(Credit: Nintendo)
Preordering the Nintendo Switch 2 today might have felt more like a boss battle than a checkout process. Retailers struggled to keep up with the demand as early sales went live, leaving many consumers facing glitches, long delays, or empty carts.
Eager consumers loaded and refreshed the websites for Best Buy, Target, and Walmart (GameStop started preorders at 11 a.m.), creating a surge of traffic and errors. Problems were especially frustrating at Target, with some users reporting their orders being canceled despite going through the checkout process.
Meanwhile, Best Buy kicked off preorders late; people waited about 30 minutes before the retailer began accepting users into its digital queue. However, some users reported being repeatedly kicked out of the digital line. Others said the queue never ended.
“After waiting an hour in the Best Buy Switch 2 pre-order queue, I simply shut my laptop and went to bed,” one user tweeted.
Some unlucky customers spent last night visiting various retailers only to face “out of stock” notices. But others lucked out and were able to place an order. “Best Buy 2 hours after at 1 a.m. I'm so tired, but I got the bag,” one Reddit user wrote.
A few PCMag staffers scored a Switch 2 from Walmart's digital queue. Other customers resorted to waiting in line at GameStop, which is offering preorders at its physical stores.
In the meantime, scalpers are also getting blamed for snapping up consoles. Already, you can find some resellers trying to hawk Switch 2 preorders on eBay for $675 or more. Some consumers are trying to fight back by publishing fake listings for the Switch 2 on eBay to prevent resellers from reaching customers.
If you missed the Switch 2 preorders, retailers appear to be restocking for select areas. So it’s best to keep checking the Best Buy, Target, and Walmart websites.