You Need 50 Hours to Qualify to Pre-Order Switch 2 From Nintendo
Nintendo Switch 2 will officially hit stores on June 5th. In just two months, you could have the opportunity to purchase Nintendo’s newest (and most expensive) console and play the newest Switch 2 exclusives ( Mario Kart World looks ridiculously fun), provided you manage to snag one of them.
Because if you want to launch the Switch 2 on launch day, you’ll almost certainly need to pre-order. Unless you’re lucky enough to find a store that carries extra consoles, or unless demand is exceptionally low (unlikely given the eight-year wait among Nintendo faithful), these things will be a rare commodity.
One option, of course, is to pre-order the system directly through Nintendo, but the company’s requirements for this are far from orthodox.
How to “Register Your Interest” for Switch 2
Nintendo does not consider its program a “pre-order” per se. Instead, the company invites you to “register your interest” in purchasing the Switch 2. If you’re over 18, you’ll need to head to Nintendo’s official interest registration site , then sign in to your Nintendo Account. Once Nintendo has confirmed your eligibility, it will send an invitation to the email address registered to your Nintendo Account. This invitation gives you the opportunity to purchase one Switch 2 console, either as a standalone device or bundled with a digital copy of Mario Kart World . This invitation will be valid for 72 hours. Easy enough, right?
It’s not that simple.
Only experienced gamers can apply
This is a first-come, first-served program, so the earlier you can register, the better your chances of being selected. On top of that, this… let’s call it a “purchase opportunity” is only open to registered individuals who have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription with at least 12 months of paid service.
But the requirement that I find most unusual is this: You also need to have at least 50 hours of gameplay associated with the Nintendo Account you use to register, as of April 2, 2025. If you do not meet any of these criteria, you will be placed on an additional list. Nintendo will only begin sending out invitations to members of this waitlist once all eligible registrants have been invited.
Fifty hours of gameplay is a strange requirement (can’t I just give you money, Nintendo?), but you can understand the company’s reasoning. As a highly touted piece of hardware, the Switch 2 is a prime target for scalpers. By setting strict requirements for who can register to receive an invitation to purchase it (and limiting each registration to one console purchase), Nintendo is trying to ensure that only true Nintendo fans get the first chance. Scalpers won’t even be able to create multiple Nintendo accounts to get around these restrictions, since the aforementioned 50 hours of gameplay had to be logged before today, April 2nd. If scalpers didn’t know the rules in advance, any dummy accounts they create before Switch 2 launches will be useless.
Even for someone with over 50 hours of gameplay on my Nintendo account, this all seems a little strange. Maybe it’s the data privacy freak in me, but I don’t like that I have to share my gameplay with Nintendo to prove that I’m actually worthy of buying a Switch 2. Link the purchase to my Nintendo account, fine, but I’m not sure I like that precedent.
Because even if you have those 50 hours, you may not be eligible since you also need to consent to sharing that data with Nintendo. Nintendo’s language here isn’t entirely clear, so it’s not obvious to me whether it would make a difference if you agreed to participate today, or if you should have already agreed to participate before the program was announced. If you want to maximize your chances of being selected for purchase through Nintendo, it’s time to check your Nintendo Account privacy settings and make sure you’re sharing usage information with Nintendo in the Data Usage – Opt-out Settings section.
When do invitations to buy Switch 2 go out?
Weird privacy implications aside, here’s what happens once you sign up: Nintendo says the first round of invites will be sent out on May 8, 2025, with subsequent rounds sent out “periodically” until purchases are available to everyone. The email will come from [email protected] , so consider adding it to your email whitelist if you have an overzealous spam filter.
If you choose this option, you’ll be able to buy the Switch 2 console or bundle of your choice (the standalone system costs $449, while the Mario Kart World bundle costs $499), as well as “lots of additional items.” I’m guessing it will include a new Pro controller, a retro GameCube controller, and possibly additional Joy-Cons, as well as any other accessories Nintendo dreams of. Just like the system itself, you will only be able to purchase one of these additional items.
Nintendo accepts Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay and Apple Pay, but does not accept Nintendo eShop gift cards. The company will also only ship directly to customers and will not place orders at its two retail locations.
Of course, Nintendo isn’t the only company you can order a Switch 2 from. You can sign up for similar alerts from other retailers, including Best Buy and GameStop , and I’m guessing more retailers will be adding their own options soon enough.