Should you pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2?

We all knew the Nintendo Switch 2 was coming, even before the first official reveal finally dropped earlier this year. Rumours and leaks had been building up for so long that we essentially knew what to expect from the Switch successor well before the video Ninty dropped on January 16 - but that didn't make it any less exciting.

The first, albeit short, look at the brand-new gaming handheld confirmed our suspicions that it was marginally bigger than its predecessor and that it'll sport a new fancy kickstand, an additional USB-C port, and a mysterious c-button, among more changes, but any mention of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders was markedly absent.

With the next Nintendo Switch 2-centered Direct just days away, the question on everyone's lips is undeniable: should you pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2? Grabbing it on day one will mean negating any nasty FOMO, but it also means parting with a lot of cash, and that's without knowing any of the launch titles or whether it'll actually be a noticeable upgrade as far as performance and features go.

If you wait, you could maybe grab a Switch 2 bundle later in the year and make a saving, or save even more by sticking to your current Switch. To help you make your decision, we've gone over everything you need to consider before splashing out on Nintendo's latest handheld from the get-go.

The price

The two biggest factors in your decision to pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 are time and price; how long you can wait to get your own device, and how likely we are to see discounts after release day. I'll get it straight out of the way first, we don't see price cuts on Nintendo Switch hardware for a long time after release. This likely won't be cheaper in November's holiday sales - it might not even see a discount for a couple of years. Outside of the odd Black Friday bundle (which would still see you paying at least MSRP for the console itself), the price that the Nintendo Switch 2 launches at will be with us for a long time.

That's where time comes in. Knowing that you will, in all probability, be paying the same price for a Nintendo Switch 2 at the end of the year as you will on April 2, it's worth considering how quickly you need to get your hands on the new console. Those months in between now and the holidays could be spent with the Switch 2 - it comes down to whether the numbers work out for you.

We don't yet have any official word from Nintendo regarding how much the Switch 2 going to cost, but rumors suggest it could be around $400 / £350, with $499.99 being the highest Nintendo could go. To put that into context, the Nintendo Switch OLED model currently retails for $349.99 / £309.99, and the original Switch launched for $299.99 / £279.99 back in 2017.

The industry as a whole has changed over the almost eight years since the first Switch handheld was released into the wild. Triple-A games are now more expensive, so it should come as no surprise if Nintendo confirms this $499.99 MSRP come April 2 - it just depends on whether that is manageable for you.

It's not only the price of the actual handheld that you have to take into account. If you want to play any of the Switch 2 launch titles, you'll also have to ensure you can afford to pre-order those too. Right now, brand-new Switch games have an average MSRP of $59.99, but there's no telling if Switch 2 games will be even more expensive. If you have the means to afford the Switch 2 and a few games, then by all means, pre-order one, but anyone cringing at the thought might be better holding off for now.

If the upcoming handheld opts for an OLED display, then you'll need to prepare for an even bigger MSRP. However, it's believed the new handheld will launch with a bigger LCD screen rather than adopting the display of the current Switch's OLED version - probably to keep costs low and make the handheld more accessible to those with varying budgets.

Verdict: We don't know the official price of the Nintendo Switch 2, however, rumors suggest we could see an MSRP of $499.99. That's pretty reasonable when you consider the cost of other current-gen consoles, and let's not forget, you're still getting a console-handheld hybrid for that price.

The games

Without any indication on the Switch 2 launch game line-up, it's pretty difficult to determine whether or not its prospective game library is enough to get you leaning towards pre-ordering or not pre-ordering the brand-new handheld. Difficult, but not impossible.

Each brand-new Nintendo console release comes with a set of precisely picked games, so that all new adopters have at least something to play at launch. This has been the case for as long as Nintendo consoles have existed, and I doubt that’ll be any different with the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s these launch titles that will ultimately make or break anyone’s determination to pre-order the handheld, but unfortunately, we haven’t had any indication of what these could be.

When the current Switch launched back in 2017, you could play 1-2-Switch, Just Dance 2017, Skylanders: Imaginators, Super Bomberman R, I Am Setsuna, Snipperclips, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Fast RMX and the now iconic The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. Personally, I didn’t pre-order the original Switch as the only game that caught my attention, Breath of the Wild, was also available on the Wii U, and picking up that copy of the game meant saving a ton of cash in the process.

At the time, I knew that the Switch version of the game was better optimized, but that still didn’t hinder my enjoyment, even as a die-hard Zelda fan. With a ton of new games still slated for the current handheld, I have an inkling we’ll see a repeat of this sort of scenario. The Nintendo Direct presentation held on March 27 confirmed that highly anticipated games like Metroid Prime 4 are slated for the current Switch, yet we got no indication of a release date outside a 2025 placeholder. Of the current rumor roster, Metroid Prime 4 and new Mario Kart look to be the most enticing titles for the largest number of players. If, like me in 2017, you’re happy to grab the original Switch version, then you wouldn’t have to pick up the Switch 2 until much later.

Speculation aside, the Switch 2 launch games could be all winners or all stinkers; there’s no telling until April 2. But at least if you’re more in the pre-ordering camp, you wouldn’t be left twiddling your thumbs. With backwards compatibility confirmed by Nintendo for both digital and physical games (with some exceptions) you’ll already have a wealth of titles to play. Ninty also confirmed that the Nintendo Switch Online game libraries will carry over to the Switch 2, so you'll have a ton of Nintendo classics to play to play too - depending on your NSO subscription.

Verdict: Waiting to grab the Nintendo Switch 2 later will mean you’ll have your pick of a huge range of Switch 2 games. Not only that, but by not pre-ordering the handheld, you could wait long enough for there to be plenty of patch updates and optimization for any launch titles.

Without any confirmation on the launch lineup of games, there’s no popular Nintendo IP draw that could be the determining factor on whether you need to have a Switch 2 from day one. That being said, if you’re a Nintendo die-hard fan and want to play the most optimized and best-performing versions of any Nintendo game as soon as they become available, then pre-ordering the console makes a lot of sense.

Hardware upgrades

Whether or not the hardware upgrades of the Switch 2 are enough to get you ready to pre-order are hard to pinpoint - mainly as we don't officially know what to expect. Nintendo has been just as tight-lipped about the new handheld's specs as it has been about its price and its launch games, so we're left relying on rumors, leaks, and speculation instead.

I mean, it is the Nintendo Switch 2, so you'd hope that it'll be a big performance upgrade for the current handheld as otherwise, what's the point?

It's suspected that the Switch 2 will be decked out with a custom Nvidia chip, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, DLSS 2 support, FSR 3 support, an 8-inch LCD display, a much-improved battery life, and magnetically attaching new Joy-Con controllers.

That's a lot to unpack, so whether you want to pre-order the Switch 2 according to hardware alone will depend on which key hardware features appeal to you the most. If you're just hungry for a graphical and performance upgrade, then the Switch 2 is the way to go. As someone who's been regularly let down but the performance of some recent Switch games (I'm looking at you, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet), then I totally get it. If you're frustrated with the Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED's sub-par battery life, then grabbing the successor from day one will hopefully put a stop to your battery woes.

Verdict: Nintendo isn't known for releasing the very best in performance every console generation, and instead, the focus usually relies on its unique gimmicks and gaming experiences. That being said, based on previous leaks and rumors, there's a lot pointing to the Switch 2 as a worthwhile step up from the current handheld, and you're free to pre-order if you're desperate to see how brand-new and older games perform on the system.

If you want to get more value out of your current handheld, avoiding pre-orders and waiting months after launch means you can determine whether or not those upgrades are worth it.

Availability

One of, if not the biggest factors that should determine whether or not you pre-order the Switch 2 is availability. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stated they were "making preparations" to combat resellers with the upcoming handheld, which is rumored to be the reason behind the handheld's 2025 delay. That should make it easy to grab a Switch 2 on the day and even days after pre-orders become available, but I wouldn't risk it.

If you don't want to wait months and months after launch with no Switch 2 to your name, pre-ordering the console as soon as you can is the best way. Many of us might be happy to wait even over a year until we decide to upgrade to the Switch follow-up, but if you're at least hoping to have one at release or shortly afterward, I recommend preparing yourself for a pre-order.

I went through the PS5 pre-ordering trenches, and I wouldn't wish that stress on my worst enemy. It resorted in daily 3 AM wake-ups to check stock on PS5-dedicated Discord servers, and this was months after the initial release day. The popularity of Nintendo and the upcoming Switch 2 is unprecedented, and there will be plenty of people eager to grab one for themselves or their Mario and Zelda-loving kids. Assuming they'll just be available months after release isn't a wise move, unless you're prepared to face some disappointment.

Verdict: Pre-ordering the Nintendo Switch 2 is your best bet to avoid any future stock shortages and disappointment if you're eager to play one on release day or shortly afterwards. Plenty of retailers in the US and UK have got their Switch 2 pre-order pages primed and ready, so you don't need to look far to plan where to get yours.

 Overall, should you pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2? 

Whether pre-ordering the Nintendo Switch 2 is a valid choice for you and you alone entirely depends on a few factors. Any hardcore Nintendo fans (which includes myself) will likely be flexing their hand muscles in order to secure that console as soon as humanly possible. But for those more conscious about their budget and what kind of gaming experiences they want to have, it makes a whole lot of sense to wait.

For one, there's no sign of how much the new handheld is going to cost. If you stick to Nintendo hardware to keep your gaming budget low, it's a better decision to wait until the end-of-year sales events roll around. Discounts on the console itself won't come around until a few years after launch. However, this Black Friday is primed for the first Nintendo Switch 2 bundle. Switch bundles can save you cash on games and even subscriptions to Nintendo Switch Online if you're lucky. Just don't expect the first bundle to come with a physical Switch 2 game, especially as plenty of the early original Switch bundles came with digital downloads. If money is no issue, and you hate that dreaded FOMO, pre-ordering a Switch 2 isn't going to matter all too much - unless you're desperate for some bragging rights.

Not to mention, we haven't yet been shown any launch games, so it could be some time before anything you like the look of playing becomes available. It's all well and good owning the latest game's console, but if the launch games are a snoozefest, then it's just going to collect dust for the foreseeable future. On the other side of the Yoshi coin, if you play every single Nintendo game regardless of the IP, then there's bound to be a big-name game available from day one, and pre-ordering the Switch 2 means you'll be right there from the start.

I've already set aside the funds for the Nintendo Switch 2, and not just because having one as soon as possible will make my work life a lot easier. Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda games are among my favorite franchises to delve back into, and I can never shake off the fact "Neeno" (to mean Nintendo) was the first world I ever spoke. I'm only going to be able to experience what adventures my favorite moustached plumbers have next on Nintendo hardware, and so a Nintendo Switch 2 needs to be part of my gaming setup from day one.

I'm still recovering from trying to get a PS5 shortly after it released, but I'm confident I'll be able to pre-order a Nintendo Switch no problem. That's thanks in part to Nintendo's own reassurance that they'll have plenty of stock to go around this time around. Personally, I'm looking at the official Nintendo website to grab mine, mainly as it's one of the best options to ensure you get games and hardware, the day of release. For the US, I recommend checking out Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon on the big day, especially as they've been steadily updating their Switch 2 information in the last few months.

You don't have to be like me, and if you can't justify the cost of the brand-new Switch, then by all means, don't put yourself out. Especially when there's still plenty of new games coming to the current handheld. After all, good things come to those who wait, and if that's your decision, you're bound to be able to take advantage of any future deals later in the Switch 2's lifespan.

If you're happy sticking with your current Switch, picking up one of the best Nintendo Switch SD cards, the best Nintendo Switch controllers, and one of the best Nintendo Switch headsets will help spread the value of your beloved Ninty handheld.