So, we know that the pre-order situation for Switch 2 has been a little more complicated than perhaps Nintendo would have liked, with tariffs postponing the entire process for US customers. There's also been the fact that various retailers have made pre-orders available before the Big N's official April 8th - April 11th pre-order dates.
Oh, and scalpers are already showing up on eBay with prices way over the RRP. The best efforts of Nintendo it seems, even limiting console pre-orders to accounts with NSO subscriptions, can't keep this troublesome custom from taking root once again.
Yes, a quick search of the internets over the past 24 hours or so shows up a whole bunch of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders available to purchase over on eBay, with consoles selling for over the £500 mark, and some even looking to fetch prices in and around £630.
It's not ideal, but with other big retailers already out of stock, these things are gonna happen. Back in February, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the firm was talking "all possible measures" to prevent scalping, following the issues many people had getting hold of the original Switch eight years ago.
Of course, today is also the start of Nintendo's official pre-order dates in Europe, and for those of us who don't like to pay the eBay premium, it's time to make sure you're up to speed and ready, as a quick glance around online indicates the Switch 2 may very well be quite popular!
As a reminder for those gamers who received an invite to pre-order last week through their official Nintendo accounts, you should see another email arrive between the 8th and 11th (so starting today) inviting you to order your Switch 2. Of course, to get this email in the first place, you'll need to have jumped through a few Mario-shaped hoops. From the official Nintendo email;
"You were selected based on your Nintendo Switch Online membership status, the amount of time playing purchased/paid Nintendo Switch games and because you are opted-in to receive promotional emails from Nintendo. You are receiving this offer because you opted-in to share usage information with Nintendo. More details on the selection procedure can be found on My Nintendo Store."
So, if you've been keeping up your Nintendo Switch Online payments (!) and already received a notification email, keep your eyes peeled, and remember to jump over to our live pre-order guide to keep abreast of the latest developments with Nintendo and all other retailers.
Are you awaiting your invitation to pre-order your Switch 2? Please let us know how to make the time pass faster!