Update: Nintendo Switch OLED pre-order process in the US is getting underway at Best Buy and GameStop, according to our Nintendo Switch OLED pre-order expert Matt Swider, who will send you an alert when the new Nintendo Switch OLED model is in stock – if you follow his Twitter account and turn on notifications.
The Best Buy Nintendo Switch OLED pre-order is ‘Coming soon’, according to the product page that’s already live (but the add-to-cart button is grayed out). There’s a GameStop Switch OLED pre-order page, too, hinting of an imminent sale ahead of the October 8 release date. Both stores will sell it for the MSRP $349.99 – no bundle required. We’re now seeing pre-orders from other countries in time zones ahead of the United States, so it’s only a matter of time.
Here’s how to get it:
Click on this example of a Matt Swider Nintendo Switch OLED tweet. When he has a tweet with a siren, that means it’s in stock and a link will be included. Make sure you follow and turn on notifications.
The Nintendo Switch OLED pre-order is crucial – here’s why
There’s a very good reason to pre-order the Nintendo Switch OLED today (or whenever it actually becomes available to buy), and that’s because it’s going to sell out in a matter of minutes – maybe seconds. We’ve seen the ongoing chip shortage affect other consoles in 2021, which is why we constantly have to run PS5 restock news stories – it’s still in demand several months later.
And if you think the Switch OLED model is a minor Nintendo Switch upgrade (you’re not alone) and it won’t be sold out (that’s wrong), then you have to realize that before all of these shortages came to a head and when the original Nintendo Switch seemed long in the tooth, the four-year-old Nintendo console was still selling out every Christmas. That’s four Christmases in a row.
In other words, if you want to buy a Nintendo Switch OLED, do it now. There’s going to be unprecedented demand for it in 2021 and yet a finite supply of consoles. Plus, the Nintendo Switch OLED price is $349, hardly a barrier to entry for a gift in 2021.
The people who aren’t going to be able to buy this console on October 8 through December 31 are the people who hesitate on the pre-order, according to our expert opinion. Cue the Nintendo Switch OLED restock chaos that will soon ensue.
When will the Nintendo Switch OLED pre-order start?
Nintendo Switch OLED retailers in the US haven’t shared the date and time for the pre-order of the console. It’s already available to pre-purchase in other countries, so we should see American retailers turn on that add-to-cart button soon.
The fact that Best Buy and GameStop already have Switch OLED pages up is a good sign. We haven’t seen Amazon, Walmart or Target do the same just yet, but our exclusive restock sources should come in handy, especially when knowing the Walmart Switch OLED pre-order date ahead of time. We often get a heads-up from the world’s largest retailer and tweet about it in advance.
There’s a good chance we’ll have to keep updating a Nintendo Switch OLED tracker for all stores in the US, as demand will surely outstrip supply into 2022.