Midnight Madness: Nintendo Switch 2 Finally Hits US Stores as Fans Scramble for Limited Stock

Gamers stampeded into stores at midnight on June 5, hunting for Nintendo’s elusive Switch 2 console. The $450 gaming system vanished from shelves faster than free pizza at a college dorm. Best Buy and GameStop hosted midnight launch events, drawing lines of bleary-eyed fans clutching their wallets and dreams.

Midnight madness erupted as gamers battled for the vanishing $450 Switch 2.

Nintendo announced the June 5 release date back on April 2, giving enthusiasts two months to plan their attack strategies. Fat lot of good that did. Online stock at Walmart and Best Buy evaporated within hours. By Thursday morning, even the fancy Mario Kart World bundles were gone. Poof. Just like that.

GameStop locations received about 50 units each. Fifty. That’s it. Meanwhile, hundreds of hopefuls showed up at each store. Do the math. Target played it differently, opening physical stores on June 5 but holding back online sales until June 6. Smart move, maybe. Or just prolonging the agony.

The new console sports a 7.9-inch LCD screen with full HD 1080p resolution. Nintendo completely redesigned the thing, upgrading the display and internal hardware. They launched it alongside exclusive games and enhanced online services. Cool features, sure. Too bad nobody can actually buy one to experience them.

Social media exploded with tales of triumph and defeat. Mostly defeat. Tech news sites tracked the carnage in real-time as retailers posted “out of stock” notices faster than Nintendo could ship units. The company warned about global shortages, and boy, they weren’t kidding.

Making matters worse, new US tariffs loom on the horizon, potentially affecting future supply and pricing. Because why not add trade policy to the mix when you’re already dealing with impossible-to-find gaming hardware?

Walmart confirmed both standard consoles and bundles sold out by Thursday morning. Best Buy limited midnight events to pre-order pickups and whatever scraps remained for walk-ins. Supply varies by location, they said. Translation: good luck finding one anywhere. Costco and Sam’s Club got some stock too, but shoppers need membership cards just to walk through the doors. UK retailer Currys also participated with midnight launches, joining the global frenzy for Nintendo’s hottest hardware.

The hunt continues as desperate gamers refresh retailer websites, hoping for restock announcements that may or may not come. Welcome to the Nintendo Switch 2 launch. May the odds be ever in your favor.