Switch 2 Pre-Order Dates Set for U.S. and Canada, Priority Details Announced

Pre-orders for the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 were scheduled to commence globally on April 9. However, economic turbulence triggered by Trump's tariffs led Nintendo to delay pre-orders in the U.S. and Canada. Meanwhile, pre-orders proceeded as planned in other regions, including the UK.

According to the FAQ on Nintendo's official website, the first round of invitations for pre-ordering through the My Nintendo Store will begin on May 8, 2025. At this time, there is no information available regarding pre-orders through retail outlets.

Nintendo has stated that additional batches of invitation emails will be sent out "periodically" until the purchasing option on the My Nintendo Store becomes available to all customers.

The initial invitations will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to "eligible registrants who meet the priority criteria," as outlined by Nintendo. Recipients of these invitations will have 72 hours from the time the email is sent to finalize their purchase.

To qualify for a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order invitation, customers must meet the following criteria:

• You must have purchased any Nintendo Switch Online membership.
• You must have maintained any paid Nintendo Switch Online membership for at least 12 months.
• You must have opted in to share gameplay data and have accumulated at least 50 hours of total gameplay.

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes

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There has been no official confirmation from Nintendo about whether they will maintain the previously announced pricing for the Nintendo Switch 2, its games, and accessories, or if there will be a price increase. Concerns have been raised by some analysts that the ongoing tariff war might force Nintendo to raise the price of the base Switch 2 above $449.99, but no official statement has been issued yet.

It's noteworthy that Nintendo is offering a bundle that includes Mario Kart World with a Nintendo Switch 2 for $499.99, effectively reducing the price of the game by $30. However, this bundle is available as a limited-time offer.

Here are the current pricing details for Nintendo Switch 2 products in the U.S.:

• Nintendo Switch 2 by itself: $449.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart World bundled in: $499.99
• Mario Kart World by itself: $79.99
• Donkey Kong Bananza: $69.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: $79.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: $49.99
• Joy-Con 2 Controller pair: $89.99
• Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip: $34.99
• Joy-Con 2 Strap: $12.99
• Joy-Con 2 Wheel pair: $19.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set: $109.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector: $34.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case: $79.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter: $29.99

IGN has gathered various reactions to Nintendo's decision to set the price at $80 for the Switch 2 generation, including insights from analysts who explain the rationale behind this move.

Elsewhere, former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Nintendo's decision to charge for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, drawing parallels to the Wii pack-in game, Wii Sports, through a series of tweets.