Gamers score Nintendo Switch 2 after overnight release frenzy
Fans and gamers lined up outside of retail stores
By Michael Hudak, Dannielle Garcia, Matthew Garcia
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DAVIE, Florida (WSVN) — Fans and gamers lined up outside of retail stores, many of them for hours, to be one of the first to pick up Nintendo’s newest console.
Nintendo announced the June 5 midnight release date for the Switch 2 during a 60-minute Nintendo Direct presentation back in April.
The preview revealed a larger, more vibrant display screen and several games that would be available upon release.
7News cameras on Wednesday night captured fans waiting outside of a Best Buy in Pembroke Pines and a GameStop in Davie to pick up the newest console the minute it releases.
“I’m here for the Switch 2,” said a fan.
“We’re like a community,” said another fan.
“It’s just exciting,” a third fan said.
“I feel like waiting in line for something like this is something you do once as, like, a special event,” said Sabrina.
“How long do you think you’re going to go consecutively playing this?” asked 7News’ Michael Hudak.
“Every day,” said Arif Baksh.
Some fans showed up hours in advance to wait.
“Like around 3 o’clock,” a fan said.
Many have described the worldwide release of Nintendo’s newest system to be the “biggest gaming console launch of all time.”
“There’s always a huge uprising, a huge popularity,” said a fan.
“Better hardware, better graphics,” said Baksh.
Thursday morning, South Florida gamers officially swapped out their consoles.
“I have Mario Kart here,” said Devin Miranda. “Me and my friend tonight are playing Mario Kart all night long. No sleeping. We picked up the Switch 2, finally. We were waiting for hours. Waited hours earlier today.”
“I’m so excited, I’ve been a Nintendo fan for a long, long time,” said Anthony Fibbio.
“I actually grew up playing games so it was only right for me now that I can afford my own to come out and join everybody else to get the new Nintendo,” said Abdul Bhuiyan, a 7News employee. “Me and my friends are all going to get on together, chat all night, play some Mario Kart. Very excited.
Gamers said they love that the handheld console can be played anywhere.
“It does not need internet to, like, actually game, opposed to the other ones where you actually need, like, internet to stream the games,” said one fan.
Other fans turned the long wait into a family event.
“I’m very excited,” said Zoe, who was waiting along with his parents.
“It’s a dream come true for him,” Zoe’s mother said.
Zoe’s father said he planned quick trips home while they waited.
“Actually, I was trying to talk him out of doing this, but they overrode me. I was like, ‘This is weird, we’re gonna go hang out until midnight? Wait a second,’” said his father. “I’ll probably take a trip back home in a little while, feed my cats.”
The first Nintendo Switch nearly outsold the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 combined, according to VGChartz. Eight years later, the sequel console released to crowds of hundreds of fans. Preorders for the new generation console went live worldwide April 9th, except for the United States, due to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
“The Switch 2 is pretty much the Switch 1, but more powerful,” said George Jijiashvili, a senior principal analyst for Omidia.
“Mario Kart World” and “Donkey Kong Bananza: are among the games that will be immediately available on the Switch 2 after its release.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will be available starting at $449.99.
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