As we reported a while back, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have been freaking insane worldwide. The UK pre-orders sold out quickly, while France has had “record numbers” of pre-orders. Meanwhile, the US pre-order launch was so chaotic that many sites broke down upon the pre-order window opening. Then, in Japan, 2.2 million units were requested just via the Nintendo Store. Since then, the “lottery” system in Japan has been used to determine who gets the consoles. However, non-official channels have been doing things a bit differently.
Specifically, to ensure that their own supply of consoles isn’t out in moments, certain stores are basically making the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders “member exclusives.” Oh, and not just any members, ones who have literally “paid their dues.” You can check out the whole score below:
In Japan, Switch 2 demand is so high that retailers are only selling consoles to their best customers:
Bic Camera limited its in-store lottery to Bic Camera credit card holders who spent over 30,000 yen (approx. $207 US) between April 2023 and March 2025, with its online lottery… pic.twitter.com/JIrDdR3gQ2
— Stealth (@Stealth40k) May 2, 2025
This kind of fervor is exactly why the Switch 2 is likely to be a huge success upon launch. That success will go fly in the face of the “haters” who have been saying for a month now that the Switch 2 is “too costly” and that Nintendo is “anti-consumer” because of its “costly practices.” For our thoughts on those “haters,” you should check out the latest episode of the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast. We did our best to “set the record straight.”
