The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5 and at least one major retailer is bringing back an old-school midnight launch to help fans celebrate early. Best Buy will be opening stores at 12:01 a.m. ET for anyone who pre-ordered the console and launch games like Mario Kart World.
Midnight launches hold a special place in the hearts of anyone who grew up playing games in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s, but fell out of favor amid the transition to digital games. There’s no way to download a new console though, and the Switch 2 offers the perfect moment to bring them back. If you thought the FOMO was real before, just imagine not meeting up with your friends in line at a big box store on a warm school night to play the new Mario Kart early.
Pre-orders for retailers, including Best Buy, will go live on April 9 (and won’t require you to navigate Nintendo’s convoluted rules for preferential treatment). Consoles will need to be ordered online while games and accessories can be ordered in-store. It’s not yet clear if Walmart, Target, GameStop, or others will also be doing midnight releases, and Amazon has historically not delivered new hardware until the evening of launch day or later. So Best Buy is looking like a good option right now for anyone not scared off by the Switch 2’s initial sticker shock.
Best Buy is also running a promotion for paid My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total subscribers who can get a $20 certificate for every $150 spent on Nintendo games and peripherals at launch (up to $100 in certificates). They’re also giving out a month of free Switch Online with purchases. With physical games now at $80 and $90 a pop, it won’t be hard to start racking up those coupons, though I’m personally not chomping at the bit to spend over $600 on what’s looking like a pretty middling launch lineup outside of Mario Kart World.
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