Nintendo Turns to Samsung to Make Chips, Ramp Up Switch 2 Output
Nintendo Co. has turned to Samsung Electronics Co. to help make the main chips for the Switch 2, a move that may help the Japanese company ramp up production of the gaming console enough to sell a higher-than-projected 20 million units by March 2026.
The decision marks a key win for Samsung, which is trying to compete with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in making chips for the world's electronics, people familiar with the matter said. Securing a contract for one of the summer's hottest new gadgets will likely help lift utilization or boost business for the Korean conglomerate's chip foundries.
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Trump's $14B Power Play: Japan Buys US Steel--But America Keeps the Keys
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Android Circuit: OnePlus Pad 3 Revealed, e/OS/3 Updated, Android's Photoshop Mobile Arrives
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Engadget
41 minutes ago
- Engadget
How to buy the Nintendo Switch 2: Latest stock availability for consoles and games
The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally a thing you can buy in the US. The $450 console officially went up for sale at midnight ET on June 5, with several retailers offering the device both online and in-store. Predictably, online stock dried up fairly quickly and remains extremely limited as of our last sweep on Friday afternoon. This goes for Target too, which began its online sales around 3:30AM ET on June 6. Broadly speaking, people seem to have had more luck by going to a physical retail store in person. We can't guarantee you'll be able to snag one that way, but a few Engadget staffers managed to grab a Switch 2 on Thursday at their local Target or GameStop, even without a pre-order in place. So before you call it quits, check if a nearby Target, GameStop, Walmart or Best Buy — the four official retailers Nintendo lists on its store page — still has consoles in stock. If you're still on the hunt for Nintendo's newest device, we're rounding up all of the information we can find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up. Walmart opened up online purchases at midnight ET on June 5, but both the console alone and Nintendo's Mario Kart World bundle are out of stock as our latest update. Naturally, the world's largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations. The company has noted that quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location, but it's worth seeing if any store near you still has devices available. Target began selling the Switch 2 in stores on June 5. The retailer warned that supply will be limited and the console may now be sold out, though it's still worth looking into the locations closest to you. Anecdotally, Engadget's Billy Steele was able to pick up a Switch 2 at a Target just outside of Greensboro, NC as late as 4:15pm ET on Thursday. The company restocked its online inventory around 3:30AM ET on Friday, June 6. Those listings were live for at least a couple of hours, which is longer than we would've expected, but they've since gone out of stock. GameStop held launch events on Wednesday and has advertised in-store availability, though again this will vary by location. Engadget's Cherlynn Low was able to buy the console without a pre-order at a GameStop store in the New York City area on Thursday morning. That particular location had a little under 80 units available, but its manager told Low that inventory would differ at other stores based on population. The device is currently unavailable on GameStop's website. A $625 bundle that includes Mario Kart World , a microSD Express card and a few other accessories has been in and out of stock a bit more frequently than the standard SKUs, though it's sold out now (and kind of scummy anyway). We briefly saw it return on Thursday afternoon, so it may be one to bookmark if you can stomach the extra cost. The listings for the base console and Mario Kart bundle, meanwhile, now point to a "Find a Store" page. Best Buy held in-store launch events and said it'd have limited stock at its retail locations starting June 5. It is not selling the console online during launch week, however. You may have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since Thursday morning, while Sam's Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well. You'll need a membership to check on either of those, though. We also saw the console at BJ's early on Thursday, but that retailer is also out of stock as of Friday afternoon. Verizon briefly had the Switch 2 available on Thursday morning, but that's dried up, and only those with Verizon service were able to order. Amazon doesn't have any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor does it list first-party Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza . The company didn't take any pre-orders for the Switch 2 either, so it's unclear if and when it will sell the device. Newegg has listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it hasn't started sales yet. With all of these stores, we've seen the Mario Kart World bundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But considering Mario Kart is the Switch 2's biggest launch game and retails for $80 on its own, that may not be the worst thing. Nintendo, meanwhile, is only offering the Switch 2 via an invite system. This requires you to have been a Switch Online member for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of Switch 1 playtime as of April 2. It can't hurt to sign up if you meet the criteria, but don't expect it to bear fruit immediately — many people who registered in April still haven't received an invite, and shipments haven't arrived yet for some who did order. You can find a list of every Switch 2 retail listing we could find below. Just be aware that this is meant to be a reference, not a rundown of everywhere the device is available right this second. Where to buy Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle: Where to buy Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is selling a number of Switch 2 accessories alongside the console, from controllers to cases to cameras that utilize the system's new GameChat feature. Most of these became available on June 5 as well. The same goes for games like Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . Another big Switch 2 release, Donkey Kong Bananza , won't be available until mid-July, though you can still pre-order it today. As of Friday afternoon, just about all Switch 2 games remain widely available. Stock for the accessories is spottier, but most devices are still available at one or two retailers at minimum. Nintendo's official Switch 2 carrying cases seem to be the hardest to find right now. Mario Kart World ($80) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Donkey Kong Bananza ($70) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Costco (membership required) Additional Switch 2 games Nintendo Amazon Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Amazon Joy-Con 2 bundle ($95) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 Pro Controller ($85) Switch 2 Camera ($55) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera ($60) Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip ($40) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) ($25) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case ($85) Nintendo Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector ($40) Nintendo (invite required) Walmart GameStop Best Buy Target Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($120)
