Nintendo Switch 2 preorders opened up last week at major retailers, and it went less than swimmingly online. Though GameStop’s in-store preordering process was reportedly a more pleasant experience, a few locations had their share of problems. Some customers claim their store forced them to buy accessories and games to reserve the console, a complaint GameStop is now “actively investigating.”
3 reasons I won't be purchasing the Nintendo Switch 2 camera
The Nintendo Switch 2 looks like a great system but there is one major thing I don't like about it and that is the camera. I won't be buying it.
GameStop wants customers to reach out
These reports first came to light when people took to social media while waiting in line at GameStop to preorder the Switch 2. While attempting to reserve their console, some stores apparently tried forcing customers to “bundle” the console with other games and accessories. According to Ela Tsentzelis on X, employees claimed “they can’t process the SKU just for the console.” Elea also noted being heavily pressured to buy the two-year warranty, but he was eventually able to get past the employee’s insistence.
Some retailers did have extra bundles available besides the marketed Mario Kart World one, but GameStop never stated at any point people were required to bundle the console to reserve it. Luckily, the GameStop support X account has been responding to these reports, saying they are looking into the issue. Additionally, they encourage anyone who ran into the same issue to reach out to them so they can “make it right.”
Other stores reportedly had similar issues
While Elea’s tweet is receiving the most attention, that particular store in Astoria isn’t the only one guilty of trying to make customers buy more items with their Switch 2. Replies to Elea’s tweet echo the sentiment, with one person saying they had to be a Pro member and were required to buy up to three accessories.
A post on the Nintendo Switch subreddit described something similar happening in Washington state, with the topic creator stating a manager told everyone they needed to buy an accessory first. Interestingly, the manager left shortly after, and none of the other employees enforced the requirement, allowing them to preorder the console alone. A commenter mentioned their GameStop forced customers to buy a Pro membership and if you didn’t have it, you couldn’t reserve a Switch 2.
Another Reddit post also brought up the Pro membership requirement, with the topic creator having to lend his cousin money despite GameStop’s official accounts saying $50 is all that was needed for a deposit. The pair called surrounding stores to confirm they needed a Pro membership for a reservation, and every single one said it wasn’t company policy. Luckily, an official GameStop account saw the thread and offered the poster a $50 gift card, on top of getting to keep the benefits a Pro membership provides.
Hopefully, this leads to more people getting a Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle
Considering a lot of people were turned away for not wanting to buy a bloated bundle, hopefully GameStop is able to procure more consoles to give them a shot at reserving one. As of this writing, no other major retailer has had a second wave of preorders, so it’s currently unknown if there is much GameStop can actually do.