Utah gamers spend hours in line for Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders
Apr 24, 2025, 1:30 PM
People line up outside of a GameStop in Taylorsville on April 24, 2025, to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2. (Alexandrea Bonilla/KSL NewsRadio)
(Alexandrea Bonilla/KSL NewsRadio)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gamers spent their Thursday morning outside of GameStops across the Wasatch Front waiting hours in line to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2.
The line at the Sugar House location started forming at 4:45 a.m., when Bruce Leo Ellis II got there.
“My kids are at work so I had to suck it up and come and do it,” he said. “It’s been a little cold and a little rainy. But you’re a gamer so you suck it up and do it.”
People line up outside of a GameStop in Taylorsville on April 24, 2025, to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2. (Alexandrea Bonilla/KSL NewsRadio)
Ellis said his kids were the ones who got him into gaming and he’s looking forward to playing the console with them.
Waiting online and in line for the Nintendo Switch 2
Many of the people were in line because they couldn’t get one online last night, including William.
He said he’s trying to pre-order one as soon as possible because he’s worried about tariffs.
“I’m worried it’s going to be more expensive if I wait for the holidays,” William said.
People line up outside of a GameStop in Taylorsville on April 24, 2025, to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2. (Alexandrea Bonilla/KSL NewsRadio)
He got in line around 8 a.m.
“I figured I’d be one of the first people here and there was like 10 people here before me.”
William said he also checked the store last night.
“I came here on my way home last night to see if anyone was camping out and once I saw no one was I was like, ‘Okay, I don’t need to be that crazy.”
He got in line four hours before the store opened.
A reminder of childhood
With a Mario green mushroom tattoo on his arm, Jerry Fredrickson was one of the lucky few who preordered a Nintendo Switch 2 online. But he had some time, so he decided to try to get one for a friend.
“It’s fun to just hang out with people that are excited about something like this,” he said. “I’ve been playing Nintendo since I was five.”
Fredrickson said his love for Nintendo began back in the 1980s, when his uncle brought one to Thanksgiving.
“All the uncles sat there and played and none of the kids could play, so we all had to wait until they had to go out (for) food, and the moms were yelling at them,” Fredrickson said. “We snuck out to the garage where they were forced out to and played until they were done with dinner and I was kind of hooked.”
Fredrickson said his uncles actually stayed up all night playing it and he couldn’t wait until he got his hands on one.
Related: Opinion: Good luck breaking down the Nintendo Switch 2 and tariffs with your kids
