Switch 2 pre-orders will go live in the US on May 8, Nintendo has confirmed. Fans can register their interest in the console by visiting the My Nintendo Store website, signing into their Nintendo account and selecting a bundle. Similar to the pre-order process in the UK, Nintendo will send invitation emails to eligible customers, who will have 72 hours to pre-order the device ahead of its June 5 release date.
According to the FAQ section of the registration site, the first wave of invitations will be sent on May 8. Nintendo explains more: “The first batch of invitations will go out starting May 8, 2025, with additional batches of invitation emails sent periodically until purchasing on My Nintendo Store is opened to everyone.”
In order to receive an invite, customers will need to have a 12 month Nintendo Switch Online subscription and 50 hours of gameplay.
“Invitation emails will be prioritised on a first-come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025,” Nintendo continues.
It’s also worth noting that you’ll need to have opted in to share gameplay data with Nintendo. Likewise, the Nintendo account holder must be aged 18 or over.
North American Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders were initially meant to go live on April 9. However, Nintendo delayed the pre-order date in the US following the announcement of President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.
“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the US will not start April 9 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,” Nintendo said in a statement.
It’s unclear if the new May 8 pre-order date applies to other retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy. UK retailers went live with pre-orders ahead of the official April 8 date, so there’s a chance something similar may happen in the US.
The Nintendo Switch 2 release date was announced during a recent Direct conference, alongside a boatload of new games.
The new Nintendo console will launch on June 5, alongside games like Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Fortnite, and Hogwarts Legacy.
Additional first and third-party games will be available in the weeks and months after launch, including Donkey Kong Bananza on July 17 and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond later in the year.
Nintendo will also release enhanced versions of existing Switch games, including upgraded editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.