Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order warning: make sure you don't fall for this easy trap

Make sure you’re shopping through the official My Nintendo Store when purchasing your console (Image credit: Matt Swider / The Shortcut)

• 🍄 Nintendo’s Switch 2 pre-order invites went out yesterday, May 8

• 📧 But there are fake email invites circulating that aren’t from Nintendo

• 🎣 Beware of phishing schemes that prey on desperate people with money

• 🤔 Double-check the sender and look for the authentic email (seen below)

• 👀 I’m still tracking Walmart & other US Switch 2 pre-orders in the US

• 🚨 Priority Alerts: The Shortcut subscribers get 1:1 help in our Substack Chat

• 🔔 Turn on notifications for Matt Swider on X to get additional alerts

The Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order is hard enough to find as it is. Now, someone is making things much more complicated – and dangerous – by sending out fake email invites, pretending that they are from the My Nintendo Store. The truth? Many are bogus.

Here’s a screenshot of what the official Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order invite looks like from the My Nintendo Store. It comes from an authentic Nintendo email address, and I’ve sourced similar emails from The Shortcut subscribers, matching this design.

Now, here’s a screenshot of the fake email circulating the internet that’s been reposted many times by people on social media – and linked to by top tech websites. It looks very believable, with the language Nintendo might use. But, there are signs it’s fake.

This isn’t a real Nintendo Switch 2, but it was sent to me and other accounts. We decided not to post it on social media

First, the text just seems a little bit off, like the image of the Nintendo email invite had been resized in Photoshop. The “screenshot” is also carefully cropped. No phone time or battery life indicators in sight.

Second, the text contains a “([Your Email])” placeholder, which, unless Nintendo made a massive mistake in its email send, feels a bit off. Why would the end-user see this?

Third, people who “registered interest” in a Switch 2 pre-order from Nintendo were asked to select a console configuration ahead of time (either the standalone Switch 2 or the console bundled with Mario Kart World). The language here suggests users have “available options.” This is definitely a red flag!

Even if you request an invite and pre-order, Nintendo says it’s not a guarantee of getting a console on June 5 (Image credit: Matt Swider / The Shortcut)

The Shortcut helped 10,000 people in the US order Nintendo Switch 2 and the best Switch 2 accessories over the past two weeks. We’re in the business of helping you find the hard-to-buy console – and any other tech you want.

But we’re not taking shortcuts ourselves. Case in point, while the fake Switch 2 email invite was posted on several top accounts on social media, I hesitated. Sometimes it takes a trained journalist’s eye to second-guess and resist posting the latest hot tip.

Through our Substack Chat, we’ve been able to offer a leg up with priority notifications whenever the Switch 2 console is in stock, and this is where the real email invite came to light. It looks very different from the screenshot circulating on the web right now.

• Get our instant alerts: Your best chance to find a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order is to follow Matt Swider on X – and turn on notifications. It’ll look like:

US Stores may not restock Switch 2 again until after Nintendo starts its May 8 pre-orders (Image credit: Matt Swider / The Shortcut)

Here’s the good news: The Shortcut hasn’t stopped tracking Switch 2 pre-orders from other US stores, and it’s only a matter of time before you get the console.

• Walmart: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle

• Target: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle

• GameStop: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle

• Best Buy: Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle

• Sam’s Club: Unknown time Switch 2 console / Mario Kart World bundle

We’re also adding links to Sam’s Club, Costco, and Antonline over time, even though they haven’t had pre-orders yet. At those stores, you’ll have to wait until the launch date.

Why the delay? This may be because these stores require you to purchase the console in a more expensive bundle or have a paid membership attached to make any purchase. If you notice the trend, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and GameStop didn’t paywall Nintendo consoles and did have pre-orders.

Not even will qualify, and not everyone who qualifies will get an email invite from Nintendo (Image credit: Matt Swider / The Shortcut)

We didn’t get an email invite from Nintendo yesterday, either, so don’t feel too bad. The demand for the Switch 2 pre-orders in the US surpassed Nintendo’s expectations, mirroring what we saw worldwide, including the company’s home country of Japan. Nintendo’s President apologized for the lack of Switch 2 consoles in stock.

The good news is that Walmart and others are likely to open up Switch 2 orders once again, as we inch closer to the official June 5 release date. While demand may outstrip supply for weeks, our current analysis is that it won’t be this way for months, with flashbacks to the PS5 restock era.

Matt Swider is the Editor-in-Chief of The Shortcut, the #1 consumer tech publication on Substack. Matt, a trusted technology expert with over 25 years of journalism experience and the former US Editor-in-Chief of TechRadar, can be found on social media through X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.