Switch 2 launch is both better and more chaotic than anyone expected

Switch 2 launch is upon us, and the moment is unfolding smoother than expected in some areas — and outright chaos in others.

On the extreme end of things, some new Switch 2 owners were dismayed to find that their hardware was ruined instantly after purchasing it. Some retailers, like GameStop, saw instances of employees stapling the receipt straight on the box, thereby puncturing the Switch 2 screen. Awful. Some folks on social media sites are also reporting that their brand new Switch 2 consoles have dead pixels straight out of the box, though the problem does not seem widespread.

Others are counting their blessings right now, as plenty of people managed to nab a Switch 2 despite not having a pre-order. As we reported earlier this week, many retailers received an unprecedented stock of Switches. In some cases, that meant a few dozen available units for walk-ins, which I saw first-hand as I purchased a bundle this morning. Despite arriving at my local Target a couple of minutes before it opened, and a line of people awaiting before me, I was able to grab a ticket without issue. By the time I left, around a dozen people were behind me in line. Target’s website noted that it still had two additional units in stock at that location.

I’m not nearly as lucky as the person who got Walmart to upgrade their base console order to a bundle after the retailer ran out of stock, though. I wouldn’t blame anyone who saw their orders canceled at Walmart this week for side-eyeing this unlikely turn of events. Perhaps all the reported Walmart Switch 2 deliveries that are coming with a side of coke and Pringles are a mea culpa from the retailer? It’s definitely a good way to overwrite the Google-filling bad press Walmart got this week.

Mileage may vary for people who venture into stores later in the day, and it’s likely a lost cause for retailers like Best Buy, which held midnight releases that, regardless of location, often saw dozens if not hundreds of people waiting in line before the store officially opened. Stores like GameStop may well be cleaned out already.

If anything, it’s the people who have their Switch 2 consoles being shipped by mail who might be having the worst time out of everyone. Target customers in particular are dismayed to find that their order status still displays that their consoles are are preparing to ship. “What a weird slap in the face to have people who pre-ordered have to wait until June 11 to receive their unit, whereas people who didn’t bother pre-ordering can just walk into the store the morning of launch and grab one,” writes one Redditor. Unsurprisingly, some Target customers are being told that while they are guaranteed a console, it might not arrive for launch day specifically. Unfortunately, it appears that a notable number of people won’t be receiving their Switch 2 until next week.

Then you’ve got the obligatory scalpers, who took advantage of the stores that did not place limits on how many consoles you can buy. Already, on reselling sites like eBay, you can spot Switch 2 devices going for hundreds of dollars more than retail. Nintendo really needs to bring that anti-scalper tech they’ve got going in Japan to the rest of the world.

As for those among us who were fortunate enough to grab a console on day one, launch is equal parts exciting as it is mundane. While some people are already filling up entire Mario Kart World lobbies with cows, plenty of people will be spending the next couple of hours setting up their consoles, downloading games and their respective updates, and downloading transferring save data alongside any account information. Such are the joys of new console launches.