Walmart’s pre-order page for the Nintendo Switch 2 was unexpectedly taken down on or around April 26, leading to confusion among fans. While some individuals reported successfully placing their pre-orders before the page was removed, the incident highlights ongoing issues faced by major U.S. retailers since the launch of pre-orders on April 24.
The global pre-order process began on April 9, with U.S. pre-orders initially delayed due to the impact of the Trump administration’s trade policies. These policies prompted Nintendo to revise its product pricing amidst fears of future tariffs.
Although American consumers were eventually able to attempt pre-orders starting April 24, feedback suggests that the experience has been anything but smooth. The abrupt removal of Walmart’s pre-order page does not appear to stem from heavy traffic issues; rather, the entire pre-sale landing page was taken off the retailer’s site, as highlighted by a Reddit user.
Currently, searching for the “Switch 2” on Walmart’s platform yields misleading results, primarily featuring third-party listings for alternate models. However, the listing for the Mario Kart World bundle remains active, albeit marked as out of stock.
This recent removal contributes to the perception that the Switch 2 pre-order situation in the U.S. has been poorly managed. Other retailers like Best Buy and Target experienced similar technical problems at launch, with many customers left frustrated.
Complaints also arose about the design of Walmart’s original pre-order page, which failed to provide crucial information such as queue positions or notification procedures. Additionally, users encountered issues with the anti-botting mechanism, which would often malfunction, further complicating the pre-order process.
The pre-sale period is theoretically set to last until June 4, just before the console’s expected market debut.