Zelda Switch 2 restock: where to look after Walmart cancellations

No. Nintendo has confirmed it is working on more units but won’t commit to dates or numbers. Bill van Zyll, who runs Nintendo’s Latin American business, admitted the company misjudged how popular the anniversary products would be and apologized for the shortages. He said Nintendo plans to restock the special console, the matching Pro Controller and the software, but couldn’t share dates or quantities yet and asked fans to be patient.

He also said the US has been one of the standout markets, which explains why American shelves are so bare. The restock plan covers the accessories too, including the carrying case and screen protector.

Your realistic options, from most to least promising:

1. Best Buy’s midnight launch. Best Buy stores open at midnight ET on Nov. 5 for the Ocarina of Time remake, with the event starting late on Nov. 4. The retailer says physical stores will have limited quantities of the anniversary console and Pro Controller that night. Get there early; there is no word on how many units each store holds.
2. Online drops at the big chains. Amazon, Target and Walmart have been adding stock in small, irregular batches. Listings often sell out before buyers finish checking out, so save your payment and address details in advance.
3. Stock alert trackers. Restock tracking sites and social accounts that watch retailer listings can ping you the moment a drop starts. They help, but even fans with alerts switched on report missing out.
4. GameStop, with low expectations. GameStop told a retail insider that some stores expect no consoles at all by launch. The Pro Controller looks easier: about five per store may be available at launch across nearly 1,600 US locations.

If you’re in the UK or Canada, the picture isn’t much brighter. The console and its controller have been selling out again and again in Europe as well as across the Americas, and there is no published restock date for the UK or Canada yet.

A few habits raise your odds when a drop does happen. Stay signed in to your retailer accounts on your phone, because typing card details at checkout is where most people lose the race. Keep an eye on more than one store at once, since drops at Amazon, Target and Walmart rarely line up. And if you plan to queue at Best Buy, call your local store first: stock is limited and varies by location, so a short drive to a bigger store may be worth it.

Be wary of listings from unknown third-party sellers on big marketplaces. A price close to retail from a seller with no history is a red flag, and with demand this high, scam listings tend to follow.

Many Walmart customers got emails in the final days before launch saying their preorders were cancelled, in some cases after being charged and sent an expected delivery date of Oct. 29. Customer service reps told buyers that Walmart had sold more consoles than it received. Some carrying case orders were cancelled too.

Walmart hasn’t given an official explanation, and this isn’t a first. It cancelled Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD preorders in 2024 and preorders for the standard Switch 2 the following year, and in both cases it made up for it with gift cards or discounts on later purchases. If you were affected:

• Check your bank or card statement and make sure any charge is refunded.
• Contact Walmart support and ask about compensation. Some buyers say they’ve received it after complaining.
• Sign up for alerts at other retailers straight away, because cancelled units won’t come back to you automatically.

Probably not. The anniversary console now changes hands on eBay and similar marketplaces for $600 to $800, and some listings are now above $700, a steep markup on the $519.99 retail price for a console Nintendo says it will make more of.

History is on the patient buyer’s side. When Nintendo released a special Tears of the Kingdom edition of the Switch OLED, it kept making it for a long time, and if that pattern repeats the 40th anniversary lineup could stay in production well into 2027. The catch is timing: the shortage may last through the holidays, so if you want it under the tree, you’ll need luck at a retail drop.

No. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is a Switch 2 exclusive, not a Zelda-edition exclusive. It runs on any Switch 2, arrives Nov. 5 and costs $59.99 to preorder on the Nintendo eShop.

That gives you a simple choice. If the special design matters to you, wait for a restock and buy at retail. If you just want to play the remake on launch day, a standard Switch 2 does the job, and you can still pick up the $99.99 Zelda Pro Controller later if you want a piece of the anniversary look.