Nintendo's flagship Switch 2, the successor to one of its most popular consoles, went on sale at midnight Thursday, but fans were lined up outside Best Buy and Target stores in Chicago hours before the latest console hit the market.
"I got here at 5 p.m.," one fan lined up at Best Buy told NBC Chicago Wednesday. The line wrapped around the block, with some in tents and camping chairs, waiting for doors to open around 11 p.m.
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Early Thursday morning, some were also lined up outside Target at 2656 Elston Ave., where Target employees will soon distribute tickets reserving the Switch 2.
"Limited stock is available," Target said, adding that a purchase limit of one Nintendo Switch 2 per guest would be in effect "due to high demand."
The much anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 is an upgrade to its 8-year-old predecessor with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. The new console comes with a larger and higher resolution screen than its predecessor, with improved processing power, offering smoother and more vivid graphics.
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The company has also promised to roll out attractive software for the Switch 2 later this year, including “The Legend of Zelda” games, a Pokemon title and a Kirby game, as well as offerings from outside software companies.
In the U.S., a chaotic pre-order process in April left some fans frustrated after the consoles quickly sold out. Before the process, pre-orders were delayed for several weeks while the company worked to address the potential impact of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
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SIGN UP In Japan, the new consoles were sold through a competitive lottery system that Nintendo said got about 2.2 million applications.
Nintendo has said it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year through March 2026.
In the U.S., the Switch 2’s baseline launch price is $449.99 — significantly higher than the original Switch’s $299 price tag.
