Nintendo began selling its Switch 2 June 5, 2025, but if you didn’t get one early you may be out of luck, at least for a while. The Nintendo Switch 2 became publicly available for purchase at midnight June 5, 2025. The console ran out of stock online within the first day. Currently, the Switch 2 is unavailable for shipping from Walmart and Target, but it is available at some physical locations.
Before the Switch 2’s release, some people reportedly managed to obtain the console early. However, none of them functioned, as the Switch 2 required a patch the day of its release in order to work. Alongside their terms of service, which explains that Nintendo can render the Switch 2 “permanently unusable in whole or in part,” this day-one patch requirement demonstrates how strict Nintendo is about the use of the Switch 2. Despite the customer paying at least $450 to purchase a Switch 2, Nintendo maintains control of it.
In addition, buying physical copies of games is different for the Switch 2. For some games, the cartridge is replaced by a “game-key card,” which doesn’t actually contain the data necessary to play the game. All it does is tell the console the user owns the game—the actual game must be downloaded online. If the user is without internet access, they cannot play new games that use a game-key card. Even so, these restrictions seem to not have affected the Switch 2’s sales. Despite having less control over their use of the console, enough people purchased the console for it to go out of stock at multiple locations.
The Switch 2 launch trailer showcases 20 different games, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It also displays features of the Switch 2’s “GameChat,” a service that allows users to connect with others through the console. (Image/Nintendo)
