Featured Image Credit: DIMITAR DILKOFF / Contributor via Getty
The House That Mario Built is gearing up for the release of the Switch 2, and with Nintendo last releasing a mainline console back in 2017, we're more than overdue for a refresh. While the January 2025 reveal of the Switch 2 wasn't exactly a surprise to those who've been lurking in the depths of Reddit and kept an eye on the rumor mill, gamers were over the Moon that we finally got confirmation that a new console was on the way.
2025 isn't just a massive year for gaming due to the (hopeful) release of GTA 6, with the Switch 2 arriving as the much-anticipated successor to the OG Switch. Considering the Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console from 2017 to 2022, there's a lot of pressure to ensure its younger sibling to perform. The Switch was dogged by problems with scalpers, and now, Nintendo has braced us for the idea that history is about to repeat itself.
Even though many are counting down the days until the Switch 2's June 5 release, there's already plenty of controversy. As well as the jaw-dropping reveal that games will cost $80, there have also been fears about how President Donald Trump's tariffs could affect its price tag.
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The Switch 2 is set to shake up the gaming world, and even if its skeptics don't think it's innovating enough, we're sure it'll sell like hotcakes...if anyone can get their hands on one.
Posting on X, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa explained how the company has received 2.2 million pre-order applications just in Japan. As the post explains, it's a figure that "far exceeds our expectations, and far exceeds the number of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that can be delivered from the My Nintendo Store on June 5th."
The Verge notes that the original Switch sold 360,000 consoles in Japan in its first month, meaning the Switch 2 pre-orders are six times higher.
In fact, the 2.2 million pre-orders are almost the same as the worldwide sales of 2017's Switch, shifting 2.47 million in its first few weeks.
The PS2 holds the record for the biggest video game platform launch in Japan selling almost 1 million units in a weekend.
— Stealth (@Stealth40k) April 23, 2025
Nintendo can easily break that record with Switch 2.
This is what makes the 2.2 million My Nintendo Store Switch 2 applications so crazy. pic.twitter.com/O67w97Soe0
Although Furukawa didn’t clarify how many consoles it has tucked away for launch, it admitted that "a significant number of customers" won’t be winners in the My Nintendo Store lottery.
If you aren't a winner this time around, you'll be entered into a second lottery, while third-party retailers are opening their pre-order windows from April 24.
Those in Japan can buy the cheaper Japanese-only Switch 2 model for around $350 or stump up more ($500) for the multilingual version that's exclusively in the My Nintendo Store.
Stateside, Switch 2 pre-orders are also going live on April 24, and despite a $449.99 launch price, it's still expected to similarly fly off shelves.
Even if a lack of stock is sure to mean scalpers will take advantage of the situation, at least the Switch is still on target for its original release despite the POTUS triggering a global trade war.
