Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders Live in the UK: Amazon Sends Out First Wave of Invites

Despite Nintendo’s official UK preorders not starting until April 8 (and April 9 in the US), major retailers including Amazon, Currys (in-store), Argos, and Smyths have already gone live with preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2. Amazon UK, which had previously been accepting invite requests, has now started sending out its first wave of invitations, giving select customers the chance to secure a console ahead of launch. If you’ve registered your interest, now is the time to check your inbox.

Amazon is still accepting preorder requests for Switch 2 and the Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle, and will continue to send out invitations until June 5. Unlike Nintendo’s own system, Amazon’s invites aren’t based on playtime, and not all requests will be approved. Any invite link sent out will also expire after 22 hours, so securing a preorder quickly is crucial. We've left handy links to find the console preorders below.

Argos had plenty of stock available to preorder on April 3, but is now temporarily out of stock and pausing orders. There's still a chance of the retailer being allocated more, so if you don't get your invite in through Amazon, stay tuned for more updates. Otherwise, ensure you're also following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X for instant notifications.

As for the games, you can immediately preorder the physical version of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza right now at Smyths—alongside accessories like the Nintendo Switch 2 camera & Stealth Travel Kit case.

On each product Amazon page, you'll be able to quickly register your interest before quickly getting a confirmation email. From then, you can be invited to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 from Amazon UK anytime within the next three months—covering you for the system's 5th of June, 2025 release date.

The link to purchase that Amazon will send to you will last for 22 hours, so be sure to keep checking your emails so you don't miss out. Amazon hasn't provided an exact day and time as to when the first round of pre-orders will start, but we're assuming the first invites could be sent out as soon as Tuesday, the April 8, as that's when preorders will be open on the UK Nintendo store.

You can also go to Currys and register your interest in a Nintendo Switch 2 just like you can with Smyths, though preorders for games and accessories don't seem to be available just yet. It hasn't provided any further information on when invites will be sent out either, but Currys & Smyths are both solid retailers to have as a back-up if you don't get an Argos pre-order in or an Amazon invite right away.

Compared to the Nintendo Store, however, Amazon's, Currys', and Smyths conditions appear to be a lot more relaxed for sending Switch 2 preorder invites.

For example, the Nintendo store will only send initial invitees to those based on conditions like being a Nintendo Switch Online player for a continuous two years before 31/3/2025, having higher playtimes with purchased/paid Nintendo Switch games (not free-to-play games like Fortnite, it seems), and opting in to share usage information with Nintendo.

On Amazon's side, it merely seems to be a ballot system where invitees are selected at random. With Currys and Smyths, it looks like it will simply be a case of sending out an email when pre-orders are opened, followed by a queued ordering system. This was the method Currys used when taking PS5 pre-orders, and it worked without any site crashes at least.

This means you could be in for a longer wait from these alternative retailers, but it's a lot less frustrating if you're certain you don't meet the strict requirements to order from Nintendo directly.

On the other hand, if you weren't planning to have the funds for your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order taken until near-dispatch in June—which is usually the case for retailers like Amazon—Argos may not be the best option for you since we have confirmed you'll need to pay right away.

Still, if you've already got the money necessary, Argos is currently the best option to secure your pre-order immediately.