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If you missed your shot to get a Nintendo Switch 2 when it launched early last month, your best chance to grab one without a lot of effort on your part is coming later this week. As with most console launches in recent times, stock of Nintendo’s new flagship system is still hard to come by, so this drop should come as a relief for anyone who wants to get in on the company’s newest generation of games as soon as possible. Even better, it coincides with the release of the Switch 2’s first explusive, Nintendo-made 3D platformer, Donkey Kong Bananza.
The restock comes courtesy of Best Buy, which recently posted a surprise note to its website that every single location will have Switch 2 units to sell this Thursday, July 17. The catch? They will only be available in stores, and while you can pre-order Donkey Kong Bananza, there’s currently no reservation system in place for the console itself. That probably means you’ll have to deal with an old-fashioned first come, first served line, although I’ve reached out to Best Buy for additional details and will update this post when I hear back.
Also unclear is which Nintendo Switch 2 packages will be available. At launch, the Switch 2 was sold both individually for $450 and in a bundle with Mario Kart World for $500, saving you $30 on the normally $80 game. Again, I’ve asked Best Buy for details, but it’s possible the Mario Kart bundle won’t be part of Thursday’s restock.
Is it a good time to buy the Switch 2?
Whether this restock will be worth lining up for depends on how much of a stickler you are for fidelity and which Nintendo franchises you care about most. When I reviewed the Switch at launch, I was impressed by its power, battery life, and its slightly sleeker, more grownup design, but I couldn’t help feeling like it doesn’t offer a lot for the average gamer just yet. At release, it was (and still is) a great way to play Switch 1 games, actually improving their graphics and performance in some ways, but the library of exclusives was/is pretty limited. Getting one at launch made sense if you were desperate for new Mario Kart, but I advised others to wait.
Now, with Donkey Kong Bananza joining the Switch 2’s library, it might be time to bite the Bullet Bill. The title is the first 3D Donkey Kong platformer since the Nintendo 64 era, so fans of the unruly ape should be happy. It’s also notably a new game from the team behind the beloved Super Mario Odyssey. That’s bound to be a big draw for many Nintendo diehards, and I can understand not wanting to wait to play it.
Plus, getting a Switch 2 now will set you up for Metroid Prime 4‘s release sometime later this year. While that game will also be available on the original Switch, I’ve already had a chance to play an early demo of the Switch 2 version using the optional mouse controls, and it felt so intuitive that I’m not sure I could go back.
You have other options
Still, you’re probably not going to see a discount during this restock, or any other kinds of price drops quite yet, so I get if you’re still on the fence. If you’re not ready to show up early to buy a full-priced console, your Best Buy might be out of by the time you get there, so you can also try joining Amazon’s waitlist for one (either the console alone or the bundle with Mario Kart World), although it might be a while until you get an invitation to buy one that way.