Stores open at midnight as fans rush to buy Nintendo Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been released worldwide, with stores opening at midnight so fans could get their hands on the long-awaited console the moment it became available.

Some shops have the devices available to buy off the shelf - but in most cases customers have been picking up consoles they had ordered in advance, with UK retailer Currys calling it its "biggest gaming pre-order ever."

Despite the excitement there have been some setbacks, with one supplier, Game, cancelling some pre-orders.

In the US, Nintendo briefly pulled Switch 2 pre-orders in April over concerns around tariffs before starting again a few weeks later.

But that doesn't appear to have put fans off- with queues forming at stores around the world as gamers vied to be among the first to unbox their new console.

Currys told the BBC it had sold 30,000 units - which it attributed to the "incredible excitement" associated with the launch.

Despite the initial excitement, questions remain over whether the Switch 2 will match the success of its predecessor - the third-best selling console in history - in part because of its high game prices.

A physical copy of its most high-profile game, Mario Kart World, comes in at £74.99 - £15 more expensive than a typical Switch title.

Fans lined up in the UK outside Currys in Oxford Street at midnight

'It's a big deal'

The original Nintendo Switch has shifted more than 150 million units since its 2017 release.

A successor has been in the works for years - so perhaps unsurprisingly Tushar Sandarka, the President of the University of York's Mario Kart society, is among those excited about the launch, and the new version of Mario coming with it.

"It's coming out with Mario Kart World - which is the first since 2014 - it's a big deal for us," the 19-year-old said.

"Securing a pre-order was such a tough decision because it's so expensive.

"Even if it's a bit higher than I would have wanted to pay for it, it's going to serve me well for the next 7 or 8 years."

Tushar (left) alongside the University of York's Mario Kart Society committee members Edward (middle) and Hasan

But not everyone the BBC spoke to said they would be picking up the console on launch.

Mae and Lottie, both students in York, said they would stick to the original Switch because of the cost.

"It's quite spenny," Mae said. "What we've got is fine."

Lottie agreed, but said she was disappointed not to play on the new Mario Kart game - which she said could cost her as much as "a day's pay".

"I'm not spending that on a game," she said.

Customers play Mario Kart at a store on Oxford Street in London ahead of the sales launch of the Nintendo Switch 2

For Nintendo, the Switch 2 represents a change in strategy - in the past its new devices have been given an entirely new name.

"This is the first time Nintendo has ever launched a straight sequel," GamesRadar+ brand director Sam Loveridge told the BBC.

"It's a clear proposition for consumers - they know exactly what they're getting from this console if they are familiar with the original Switch."

She said "everything is pointing to" pre-orders having sold well.

"When pre-orders first went live, it was an absolute scramble to find any stock, but Nintendo was clearly prepared and since those early weeks, it's been a lot easier to secure yourself a console for launch day," she said.

A solid release line-up

People queuing outside a store in London to buy the new Nintendo Switch 2

I was one of the lucky few to get my hands on the Switch 2 at an event in April.

Like its predecessor, it is a "hybrid" console - a handheld device which can also be plugged into a TV to play on the big screen.

But it has a bigger and brighter screen, along with lots more power and storage.

It still has a bit of innovation - you can use the controller like a computer mouse by twisting it on its side, making PC games such as Civilization VII a more enjoyable experience than using joysticks.

But many of the showcase Nintendo games on display at that event - including Metroid Prime 4, Donkey Kong: Bananza, and Super Mario Party Jamboree TV - won't be available at launch.

Instead the only new Nintendo game on the new console will be Mario Kart World, barring a small title called Welcome Tour which showcases some of the new hardware.

"It might seem like an odd bet, but with the original Mario Kart 8 being the best-selling Wii U game and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe being the best-selling Nintendo Switch game, there's a very established audience there," Ms Loveridge said.

The gaming giant is also releasing on day one upgraded versions of the Switch's Legend of Zelda games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which take advantage of the console's greater power.

Beyond that, gamers will have to look to third-party games for alternatives on launch.

The range of games includes Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Cyberpunk 2077, and Bravely Default.

The latest Mario Kart game has various new features this time around, including knock-out competition and a more relaxed driving mode

"This more powerful console offers plenty of opportunities for third-party games publishers bringing Nintendo into more direct competition with Sony and Microsoft," said Katie Holt, senior games industry research analyst at Ampere Analysis .

And fans can expect more from third-party games as the console develops too - with Nintendo senior director Takuhiro Dohta telling me he expected games to get even better.

"When there are software titles set for the launch of the hardware, the developers still don't fully know the capabilities and hardware well enough," he said.

"As developers continue to develop, they start to understand how it works and what it's capable of, so I think we can expect improvements not only in graphics but in gameplay too."

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