You can buy a Nintendo Switch 2 today from the Nintendo Store or any major retailer without an invitation, a queue or a preorder, at a US suggested retail price of $499.99 for the standalone system. The invitation-only My Nintendo Store waves and the retailer preorder scramble of spring 2025 are over, and the real decision now is which bundle to buy.
This guide covers how the preorder period actually went, how to buy the console now, the official bundles for late 2026, and the price after Nintendo’s revision.
How the 2025 Preorder Period Actually Went
The launch was announced on April 2, 2025 in a Nintendo Direct, with a June 5, 2025 release date and a $449.99 price. US retail preorders were originally set to open on April 9, but Nintendo paused them. Its April 18, 2025 statement confirmed the console would stay at $449.99, the Mario Kart World bundle at $499.99, and that retail preorders would begin April 24, 2025. Accessory prices were adjusted “due to changes in market conditions”.
Retailers opened on April 24 and took orders in waves over the following weeks. Nintendo’s own store sold by invitation to Nintendo Account holders who had registered interest from April 2. Nintendo said it would prioritise registrants with a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership of at least 12 months and more than 50 hours of play on the original Switch; the same criteria appear on Nintendo’s Australian program page, which ran the registration in rounds. Player reports at the time say the first US invitation emails arrived from May 8, 2025 with a 72-hour window to complete the purchase, and that batches continued until Nintendo opened the store to everyone. Nintendo has not published a US timeline, so treat those dates as reported rather than official.
Supply caught up within months. Nintendo reported 19.86 million consoles sold by March 2026, ahead of its own forecast, and the console has been routinely in stock since. For the launch story in full, see our guide to when the Switch 2 released and what has changed since.
How to Buy a Switch 2 Now
There are three places to look, and none require an invitation.
- Nintendo Store (nintendo.com). Sign in with a Nintendo Account, open the Nintendo Switch 2 systems page and add the console or bundle to your cart. The store’s own retail offers page lists which retailers carry each bundle.
- Retailers. Nintendo lists Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Walmart as partners for the current bundles, at Nintendo’s suggested retail prices.
- Nintendo eShop, for bundles with a download. The game arrives as a code or a download tied to your Nintendo Account, so sign in with the account you intend to keep.
Before paying, confirm the listing says Nintendo Switch 2, not Nintendo Switch: the original console is still sold, still bundled and noticeably cheaper. Nintendo’s 2026 bundles all deliver their game as a download, not a cartridge.
The Official Bundles
Nintendo’s bundles have changed twice since the original Mario Kart World pack of 2025. As of September 2026 these are the ones Nintendo lists:
- Nintendo Switch 2: Choose Your Game Bundle, $499.99. Announced on May 12, 2026 and on sale from early June, it includes the system and a download code for one of Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza or Pokemon Pokopia. Nintendo calls it “available for a limited time while supplies last”. With the system now $499.99 on its own, this is the best value if it is still on a shelf near you: the game is effectively free.
- Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle, $549.99. Announced August 25, 2026: system, a full download of Mario Kart World and a 3-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership, which Nintendo prices at $37.98 below buying separately. Our Mario Kart World hub has the guides to go with it.
- Nintendo Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle, $529.99. Available October 22, 2026, the game’s launch day, with a 3-month membership included.
- Nintendo Switch 2 – The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition, $519.99. Available October 29, 2026. A Triforce-patterned console, dock and Joy-Con 2, with no game included; The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches separately on November 5, 2026. We explain the anniversary hardware here.
If you want games to justify the purchase, start with our best Switch 2 games of 2026 and, for the living room, the best Switch 2 co-op games.
The Price Today
Nintendo of America’s price revision notice, posted May 7, 2026, raised the US suggested retail price of the standalone Nintendo Switch 2 from $449.99 to $499.99 effective September 1, 2026. Nintendo attributed the change to “various changes in market conditions, which are expected to extend over the medium to long term”, and said the original Nintendo Switch’s price was not changing. Game prices were not part of the notice: Mario Kart World remains $79.99 and Donkey Kong Bananza $69.99 at Nintendo’s suggested retail price.
The practical effect is that the bundles now carry the value. A $499.99 Choose Your Game Bundle costs the same as a bare console, and the $549.99 Mario Kart World bundle is $50 more for a $79.99 game plus three months of online play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need an invitation to buy a Switch 2 from Nintendo? No. The invitation system was a launch-period measure. Nintendo’s store sells the console and bundles directly to anyone with a Nintendo Account.
Is the Switch 2 hard to find in stock? Not any more. As of September 2026 the standard console and the Choose Your Game Bundle are listed by Nintendo and its retail partners, with the holiday bundles arriving in October.
Why did the Switch 2 price go up? Nintendo cited “changes in market conditions” expected to last over the medium to long term, and did not itemise the causes.
Which Switch 2 bundle is the best deal? The Choose Your Game Bundle, while it lasts: it matches the console’s standalone price and includes a full game. After that, the Mario Kart World bundle with the 3-month membership has the biggest stated saving.
Can I preorder the holiday bundles? Nintendo said preorders for the Nintendo Switch Sports Resort bundle would open “soon” on Nintendo Store, Nintendo eShop and participating retailers, and the Nintendo Store lists the Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition for October 29, 2026. Check the Nintendo Store listing for each bundle’s current preorder status.