NINTENDO’S SWITCH 2 launch is underway worldwide. The console officially releases June 5, meaning buyers in territories in earlier time zones have already gotten their hands on it. As midnight rolls across North America, players here will do the same. Many fans preordered their Switch 2, allowing them to skip the in-person lines planned for midnight sales at retail stores. Others are currently bidding on consoles being sold by scalpers.
Sellers on sites like eBay and Mercari have created their own ecosystem of preorder sales, capitalizing on fears that the ongoing tariff drama and possible stock shortages will make the Switch 2 scarce. The console, which retails at $450, is selling for several hundred dollars more on the resale sites. One listing, which promises to ship June 6, is selling for $849 or “best offer.” Other listings are actively being bid on. On Mercari, consoles are selling in the $600 range and above.
There are good reasons for people to be anxious. Nintendo has a history of supply shortages, including with the Switch 2’s predecessor; in Japan, the company has already warned customers that demand may exceed supply. Nintendo prepared for the possibility of scalping ahead of the game console’s preorder period; buyers who wanted a unit directly from their stores could only purchase one system per account and had to meet specific requirements, including 50 hours of playtime on their Switch account.
