A new report is raising more questions about when Nintendo Switch 2 preorders will go live at major retailers, with two conflicting dates now circulating.
The report comes from Insider Gaming, which states it has seen internal emails and documents from a large US retailer confirming the Switch 2 will release in June (as has been heavily rumored). However, the documents also state preorders for Switch 2 will go live on April 9, a week after a Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct on April 2 that will offer more details about the console and, presumably, its release date and launch games.
Nintendo Switch 2 – Official First Look Reveal Trailer
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According to the retailer documents, the Nintendo Direct will state preorders will be “coming soon” and reveal a countdown clock that will end on April 9. This specific retailer, which Insider Gaming did not reveal, will also reportedly include an “exclusive collectible coin” for those who preorder the console. The retailer anticipates to sell out of its Switch 2 allotment on the first day due to a “limited unit allocation” from Nintendo, according to Insider Gaming.
The April 9 preorder date goes against a leak earlier this week from Best Buy Canada, which in a blog post about the Switch 2 stated preorders for the new Nintendo console would begin on April 2, the same day as the Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct. Best Buy Canada has since removed the blog post.
Whether preorders go live on April 2, April 9, or on some other date, eager fans won’t have to wait long for official information straight from the source once the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct airs on April 2 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET.
In the meantime, fans continue to speculate on rumors and reports regarding Nintendo’s plans, including another report from Insider Gaming that states Switch 2’s game lineup will reportedly come in three phases. The first phase will reportedly come with the Switch 2’s launch in June and include a number of first party titles, including the new Mario Kart game seen in the Switch 2’s reveal trailer. More third-party support is said to be coming to the Switch 2 in the fall, with an additional wave of games set to be released during the holiday season.
Despite Nintendo emphasizing that its most-recent direct would not be about the Switch 2, it did provide some details on the new console. Both the Switch and Switch 2 will turn digital game purchases into Virtual Game Cards that can be shared between consoles and accounts on the same family plan.
Reading the fine print about Virtual Game Cards also revealed a glimpse at how Nintendo’s backwards-compatibility plan for original Switch games may work on Switch 2, with a reference to Nintendo Switch 2 “Edition” games possibly referring to enhanced versions of Switch 1 games running on Nintendo’s new hardware.
