendo store, the institution is implementing immoderate pre-order measures to guarantee bona fide Switch players are getting their pre-orders.

On the My Nintendo Store, those with a Nintendo Account tin registry their involvement successful pre-ordering a Nintendo Switch 2 strategy and "select accessories" from the Nintendo Store. Those who explicit involvement volition past get an invitation email erstwhile their crook successful enactment comes up, valid for 72 hours. The catch? You'll request to person enactment successful immoderate clip connected your aged Switch, and been a Switch Online member.

"Invitation emails volition beryllium prioritized connected a first-come, first-served ground to registrants who person purchased a Nintendo Switch Online rank with a minimum of 12 months of paid rank and a minimum of 50 full gameplay hours, arsenic of April 2, 2025," according to the good people connected the site.

Nintendo besides notes that invitations are "non-transferable" and volition beryllium sent to email addresses associated with the Nintendo Account that registers interest. For the strategy and each accessory, determination volition besides beryllium a one-per-account bounds during the invitation period. Currently connected the site, you tin explicit involvement successful either a basal Nintendo Switch 2 system, oregon the 1 bundled with Mario Kart World.

Orders volition beryllium shipped aft purchase, and the approximate shipping day volition beryllium provided erstwhile ordering. Nintendo besides specifies: "Please enactment that release-day transportation is not guaranteed owed to processing and shipment times."

While not said outright by Nintendo, each of these measures look dedicated towards ensuring that idiosyncratic buying a Switch 2 done this process is idiosyncratic who wants to acquisition and play a Switch 2 for themselves, alternatively than flip it online.

Scalping has been a predominant occupation for caller releases of sought-after products. Notably, some the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S saw scalpers pursuing the caller hardware, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game has been dealing with ongoing scalping and shortages.

Valve recovered immoderate occurrence successful its queue strategy for the Steam Deck, utilizing a method that tied Steam accounts to purchases alongside checks for whether an relationship was made before, oregon after, a definite window. It worked, and it's not astonishing present to spot Nintendo taking akin measures with the My Nintendo Store process.

Of course, determination volition beryllium different ways to prime up a Switch 2. But hopefully options similar this tin assistance immoderate long-time Switch 1 owners debar the imaginable chaos of locking down a motorboat time Switch 2 pre-order.

Eric is simply a freelance writer for IGN.