With Nintendo’s Direct event just days away, fans have been speculating about when they’ll finally be able to secure a Switch 2. Now, internal documents apparently indicate that US pre-orders are set to begin on April 9, and retailers are already warning they’ll likely sell out on day one.
The information comes from emails and internal planning materials of a major US retailer, which were provided to Insider Gaming. According to the documents, stores are expecting limited allocations of the new console and are preparing for their entire stock to be claimed within hours of pre-orders going live. This is despite Nintendo purportedly stockpiling units ahead of launch.
Stores are preparing for their entire stock to be claimed within hours.
This info potentially muddies the water as to when pre-orders will open. Earlier this week, Best Buy Canada briefly published a blog post stating that the Switch 2 pre-order period would begin on April 2 north of the border — the same day as the upcoming Nintendo Direct. That mention was quickly removed, prompting speculation about whether it had been posted in error or prematurely.
The new documents appear to contradict that timeline. They outline a post-event messaging strategy, including a “Pre-Order Coming Soon” notice and a countdown clock that ends on April 9. It seems highly unlikely that pre-orders would begin a week earlier in Canada than in the US.
While Nintendo has yet to confirm a release date or pre-order plans, the same retailer documents point to a June launch, which had been widely rumored.
With leaks now pointing to different dates and limited stock expected across the board, Switch fans may want to mark both April 2 and April 9 on their calendars — and be ready to move fast either way.
