Nintendo

The official listing for the new wireless Nintendo GameCube controller is now live on the Nintendo site and we now know when it will go up for sale. Nintendo announced its new Switch Online GameCube library for Switch 2 as part of its Direct presentation at the top of the month and, along with it, the new modern take on the GameCube Controller we know will be available for purchase starting next month. 

Let’s take a look at the official Switch accessory pre-orders. Securing an actual Switch 2 console has been a frustrating process for some and an exciting one for others, whether you got one or not really, and while the big three – Walmart, Target, and Best Buy – are currently out of stock on the console, we might very well see additional units go live throughout the day and the coming weeks, not to mention some of the hold out retailers like Sam’s Club and Newegg that already have listings up that haven’t gone in stock yet. All of that said, if you did get lucky and secure one, or know you will at some point, the Switch Edition/Exclusive games are still in-stock right now and so are the official Switch accessories like the Switch 2 Pro Controller. 

Switch 2 pre-orders went live late last night at Walmart, Target, and Best Buy – it’s GameStop’s turn this morning. While it was about as frustrating as everyone was imaging last night for some folks, it does appear as though plenty of us actually did secure one – it was hit or miss here at the 9to5 offices. But if you weren’t one of the lucky ones, GameStop is scheduled to have Switch 2 pre-orders live this morning at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET online. 

Update 4/24: Switch 2 pre-orders are scheduled go live again this morning at GameStop.

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are now live at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and more. Nintendo hosted its long-awaited Switch 2 Direct on April 2, 2025 after officially unveiling the new Switch 2 console back in January, and, after pre-orders were initially delayed, they are finally set to go live at (just about) all major retailers in the U.S any minute, and it might be a good idea to go get in the queue folks, just in case.

Nintendo hosted its latest Direct showcase today – it was (mostly) good times all around, with a closer look at the big Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World. But after all of the sweet wall riding, drive-thru costume pickups, Mega Mushrooms, and gigantic P-Switches, there’s still no pre-order date and I couldn’t help buy be fixated on the fact that the new Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle is actually a limited-run offer. 

What time do Switch 2 pre-orders start in Canada? Walmart Canada has now confirmed exactly what time Switch 2 pre-orders will begin. We have already reported on exactly when pre-orders will begin at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and GameStop here in the U.S., but we also want to make sure our friends up north are ready to go as well. Nintendo officially delayed pre-orders in Canada to fall in-line with those in the U.S. and that is indeed what has happened as they will begin early morning on April 24 north of the border as well. 

We are now under 12 hours out from the launch of Switch 2 pre-orders and it’s going to be a total free-for-all in quite potentially the worst way possible. Will there even be close to enough Switch 2 units to go around tonight? Probably not. Will everyone who actually goes to pre-order one at midnight tonight actually get one? Almost certainly not. But while everyone is refreshing like ravenous dog at Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, there are some other sources of Switch 2 pre-orders to consider if you don’t have any luck later tonight. 

Update: According to an official Best buy listing, we can now confirm the price of the Kirby and The Forgotten Land Switch 2 Edition upgrade packs – it is listed at $19.99 to upgrade from the base Switch 1 version to the Switch 2 Edition with the expansion packs. Most folks believe this will also be the case for Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition

Update: Nintendo has now officially confirmed (via IGN) the upgrade pack price for the Switch Edition versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is $9.99 – they are still FREE for Switch Online  + Expansion members

How much will Switch 2 Edition games cost? How much will it cost to upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition version of the Switch games you already own? Nintendo has released some official details that give us a very good idea of the prices we will be getting here. We have been seeing gamers asking a lot about all of this, so let’s dive into the details. 

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are going live tonight at just about all major retailers across the U.S. and Canada. Nintendo has announced that pre-orders will begin on April 24 – they will actually start late tonight on April 23 if you’re on the west coast (more details below on this) – and at the same price it initially announced in early April. Despite the delays and market uncertainty in the wake of global tariffs, Nintendo has held firm on the June 5 releases date as well as the price both of the standard Switch 2 console and the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle, and pre-orders will go live in well under 24 hours now. 

Now just 24 hours away from go time, we now know what time Switch 2 pre-orders will go live at Best Buy. Up until now, only Target, Walmart, and GameStop had officially confirmed exactly what time pre-orders would begin for Switch 2 on April 24 this week, leaving Best Buy as the last major hold out to confirm the go time. 

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, according to a recently spotted PEGI rating. We already have a good idea of the games that will be launching for Switch 2 starting right from day 1 on June 5 through to holiday 2025 and even beyond – FromSoftware’s Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods has been slated for a 2026 launch. On top of a slew of all new Switch 2 exclusive titles from Nintendo, the Switch 2 Edition enhanced titles, and a collection of third-party ports, after Ubisoft confirmed the release date for its latest AAA Start Wars release last week it looks as though the latest entry in the long-running and beloved Assassin’s Creed series will be following along shortly. 

Let’s take a look at all of the new Mario Kart World characters now that Nintendo has fully revealed its new flagship Switch 2 game. The Mario Kart series has been one of the most popular Nintendo releases for years and the new Mario Kart World is going to get off to a serious Boost Start if the Switch 2 bundle sells out as fast as it seems like it’s going too. This year Nintendo is not only taking its mascot racer open-world, but it is also introducing some new Drive-Thru costume mechanics, a host of new courses, new items to throw at your friends, and a sizable expansion to the roster of racers. 

Update 4/21: Confirmed Switch 2 pre-order start times as of today:

• Best Buy April 24 at 12 a.m. ET online
• Target April 24 at 12 a.m. ET online
• Walmart April 24 at 12 a.m. ET online 
• GameStop April 24 at 11 a.m. ET online (and when local in-store opens)

Nintendo has officially announced the new April 24 pre-order date for its highly sought-after next-generation console, but what time will Switch 2 pre-orders begin that day? It’s hard to imagine there actually being enough consoles to go around next week, but only time will tell and being ready to pull the trigger in a timely fashion is likely going to be very important.

Let’s-a-go! Nintendo has now officially announced that Switch 2 pre-orders will begin next week in the U.S. No more leaks, no rumors, no maybes, this is it…the real thing (again). And on top of that, pricing will remain exactly the same as was initially announced. 

Nintendo has now finally announced the official new pre-order date for Switch 2 in the U.S. – they go live in one week’s time! The other great news, Nintendo is not raising the price on either the base console at $449.99 or the Mario Kart World bundle at $499.99 – whoo! It has also announced that it is holding firm on the pricing for Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza at $79.99 and $69.99, while also making some “pricing adjustments” on the official Switch 2 accessories – pricing is unfortunately going up on these folks. You can see the actual numbers below. 

We are all still, of course, awaiting official word from Nintendo on when pre-orders will finally go live for Switch 2 – dataminers are still suggesting it could go live sometime next week based on dates from retailers – but we do have an update on the launch window games. May the 4th, or Star Wars Day, is fasting-approaching now, we have already got an official announcement from LEGO on its plans and, just as we expected, we do have a Nintendo announcement from a galaxy far, far away – Star Wars Outlaws is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. 

The Nintendo headlines have been overrun with the fear of price hikes and potential new pre-order date rumors, but we are taking a short and sweet reprieve in the form of the official Mario Kart World Direct showcase today. As we reported shortly after the game’s debut, Nintendo has had an official, dedicated Direct show set for weeks and today is the day. 

The internet is ablaze with theories and rumors then the new Switch 2 pre-order date will land, but another far better and more reliable date has now surfaced. Yesterday April 30 was spotted hidden within some Target wishlist data, and then an April 23 date in Canada surfaced suggesting we could see the same in the U.S., but now a reliable leaker is targeting a third date. 

Here we go again folks, it looks like we might have a new pre-order date for Nintendo Switch 2 in Canada – this might very well indicate what we see here in the U.S. too. Pre-orders were still set to go live in Canada after they were delayed in the U.S. only to have Nintendo confirm that it wants to have the pre-sale begin at the same time north of border and delayed those too. But a new, typically reliable source is suggesting Canadian pre-orders could go live next Wednesday. 

The new Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date might have been leaked by Target, but there is something suspect about this time and date. Nintendo was initially scheduled to start taking pre-orders in the U.S. on April 9 before it officially announced a delay to give it time to assess the potential impact of Trump’s tariffs that were announced just hours after. We are still awaiting official word from Nintendo for the new date, but Target might have just given us an idea of when this could happen…maybe. 

Update: 4/16: Nintendo has now confirmed tomorrow’s Mario Kart World Direct showcase will be a relatively short and sweet 15-minute broadcast.

With the full official reveal of Nintendo Switch 2, the release date, the announced $450 starting price, and the debacle that immediately followed after pre-orders were officially delayed in the U.S. (and Canada), one thing that might have raced under your radar was this week’s official Mario Kart World Direct showcase. It has been a busy couple weeks for Nintendo to say the least, and while it officially debuted the new Mario Kart game during the Switch 2 Direct alongside some Treehouse gameplay footage thereafter, it still has more to show us on the keystone Switch 2 launch game and it is set to go live later this week. 

The official debut of Nintendo Switch 2 has been a tumultuous one, rife with emotional highs and lows – some might even suggest Nintendo has thus far botched what was widely expected to be the biggest console launch in history. I’m going to give it about as much of a temporary pass on the disastrous pre-order situation as the rest of the world is getting on Trump tax, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that Nintendo has managed to go from delivering what was the most affordable console gaming platform to one of the most expensive in a matter of weeks. 

The Switch 2 situation is well, a situation. We all know Trump has now, at least temporarily, backpedaled on some of the new tariff levies directly affecting the pre-order and likely launch of Switch 2. This prompted financial analysis firms to present a potential price hike situation only to they themselves course correct the supposedly incorrect deductions of this data to suggest it is unlikely we see major price hikes on Switch 2 at launch. This sounds like good news to me and a recent report courtesy of Bloomberg suggests Nintendo has been stockpiling Switch 2 units in the U.S. for months now to help soften the blow Trump might (will likely) have on its bottom line. 

Now that the Switch 2 unveiling hype has died down and we are entering the pre-order stage, I began to wonder to myself if the Switch 2 is worth it over my Switch OLED. It’s easy to assume the Switch 2 is the obvious choice – but for many players, especially casual gamers or families, the Switch OLED might actually be the better value. Here’s why:

Update: After a shocking report made headlines yesterday suggesting an inbound price hike on Switch 2, the DFC Intelligence firm via Forbes is clarifying its statement further – there perhaps won’t be a price jump at retail after all:

Apologies for the misunderstanding created on our part by not clarifying the reference to a 20% hardware price increase over the next two years applied to the hardware side in general and not just the Switch.

In the case of the Switch 2, we believe much of the 20% increase was already baked into the $450 price. It is not likely Nintendo will raise the price, and if they do, we don’t expect it to be 20%. Also much of that increase is in the form of NOT discounting prices. So not necessarily a price increase but where we model a 20% price decrease in the next year or so we have the prices holding steady.

As we all know by now, Nintendo officially delayed the pre-order date here in the U.S. indefinitely, with not even a whisper of when it might be ready to start taking orders. Just this morning it also officially delayed the pre-order date in Canada less than 24 hours before they were scheduled to go live on April 9. The release date remains firm for June 5 as of right now, but why has Nintendo delayed the inevitable? Well, we know it’s because of Trump’s tariffs announcement, but if the release date is still intact, why wait to take pre-orders?

So many of our burning questions leading up to last week’s Switch 2 Nintendo Direct have been answered at this point, but what about those Hall effects sticks? We have now seen the new Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, we have details on the console’s battery life, and we know how the Switch 2 Edition game upgrades will work (for the most part). But we still don’t know when pre-orders will go live in the U.S. after Nintendo cancelled the April 9 kick-off date, and there were still questions up in the air as to whether or not Nintendo was leveraging Hall effect technology on the new Switch 2 controllers…until now. 

Update 4/8: Noooooo, Nintendo has now officially announced that pre-orders for Switch 2 in Canada will also be delayed to a later date. Nintendo has made an official statement to the press confirming that pre-orders in Canada will also be delayed to fall in-line with the U.S.

What time will Switch 2 pre-orders go live? Well, at this point we don’t even know what day they are going live here in the U.S., but north of the border Walmart has other major retailers have announced the official date and time Switch 2 pre-orders will begin, perhaps giving us a better idea of how things might shake out in the U.S. once Nintendo is ready to let us score one. 

While the unveiling of the new Switch 2 was exciting, some aspects have left people asking for answers. Nintendo avoided mentioning things like battery life, accessory compatibility, game upgrade pricing and more. So let’s discuss everything Nintendo didn’t tell us, the good and the bad.

Late yesterday morning, Nintendo issued an official statement to the press saying that it would be delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. indefinitely, however this isn’t the case everywhere in the world. The company apparently needs time to assess the impacts of sweeping levies put in place by the Trump administration earlier this week before it will be ready to begin taking pre-orders of its next-generation console stateside – this is, however, not the case north of the border. 

In a disappointing but unfortunately not surprising turn of events, reports are surfacing today suggesting Nintendo will officially be delaying the Switch 2 pre-order date in response to Trump tariffs. Nooooooo! 

It was a big day for Nintendo yesterday with the full reveal of Nintendo Switch 2, its official price tag, release date, pre-order date, a closer look at Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, and we even had roughly 6 hours of hands-on time with the new console (check out the video right here), but the fun doesn’t stop there. A couple days ago Nintendo announced that it would be hosting some official Treehouse Live streams so gamers can get a closer look specifically at the new games, and it all starts very soon. 

Nintendo’s Switch 2 is now official and it comes with a bevy of new features that we got to experience when we went hands-on with the handheld for nearly six hours yesterday. While we learned a lot about the handheld during its announcement, it wasn’t exactly clear whether it would support ray tracing. Well, we now know that the Switch 2 does indeed support ray tracing for games. In fact, Nintendo also confirmed that the Switch 2 uses NVIDIA’s DLSS tech to improve your gameplay experience. Head below for more details.

I was lucky enough to get an exclusive look at the new Switch 2 at Nintendo’s hands-on unveiling event in NYC. I got to play with the Switch 2, the docked console, the new Joy-Cons, the new Pro controller, the new titles, and so much more. I wanted to bring you along to get a taste of what this event was like!

After nearly a decade, Nintendo finally returned with a true successor to the original Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2, unveiled at Nintendo’s Direct event, brings long-awaited upgrades across the board – from display and performance to multiplayer features and accessories. I spent some hands-on time with the device at press-only Nintendo event yesterday, and as someone who has owned every Switch variant from the OG Switch to the Switch OLED, here are my thoughts.

Hot on the heels of Nintendo’s Switch 2 announcement, Lexar has now made its 1TB PLAY PRO microSD card official, making it the “world’s first 1TB microSD Express Card.” Designed specifically for the new Nintendo Switch 2, this new model is built on the new SD card standard that combines PCI Express 3.0 and NVMe 1.3 interfaces, and it is said to deliver a significantly improved performance over the regular non-Express ones. The new PLAY PRO microSD Express cards are already listed on Amazon with prices starting at $49.99 shipped for the 256GB variant. Head below for a closer look and more details.

Nintendo might not have served up the price and pre-order date as part of the Switch 2 Direct, but do now have the official details. Switch 2 will launch on June 5 after pre-orders go live next week on April 9 with pricing kicking off at $450, and Best Buy has now announced some official details on its Switch preorder and launch plans you’ll want to be aware of. 

Alongside the official complete reveal of Switch 2 today, as well as its official accessories and some of the exclusive new games, Nintendo also debuted the new Switch 2 game cartridge design as well as something known as Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards. Let’s take a closer look at both. 

Alongside the reveal of the new Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza Switch 2 exclusives, not to mention the official price and release date of the console, we also got details on the new GameChat feature and new Switch 2 accessories. Nintendo has now updated its official Switch 2 site with additional details on each of them as well as the official price. 

Just after giving us a complete look at the new Switch 2, the official price, and when preorders will start, Nintendo has also now officially unveiled the Mario Kart World. The game will be available as part of an optional console bundle when preorders start next week, but there is also an upcoming dedicated Direct presentation for the game and a price some folks might not be happy with. 

Nintendo just hosted its widely anticipated Switch 2 Direct with a few missing pieces of information – the price and the pre-order date. We know the system is releasing on June 5, 2025, but it has just issued a press release offering up the official price and pre-order dates now! 

The official Switch 2 Direct presentation goes live soon, like very soon at 9 a.m. ET, and will be covering all of the details Nintendo dishes out right here. And in celebration, we are once again highlighting all of the best Switch game deals up for grabs right now!

• Mario & Luigi: Brothership $45 (Reg. $60)
• Super Mario Odyssey $40 (Reg. $60)
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury $42 (Reg. $60)
• Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom $45 (Reg. $70)
• Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening $42 (Reg. $60)
• Donkey Kong Country Returns HD $42 (Reg. $60)
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe $40 (Reg. $60)
• Minecraft $27 (Reg. $30)
• Metroid Prime Remastered $30 (Reg. $40)
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder $45 (Reg. $60)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutants Unleashed $20 (Reg. $40)
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom $42 (Reg. $60)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince $30 (Reg. $40)
• Trials of Mana eShop $20 (Reg. $50)

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct goes live today!

Nintendo Switch 2 guide – Pre-order date leak, Switch 2 Edition games, and more [Updated]

Nintendo has now released an official new teaser video specifically showcasing the new “C” button on Switch 2, and right on the morning the highly-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct will go live. The day has finally come and it will only be a matter of hours before the scheduled Switch 2 Direct presentation goes live at 9 a.m. ET, so we will keep this one short and sweet. 

Update: Nintendo has officially announced $450 price for Switch 2, $500 Mario Kart bundle, and pre-orders start next week!

The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct goes live today. After months of questions and speculation, Nintendo will take the virtual stage this morning to fully reveal the Nintendo Switch 2. After a first-look official trailer finally ended years of waiting back in January, Nintendo is set to host a lengthy Direct event this morning on Switch 2 and it’s all set to go live in just a few hours time now. 

While it likely won’t be long now until we find out for sure, some believe that a newly surfaced Nintendo FCC filing is confirming the existence of the new Switch 2 Pro Controller – or some sort of new gamepad anyway. 

Update: According to the official Nintendo Today! app, the Treehouse presentations detailed below will last for 4 hours and 3 hours, respectively. 

As you already know from our Countdown to Nintendo Switch 2 Direct feature this morning, the show is set to go live tomorrow morning and we now have some additional official details. Nintendo has now issued a press release and some extra details to look forward to on its official X (Twitter) page regarding not just the Switch 2 Direct, but also some follow up coverage that will highlight gameplay.