Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders Get Some Nintendo Store Restrictions, Presumably to Thwart Scalpers

The Nintendo Switch 2 arrives on June 5, 2025, and it will likely be a hot commodity when it launches. Over on the official Nintendo store, the company is implementing some pre-order measures to ensure bona fide Switch players are getting their pre-orders.

On the My Nintendo Store, those with a Nintendo Account can register their interest in pre-ordering a Nintendo Switch 2 system and “select accessories” from the Nintendo Store. Those who express interest will then get an invitation email once their turn in line comes up, valid for 72 hours. The catch? You’ll need to have put in some time on your old Switch, and been a Switch Online member.

“Invitation emails will be prioritized 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,” according to the fine print on the site.

Nintendo also notes that invitations are “non-transferable” and will be sent to email addresses associated with the Nintendo Account that registers interest. For the system and each accessory, there will also be a one-per-account limit during the invitation period. Currently on the site, you can express interest in either a base Nintendo Switch 2 system, or the one bundled with Mario Kart World.

Orders will be shipped after purchase, and the approximate shipping date will be provided when ordering. Nintendo also specifies: “Please note that release-day delivery is not guaranteed due to processing and shipment times.”

While not said outright by Nintendo, all of these measures seem dedicated towards ensuring that someone buying a Switch 2 through this process is someone who wants to purchase and play a Switch 2 for themselves, rather than flip it online.

Scalping has been a frequent problem for new releases of sought-after products. Notably, both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S saw scalpers pursuing the new hardware, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game has been dealing with ongoing scalping and shortages.

Valve found some success in its queue system for the Steam Deck, utilizing a method that tied Steam accounts to purchases alongside checks for whether an account was made before, or after, a certain window. It worked, and it’s not surprising now to see Nintendo taking similar measures with the My Nintendo Store process.

Of course, there will be other ways to pick up a Switch 2. But hopefully options like this can help some long-time Switch 1 owners avoid the potential chaos of locking down a launch day Switch 2 pre-order.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.