LOWER NAZARETH TWP., Pa. — For people waiting outside the Target store Thursday morning, a long wait was justified to be among the first to buy a new Switch 2 console.
Some gamers brought lawn chairs as they arrived 90 minutes before the store opened at 8 a.m.
Nintendo released the highly anticipated new console — its first update in eight years — on Thursday.
Select stores — including Best Buy in Whitehall Township and GameStop on Nazareth Road — holding Switch launch events at midnight.
The high demand for the new device was such that, at the Nintendo store in New York City's Rockefeller Center, some gamers camped out for days, and the line stretched several blocks, according to news reports.
In Japan, the new consoles were sold through a competitive lottery system that Nintendo said got about 2.2 million applications, according to AP.
At the Lower Nazareth Target, Gabriel Valvano and his father were among the first in line.
The store's inventory of Switch 2 consoles, excluding pre-orders, was fewer than 100 on release day.
Gabriel, 13, was just 4 when the first Switch came out, and he explained the excitement over the newer version, which comes with a higher resolution screen than its predecessor, more vivid graphics and a "Game Chat" feature.
"I'm also excited about the new camera," he said.
Extra security, cheers of joy
There was another long, early morning line at Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township, where shoppers formed a line about 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes before the GameStop opened.
Around 10:30, Whitehall Township police officers and mall security stood out in front of GameStop as fans in line filled the small store.
"I took off work for this," one Switch 2 buyer said. Another chimed in, "The things we do in the name of gaming."
With the wait times came the cheers, as some fans erupted in joy, proudly holding their consoles up as their credit cards were swiped at the register.
The excitement over Switch 2 has been building since January, when Nintendo released a promo for the console.
Switch 2, which retails for $449, also is sold as a bundle package with the new Mario Kart World game for $499.
The Japanese gaming company released the first Switch in 2017.
Gamers also were able to pre-order the console, as was the case with several customers at the Walmart Supercenter at 3722 Easton Nazareth Highway.
Employees reported small lines when the store opened at 6 a.m., with shoppers picking up a previously purchased console.
At 10 a.m., a store employee said the chain had fewer than 50 consoles in stock.
Website crashes, selling fast
Thursday's release ends months of concern for gamers that included fears that tariffs would increase the price or delay the release of the console.
Many still may face wait times for the console if they didn't pre-order or shop in-store.
Because of the demand, at midnight Thursday, several store chains, including Best Buy and GameStop, experienced website crashes.
"I put it in my online cart, and when I went to pay, it was already sold out."GameStop Customer Matteo Sánchez
Matteo Sánchez was lucky enough to buy the console at GameStop in Whitehall Township, where employees said they had fewer than 50 consoles in stock on release day, after he tried to buy it online hours before.
"I put it in my online cart, and when I went to pay, it was already sold out," Sánchez said.
Valvano said his dad also tried to pre-order the Switch 2 but had run into problems online.
The shortage continued at Best Buy, also in Whitehall, which had sold out of the Bundle package and had fewer than 10 consoles available for purchase.
The store at 1504 Macarthur Road held a midnight launch at which close to 60 people bought the new Switch. That left the store with than half of its inventory.
Price gauging, more inventory
The console currently is sold out online at retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart, which are redirecting customers to shop in-store.
For the early risers, fans like Marc Richter and his son, Josh, already know the game — pun intended.
The pair said they both own the original Switch and other Nintendo consoles dating to the 1990s.
"Some of it's a cultural change. Once you do a few of these things and you're a little bit of a nerd, you know how it works."Lower Nazareth Target customer Marc Richter
They said they decided to hit up the Target in Lower Nazareth with the hope it would have some available at 8 a.m.
"Some of it's a cultural change," Marc Richter said. "Once you do a few of these things and you're a little bit of a nerd, you know how it works.
"Most brick-and-mortar stores sold out instantly, and through Nintendo, you could sign up for a chance to pre-order one, but that wasn't guaranteed.
"The problem is, if you stick to online, you're fighting against millions of other folks, so if you have a local place you can go to, like Target, you can end up buying one because most people would have thought to go to GameStop or Best Buy."
Though sold out on Thursday on the web, Switch 2 consoles are selling on eBay for $700.
In an interview with "CBS Morning Plus," Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser said the company is aware of the demand for the new system and is working to produce more consoles.
“We have a steady supply of manufacturing that will be coming in," Bowser said.
"And we believe we’ll be able to meet that demand all the way through the summer, through Father’s Day and then on into the holiday period also."
