How to buy the Switch 2: Nintendo's restock updates from Walmart, Best Buy and more

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been available in the US for more than three weeks — and we finally saw a second wave of availability at retail as June was coming to an end. While it's too early to declare the Switch 2 to be easy to obtain, the fact that Best Buy and Walmart had units to sell online on June 23 and June 25, respectively, is a good sign that attentive shoppers may be able to take advantage of a Switch 2 restock this summer without paying a ridiculous markup. 

That said, if you're looking to join one of the millions of people who have already snagged the $450 console since it officially went up for sale on June 5, you may need to include in-store pickup or joining a rewards program as an option. The former (with online reservations) seems to be the methodology that Best Buy and Target currently prefer, while Walmart's latest Switch 2 drop offered early access to those with Walmart+ (its membership program). 

In the meantime, one place not worth checking for the Switch 2 is Amazon. A report today confirmed that its absence from Amazon's online store was the result of an ongoing dispute between the retailer and Nintendo — though there have been signs of a thaw on games and accessories. All that said, if you're still on the hunt, we’ve rounded up all of the latest information we could find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up.

Where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2

Walmart most recently offered the Switch 2 online on June 25, with Walmart+ members getting an hour's head start. Currently, both the Mario Kart World bundle and the standalone console are "available" via third-party retailers, but listed for much higher than their standard $500 and $450 price tags — with limited quantities available. We wouldn't recommend buying these; instead, wait for the console to be listed at its regular MSRP. Naturally, the world's largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations, though the company has noted that quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location.

Best Buy made additional consoles available on June 11 around 12PM ET, and again on June 23 after selling out quickly on launch day (June 5). Those restocks lasted for the better part of an hour and required in-store pickup, but the device is now sold out again.

Target had the Switch 2 in stores on June 5 and restocked its online inventory for at least a couple of hours starting around 3:30AM ET on June 6. It then had another restock on June 12 around 2:30PM ET, but that appears to have died out in less than an hour. We also noted it showing up in stock in at least one Philadelphia location on June 24. 

GameStop has advertised in-store availability, though exactly how much stock your local store may have will vary by location. Online, the device has been unavailable for the past week, with the listings for the base console and Mario Kart bundle now pointing to a "Find a Store" page. We saw a $625 bundle that includes Mario Kart World, a microSD Express card and a few other accessories pop up a bit more frequently than the standard SKUs, but it's no longer listed (and it was kind of a raw deal anyway). 

You may still have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since launch day. Sam's Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well, though it's out of stock now. We also saw the console at BJ's early on June 5, but it's no longer live there.

Verizon briefly had the Switch 2 available on launch day, but that's dried up. Only those with Verizon service were able to order, and the process was apparently somewhat rocky. 

Amazon hasn't had any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor has it listed Mario Kart World. A June 30 Bloomberg report confirmed what had been widely rumored for weeks: Nintendo was apparently punishing Amazon for continuing to surface third-party retailers selling trans-shipped games. However, some Switch 2 games have started popping up, so it's possible the console may appear at some point, too. 

Newegg has listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it's given no indication as to when it'll begin sales. While some listings are available via a third-party seller, they're at massively inflated prices.

With