Nintendo tried to get ahead of demand for its Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 on Thursday. It didn't work for long.
The company restocked the $519.99 console on its own online store, only to see it sell out again within hours as traffic hammered the site and availability flickered in and out before disappearing. The console officially launched the same day, October 29, and Nintendo's attempt to meet pent-up demand with fresh units was gone almost as fast as it appeared.
It's not an isolated squeeze. Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart are all showing the hardware as sold out in the US, according to Polygon. The matching Zelda-themed Pro Controller, priced at $99.99 (ten dollars above a standard Pro Controller), is also out of stock on Nintendo's site. A Zelda-branded carrying case and screen protector that launched alongside the hardware don't appear to have been restocked at all.
None of this should be a surprise. Nintendo unveiled the console in September during a Direct showcase, giving it a black, gold and green finish built around Link's Triforce of Courage, with triangular decals, a Triforce symbol and the Hylian Crest stamped across the console and its controllers. Preorders opened in early September and sold out almost immediately.
When the next batch lands
TechRadar reports that multiple retailers are expected to bring in more stock starting November 5, the same day The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time arrives on Switch 2. That date reportedly surfaced briefly on Target's store page, alongside word of in-store restocks planned at Best Buy. A Reddit post cited by TechRadar suggests Walmart may not see new units until November 6.
There's a wrinkle for anyone timing a purchase around that window. TechRadar notes the batch shipping November 5 is expected to be a second hardware revision carrying a replaceable battery, built to meet incoming EU battery regulations. Units that do show up sooner, before that date, are more likely to be first-wave stock without the swappable battery. Buyers who care about that distinction will want to check which version a retailer is actually selling before they click buy.
The picture looks different outside the US. TechRadar reports the console remains available to order right now at several UK retailers, where supply hasn't been nearly as tight.
For now, the advice from outlets tracking the restock is the same one that's applied since September: keep checking. Nintendo's own store, plus Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart, are the obvious places to watch, and TechRadar says it plans to update availability as retailers make their next moves heading into the Ocarina of Time launch.
GDFiled by The Games Desk
Consoles, handhelds, PC gaming and the platforms and hardware behind them.
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