Each step is prioritized based on the potential to secure it earlier. So you can essentially try step 1 first and if that fails you have time for step 2… and so on.
Step 1) Each GameStop store allows for more in store orders on June 4 @ 3pm for Pickup later that night with the rest of the preorders. So you have to line up earlier in the day time, and then if you get an order in at 3PM, go back and pick it up from the same location later.
Step 2) BestBuy is allowing a lineup for buying store sold units at their same June 5 midnight online pre-orders Pickup time. There will probably be 2 Seperate Lines and one will be for people without pre-orders already. If GameStop is not an option from step 1 you have all day to get in line at a Best Buy.
Step 3) Midnight June 5 also will have restock for more online website orders from Best Buy, Walmart, Target, GameStop… The Phone Apps are sometimes more reliable than the PC website versions. You can try this if you know you aren't already in a confirmed spot in line at Best Buy from step 2.
Step 4) Target is doing their lineups in the morning on the June 5 launch day at the stores standard opening time(typically 8am). So call for opening hours and lineup very early morning as a precaution. If the Best Buy Store lineup failed from step 2, you have all night to get in line at Target. Special Launch Event Store Locations at link.
Step 5) Staples stores might have some, it was confirmed 300+ Staples locations will be getting some at release. Worth checking if all other options are exhausted.
Step 6) This is Walmart
by Poppyspy
43 Comments
get lucky grab a chair and wait till store open
Unless you have a job and responsibilities. Then you can buy one when they are more readily available.
I could just be naive but I don’t think this will end up being a scalpers apocalypse like the PS5 XSX launch. Will be shocked if you can’t pick one up in 2 months or so.
Check your GameStop for the 3 pm info – none of the stores around me are selling additional merchandise at this point, only pre ringing pre orders.
Luckily I’m a night owl and the closest Best Buy is 5 mins from me so I’ll drive to it and if the line is long I’ll just go home and see if I can online order it for pickup the next day
I had Walmart cancel my pre-order this morning even though I made it on 4/23. A “glitch in the system” was all they said.
This info is super helpful. Thank you for compiling it!
Hoping I randomly run in to one in a store on launch day.
Go to a Walmart in a small town far away.
Decide to say my target order isn’t supposed to arrive until the 11th. Wishing I could cancel that and just by tomorrow but I’d rather have the one on the way than one I don’t know I can get tomorrow
Step 1) get ass to the store
Step 2) pray
Go to the hood. That’s what I do
Anyone know if GameStop will have good amount of stock for those who didn’t preorder? I know they were really good when preorders went live by having plenty in stock. Missed out due to being at work all day next couple days afterwards
I’m in cst they open at 11:01 how many hours before they open should I go to so I can get one
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So, I could wait all night at target? Is camping allowed? Or do I need to wait closer to opening to get in line?
So if we want to order one online still, wait til Midnight and check out one of the websites to see if it’s in stock right then?
I’ve never gone and waited for a console launch before. What’s an appropriate time to get there and get in line? Target opens at 8 so I was gonna aim for 6 or 7, is that too late??
Can you go to a gamestop at say 4 and preordrr along as they still have systems or was it specifically at 3 and no later
Good write up.
I won’t be able to make it to Best Buy to line up tonight. I live in the west coast so Best Buy will be open at 9 pm for the Switch 2. But I’m attending a college graduation so I doubt I will make it in time to the Best Buy line. I can probably drop by and see, but I’m not optimistic since by the time it finishes it will be 9 pm maybe
I’m hoping to line up at target as my 2nd choice early tomorrow.
Target will not have online stock at midnight tonight. Their site says in person 6/5, online 6/6.
Fifth in line at my local BB. Gonna get a hell of a sunburn today.
I’m still in Target purgatory with my “preparing to ship” “Arriving June 11th” pre-order. I just drove past my BestBuy and there are already 10 people camped out. Drove by my Gamestop and there was a line 50 people deep. I just want to see my pre-order ship. I might try the online drops at midnight.
I just drove to my local Best Buy 8 hours before launch. No one in line, but the employees have no clue what’s going on. I know someone that works for Best Buy that said this location has 100 units, so I’m hoping if I get there 6:30-7 EST, I’ll be lucky.
Went to my GameStop and they had nearly over 100 switches combined with the bundles and normal consoles. Got my pre-order for tonight! Also, by the way you are not required to come back for the midnight launch, You can pick it up tomorrow morning if you need to!
I got mine secured at Gamestop today. Was in line from like right around 10am and was like 10th in line. They only had 60 total. 40 of the MKW bundles and 20 of the regular console. If you lucked out out at gamestop I’d say just camp out if you can at a different retailer. Getting there earlier is always better too
Anyone know what time delivery should be expected from Walmart? Before pre-orders started the ad on the front page of my Walmart+ said “pre-order and get delivery by 9am 6/5.” My order status updated from ordered to preparing this morning but it says it will arrive by 10PM.
Been on line at a the Harlem GameStop since 2:45. There must have been at least 50 people ahead of us, probably closer to 60 or 70. Many had been here since 10am or earlier. Still on line now about 2.5 hours later, and no one has come out to say “this is our last one” nor has anyone cut the line off. Hearing on here some GS locations for 60-100 has me hopeful. There’s also been no head count taken though.
Have a mom that works at Costco
Currently at a Best Buy location in south east Michigan. Only 3 in line for in-store purchase. 1 for preorder. I’m chilling. It appears that a lot of locations have at least 40 for both the preorders and in-store purchases. I’m just guessing though
Just walked into my Gamestop and managed to snag a Switch 2 for the midnight release.
Your my hero! Got to GameStop before 3pm and was 4th in line. I get to go back at 8:30pm and they said I will be pulled to the front of the line to pick it up.
I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to you OP. Saw your thread on my lunch break and thought, what the hell?
Called my local GameStop and guy said they were doing 3pm orders so I thought , what the hell?
Went by at 1230 and saw a small line forming and thought , what the hell?
Sat with everyone until a GameStop employee came out and told us all point blank “we have 35 additional units and all of you are now guaranteed to get a Mario kart bundle and I thought WHAT THE HELL????
So thank you OP. My other plan was to try and wait it out at Best Buy tonight but now I’m receipt in hand and just counting down the hours
Why isn’t it listed on Amazon ffs
Local Best Buy in Rego Park had 40-50 people in line and staff assured me that they had plenty of stock. I was told “don’t be the hundredth person in line”. Sounds like a good launch.
Best Buy is not allowing online orders. In-store only for launch day. 🙁
I waited for an hour and a half at the union square GameStop and had to leave – have a newborn and life / work responsibilities. Not sure why it was taking people 10 minutes to place their order but the line was huge and easily another hour or two of waiting.
Samclub online has them in stock
Damn my local Staples is on the list! My preorder still hasn’t charged my card and it’s launch day, maybe I should just cancel it and pick one up there
I’m at a Walmart in Ct rn at 5:41 am waiting for 6am open to get my shit, hopefully they are stocked cuz all of the gamestops were sold out of extras by 8last night and homie working said he couldn’t see it being more than a week or 2 for more. I feel this is going to be wayyyy different from the Xbox / ps debacle .
Arrived at Target just prior to 5:30 EST, I’m maybe 10th in line. Three or four people have arrived in the 20 minutes since. Seems like it’s not going to be too tough to grab a bundle. 🤞
Edit: #9 of 35 bundles. There will be some left after the line is done.
If you have military access, my local PX has like a fuckload of them in stock, tax free too.
Costco was taking orders for over an hour, I ordered at 5:25AM PST. Just got my cancellation notice. Costco was lies! They had it listed as in stock for over an hour. That’ll be a lot of cancellations lol
Was it only me or Walmart and Gamestop online launch never went up? I refreshed the websites every second before and after midnight and I never saw the switch 2 available or on stock online ):