Ayaka McGill
TOKYO (AP) – Many gamers stood in a long line outside the store hours before it opened from Tokyo in New York City on Thursday, trying to narrate the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 video game console.
Enthusiasts have been yelling for years to upgrade to Nintendo’s eight-year-old predecessor. Nintendo, which relies on the Switch 2, has added a new social feature to lure players into online games due to the drooping sales.
The much-anticipated Switch 2, released worldwide on Thursday, is an upgrade to its eight-year-old predecessor with new social features to draw players into the online game. Nintendo relies on the hanging Switch 2 for sale.
In the US, some fans were irritated after the console sold out quickly due to the chaotic pre-order process in April. People lined up in hopes of buying the store early on Thursday.
“I’m just rolling the dice here,” said Edgar Huo, who was on about 25 lines outside of Target in the Tribeca area of Manhattan, New York. Many people waiting for the store to open were ordering online, but people like Huo wanted the opportunity to buy the additional inventory the store had.
Customers will ring to buy Nintendo Switch 2 at an electronics retailer in Tokyo on Thursday, June 5, 2025 (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
It will be lined up outside the Target Store for the new Nintendo Switch 2 video game console on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 in Chicago. (AP photo/kiichiro Sato)
The Darren Stahlcup on the left of San Francisco will respond when Nicholas Alberg of San Francisco plays Mario Kart World to the right, playing Nintendo Switch 2 games, playing Nintendo Switch 2 games, playing events with others at Nintendo, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, playing events for the 2025 Ninentdo Switch 2 pre-release event. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
It will be lined up outside the Target Store for the new Nintendo Switch 2 video game console on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 in Chicago. (AP photo/kiichiro Sato)
Customers will receive a new Nintendo Switch 2 video game console at their Target Store in Chicago on Thursday, June 5th, 2025. (AP photo/kiichiro Sato)
It will be lined up outside the Target Store for the new Nintendo Switch 2 video game console on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Shoun Chen)
Customers will present pre-order tickets for the new Nintendo Switch 2 video game console at their Target Store in Chicago on Thursday, June 5th, 2025. (AP photo/kiichiro Sato)
Customers will purchase Nintendo Switch 2 at an e-retailer in Tokyo on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
Customers will receive a new Nintendo Switch 2 video game console at their Target Store in Chicago on Thursday, June 5th, 2025. (AP photo/kiichiro Sato)
The stack of Nintendo Switch 2 devices is being replenished at the Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center, New York on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The cashier at the Nintendo store will place the Switch 2 in a bag of customers at the Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center in New York on Thursday, June 5th, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
UN Clientele Recibe La Nueva Consola Para videojuegos Nintendo Switch 2 en una tienda de la cadena Target, el jueves 5 de junio de 2025 en Chicago. (ap foto/kiichiro ato)
The stack of Nintendo Switch 2 devices will be located at Nintendo’s store at Rockefeller Center, New York on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The Nintendo Switch 2 is on sale at the Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center, New York on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The Nintendo Switch 2 device is available for sale at the Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center, New York on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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Customers will ring to buy Nintendo Switch 2 at an electronics retailer in Tokyo on Thursday, June 5, 2025 (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
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In Japan, the new console was sold through a competitive lottery system, which Nintendo said had received around 2.2 million applications.
Outside of the official draw, some retailers offered their own lottery tickets to pre-order devices.
Takahashi Ogawa was among those who missed the official draw, but he was selected in the second round of lottery tickets held by major Japanese electronic retailers.
He was first waiting outside the shop and arrived four hours before the opening. He wanted to secure a limited supply of Nintendo accessories and buy it along with his pre-ordered Switch 2.
“I’m very sorry to those who didn’t make the lottery, but I’ve had a hard time getting there so I hope they’ll forgive me!” Takahashi said.
Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo of America, told CBS Morning Plus today that the company is aware of the demand for the latest systems and is working to put the units into the hands of customers.
“We have a stable supply of manufacturing that comes in. We believe we can meet that demand throughout Father’s Day, during the summer and throughout the holiday period,” Bowser said.
The new console comes with a larger, higher resolution screen than its predecessor, improving processing power and providing smoother and vibrant graphics. At the heart of the updated system is the new “C” button on the controller, launching the “GameChat” feature, which requires a subscription to the Nintendo’s Switch Online service. Players can “communication with friends and family while playing the game” and can share the game screen with others. The built-in microphone also allows you to chat with other gamers.
Nintendo says it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year ending March 2026.
The company has also rolled out two new Switch 2 editions of the popular The Legend of Zelda game. Pokemon titles and Kirby Games are also here. Products from external video game publishers will also be appearing.
The Switch 2 rollout arrives at uncertain times for much of the gaming industry due to new tariffs implemented by US President Donald Trump.
In the US, the baseline launch price for the Switch 2 is $449.99, which is significantly higher than the original Switch’s $299 price.
The US pre-orders for the Switch 2 were delayed several weeks, allowing the company to assess the potential impact of tariffs.
Original issue: June 5th, 2025, 1:10pm EDT
