Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 have been open since April 8, 2025, almost everywhere, and as expected, scalpers have already pounced on the console to resell it at high prices on eBay. To prevent them from causing harm, some players have decided to switch to the action.
The release of the Switch 2 on June 5th is obviously one of the biggest gaming events of the year. And with just a month and a bit to go before launch, BigN's console is already selling out like hotcakes. As a reminder, the Japanese manufacturer officially opened pre-orders for its machine on April 8th on its store, but also at third-party retailers (except in the United States where they began on April 24th).
Aware of the craze surrounding its console, Nintendo has imposed strict conditions to be able to buy it in advance on its official website. A way for the manufacturer to counter scalpers. First of all, pre-sales are by invitation only, and then you must check these different criteria:
- Have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription that has been uninterrupted for at least 2 years as of March 31, 2025
- Accumulate a certain amount of play time on Nintendo titles
- Have authorized the sharing of data with Nintendo
- Have agreed to receive emails and promotions from Nintendo
Gamers attack Switch 2 scalpers
Unfortunately, these conditions do not apply to third-party resellers. As a result, there are already an impressive number of Switch 2s selling for exorbitant prices on eBay. Prices range from $650 to $2,000 on the most outrageous listings. This is bound to annoy honest gamers, who are desperate to get their console for their special day without breaking the bank.
Faced with this situation, some have even decided to take action to thwart the speculators' plans. How? By flooding eBay with fake listings for the Switch 2 at or below the suggested retail price. By doing this, the indecent offers from scalpers move down eBay's listing and are therefore less visible to site visitors.
These fake ads, clearly indicated in their description, also help to confuse the robots that browse the platform's inventory. “This is a printed photo of the Nintendo Switch 2 to prevent resellers and robots. Again, if you buy this, you will only receive a printed photo of the Nintendo Switch 2 in an envelope by mail! Do not buy!”,reads the description of one listing.
“Do not buy this, I repeat, do not buy this unless you are a robot or just want to donate $550 to me. I will send you a laser-printed image of the Mario Kart World pack for Switch 2, and that will be all you get. No refunds,” writes another. In Japan, 2.2 million people have already expressed interest in pre-ordering the console.
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