Nintendo fans line up for Switch 2 midnight launch: See the photos

Customers waited in long lines for the Nintendo Switch 2 game console release in the U.S. on Wednesday. See the photos.

Jun 5, 2025 - 13:36

Nintendo fans line up for Switch 2 midnight launch: See the photos

Customers wait in line outside a Nintendo Co. store in New York City.

If you're a little sleepy and smug today, perhaps you were in one of the long lines for the midnight launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. on Wednesday, following launches in Australia, Spain, the UK, and Nintendo's home, Japan.

Keen Nintendo fans, gamers, and tech enthusiasts waited in lengthy queues for the wildly anticipated handheld console release, setting up camp outside stores including Target, Best Buy, and Walmart across the country to get their goods in person. Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo of America, also turned up to greet customers at GameStop in New York.

As Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth reported, "The first customers to get their hands on Switch 2 consoles were the lucky players who placed a preorder through GameStop or Best Buy. Both retailers hosted midnight ET launch events around the country, which gave people the chance to pick up their preorders in person."

Here's some of the images of keen beans across the U.S., lining up for the first Nintendo handheld console in eight years, the Switch 2:

Customers wait in line outside a Best Buy in San Diego, California.

Best Buy in San Diego, California. Credit: Ariana Drehsler / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Customers wait in line in a Best Buy in San Diego, California.

Best Buy in San Diego, California. Credit: Ariana Drehsler / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Customers wait in line outside a Best Buy in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Best Buy in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Customers wait in line outside the Nintendo store in New York City.

The Nintendo store in New York City. Credit: Michael Nagle / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Customers wait in line outside a Nintendo Store in San Francisco, California.

Nintendo Store in San Francisco, California. Credit: Lea Suzuki / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Customers wait in line outside a GameStop in New York City.

GameStop in New York City. Credit: Adam Gray / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Midnight launches outside the U.S. saw similar lines in other countries, including Spain, Japan, and the UK.

Customers wait in line in an electronics retailer in Tokyo, Japan.

Electronics retailer in Tokyo, Japan. Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP via Getty Images

Customers wait in line in outside a Game store in Madrid, Spain.

Game store in Madrid, Spain. Credit: Claudia Paparelli / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Customers wait in line outside a Currys Plc store on Oxford Street in London, UK.

Currys Plc store on Oxford Street in London, UK. Credit: Jose Sarmento Matos / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Ahead of a full review coming soon, Mashable's Alex Perry has been testing the Switch 2 including first impressions of Mario Kart World, the GameChat feature, and more.

Want your own? Here's Mashable's guide to where you can buy the Switch 2.