I have owned many consoles throughout my lifetime. It all began with the Nintendo Entertainment System, followed by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo 64, the SEGA Dreamcast, a few PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and the Nintendo Switch. What I realized last week — after going through the madness of the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order process — is that I have never previously pre-ordered a “big” video game console.

*Side Quest I:
I say “big” video game console because I did pre-order the Analogue SuperNT, which allows me to play my Super Nintendo games on a modern TV. My other pre-order was the PlayDate handheld game system, which has its own brand-new games and features a crank.

Not only was I lucky enough to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2, but I will also have the opportunity to pick mine up at my local Best Buy at midnight on June 5th. I’ve participated in many midnight releases (for video games) over the years, but this will be my first console launch midnight release.*

*Here’s a previous post on Midnight Releases.

My last three consoles were purchased post-launch, but at a time where they were still hard to find. Which has become the norm thanks to scalpers.

PlayStation 4

After the PlayStation 4 launch, I popped into any and every Best Buy I would drive by to check if they had any in stock. It wasn’t until a few months after release that I finally secured my PlayStation 4 in an Estero, Florida Best Buy driving back to Miami from a work trip with my dad.

I checked my Maps app for any Best Buy that was near the highway. I called them up as I was getting closer to the exit, and the one in Estero answered the call. I was told that they had a few available, so I made a quick detour and picked up my PlayStation 4.

About a week later I started seeing more and more PlayStation 4s in the wild, but I still enjoyed my journey which concluded with unexpectedly hunting one down in the middle of Florida. I believe I also started seeing Xbox 360s in the wild immediately after getting my hands on one.

Side Quest II*
2a | I did pre-order my PlayStation 4 Pro, when they announced the Marvel’s Spider-Man edition. I don’t count that as a “console release” though, because that’s just a special edition. It wasn’t even the first PlayStation 4 Pro. It was just the right time to move onto the Pro version.

2b | In a couple of weeks I will make my long-awaited return to Estero, Florida to go see one of my favorite bands, Coheed & Cambria, perform in a random arena right near that Best Buy where I secured my PlayStation 4. Maybe I’ll also return to that same Best Buy store, if there’s time?

Nintendo Switch (Original)

I am one of the few who owned a Nintendo Wii U — and I barely played it. I bought it mainly to have games to play with my nephew, also I accidentally got it for free (thanks Amazon). I loved the idea of the Nintendo Switch, but I didn’t think it was for me. It wasn’t until I saw one in person, my friend brought his to show it off, that I knew I needed one.

I was lucky that my other buddy had just returned from the army and wasn’t doing much during the daytime. He was living about a block from a Best Buy and had luckily come across a Nintendo Switch for himself.

This was weeks after the launch. I was back to popping into each and every Best Buy (and Target) asking if they had the Nintendo Switch in stock. I gave my friend the simple task of visiting his Best Buy any time he left the house. A few weeks later, he got lucky again and bought me a Nintendo Switch — I paid him for it and he gave me his physical copy of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, since he wanted to be full digital (also because he’s a great friend).

This happened in early April and the Switch had been released just a little over a month prior. The original Nintendo Switch may not feel as sturdy as it once did, but I’m still blown away by it. Anytime I drop my Switch in there and it instantly shows up on my TV it’s like a magic trick. I hope the Nintendo Switch 2 has something that makes that process even more special.

PlayStation 5

When the PlayStation 5 came out I really didn’t need it on day one. I still had so many games to play on my PlayStation 4 Pro. I actually waited about five months, until March 2021, before I even started the hunt. Maybe my PlayStation 4 backlog was getting a little thin, or I was itching to play Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales on the PlayStation 5 — the game I picked up with my console.

I had reached out to a Best Buy chat agent about some other issue, and at the end of our conversation they asked, “Is there anything else I can help you with?” I asked if they were getting any PlayStation 5 consoles in stock any time soon. I was told there would be a batch online the next day.

CUT TO: The Next Morning
I had my PC, my MacBook, my iPhone, and iPad all opened to the Best Buy page or app. I was able to secure a PlayStation 5 and had to drive about an hour to pick it up. It was a great day, it might have been St. Patrick’s Day — and also very close to my birthday.

Side Quest III:
A tradition I started during the pandemic — once it was safe for stores to bring items to your car in the parking lot — was picking up donuts with any big purchase from The Salty Donut. Since there weren’t many adventures to go on, any time I did go on one I wanted to make it last longer. I would stop for donuts and coffee. If you don’t have a Salty Donut in your area, find yourself a good donut or treat shop and start a tradition for yourself.

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Nintendo Switch 2

Now back to last week and the mayhem that was the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order fiasco. Since I was one of the lucky ones who was able to secure a Nintendo Switch 2, I actually enjoyed the madness. Yes, I was up until about 1:30 AM to get my hands on the new Nintendo hybrid console, but I had some “company.”

I reached out to a few of my buddies (via text) who I knew would also be trying to get a Nintendo Switch 2. It wasn’t so lonely as we updated each other with what was happening.

“It’s in my cart!”
“Nothing is happening?”
“I’m going to bed.”
“I GOT ONE!”

Early in the night (around 12:30 AM) I actually checked out at Target with a Nintendo Switch 2. Moments later, I received an email that my order had been cancelled. Target was letting me add the console to my cart, but giving me errors with every attempt to checkout.

It was a good thing that Best Buy’s window didn’t open until 12:30 AM or later for me. I was placed in a virtual line around 12:45 AM on both my MacBook and my iPhone. I didn’t know what to do? Are they interfering with each other since I’m on the same account? Should I close one?

I finally got through on my MacBook. The Nintendo Switch 2 was in my cart. The last thing to do was a quick verification and I checked out. I texted a few friends, “I got one!” Two of them also succeeded, while three failed. So I guess it was a 50/50 chance. One friend did fall asleep early, and never had to deal with all of this.

Even though this was a shitshow, I’m hoping that the verification process and whatever else was happening actually stopped some scalpers. Over the past week, I’ve heard many stories on video game podcasts about people who both succeeded and failed, but there were also great stories of friends who secured multiple Nintendo Switch 2s to help out their friends in need. If my first Target order had gone through I would have kept trying at Best Buy to get a second Switch 2 to help a friend in need.

Let’s stop giving scalpers a reason to ruin what should be a joyful time for gamers — console pre-orders. Don’t pay double the price for a console from a scalper. It’s not worth it. Plus, hunting down a console (at cost) is way more fun and less depressing. Once you get it, it will come with a great story.

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I will return with more Nintendo Switch 2 launch coverage after my June 5th midnight pickup. The funny part about a midnight release is that you are usually too tired to do the thing when you get home. I look forward to setting up my Nintendo Switch 2 the next morning with a nice mug of coffee.

One of my friend’s was able to select pick up at the same Best Buy store as me, so it will be fun and like the old days when I’d go with friends to pick up a new game.