The first Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders I've seen just went live

Official product image of the Nintendo Switch 2 console with an orange GamesRadar background. — (Image credit: Future/Nintendo)

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders just went live at Argos, making the retailer the first out the gate offering actual real-life pre-orders online. I'm not talking pre-registration here, I'm talking instant pre-order. My fellow Hardware Editor Phil Hayton, and myself, have secured our handhelds within the last few minutes.

The highly anticipated handheld has also appeared at Amazon, though this is a pre-registration. Anyone who wants a Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as possible can request an invite for the £395.99 console when the rest of the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders go live next week. If you're invited to purchase the Switch 2 through Amazon, the retailer states you'll receive an email with a link that's valid only for 22 hours.

For now, this is just for the standard version of the handheld, so if you had your eyes on the Mario Kart World Nintendo Switch 2 bundle, you'll have to wait. Not only that, Amazon also explains that it "won't be able to grant" all pre-order invite requests, so just because you sign up, don't assume you'll get that shiny Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order invite through your inbox.

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Nintendo Switch 2 in dock next to JoyCon controller grip and red backdrop — (Image credit: Nintendo)

I put the Amazon UK invite to the test myself, and received an email confirming my request had been received shortly after. The email also shared that even if I'm not personally selected for the first round of invites that my "request is still eligible to be selected in the future rounds" so I won't need to re-submit for the next three months.

This was great news for me, as for one reason or another, I don't quite qualify for a pre-order invite through the official Nintendo UK website. Not only that, the Switch 2 is compatible with Prime, according to the listing, so I (and anyone else with a paying subscription) will be able to make use of its speedy delivery.

For the US, things are a little different. Right now, there isn't an official listing for the Nintendo Switch 2 at Amazon, so alternative sites are likely your best bet to grab one, for now.

If you're happy sticking with your current Switch for now, check out the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch SD cards, and the best Nintendo Switch accessories to extend the value of your beloved Ninty machine.

Ever since I first held a NES controller in my hand I've been obsessed with gaming, and the hardware it runs on. I could hook up a NES and SNES to a telly, without instructions, before I could walk. Even now, nothing is more exciting then taking a console, or handheld, out the box for the first time and setting it up. This obsession transformed into a love of games and game music, which lead to my music degree and dream of becoming the Scottish Nobuo Uematsu. After sharing my love of games through music, I began to share my love through words on sites like TechRadar and iMore. This lead to becoming a Hardware staff writer for PCGamesN, and later the Senior Tech Writer for Dexerto, covering all things Steam Deck, PlayStation and Nintendo. With that experience, I was able to level up as Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+, where I'm still just as Nintendo, PlayStation and gaming tech obsessed as ever.