Nintendo Switch 2 draws long lines and excited gamers

Nintendo Switch 2 draws long lines and excited gamers ahead of release

For the crowds outside Nintendo’s store in New York’s Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, a long wait was well worth getting their hands on the new Switch 2 console.

Some camped out for hours, bringing their own makeshift waterproof tents and lawn chairs. Others stood in the line, which stretched several city blocks. A handful even dressed up as iconic Nintendo characters, including Luigi, the beloved brother and sidekick in the video game “Super Mario.”

“Really, it’s just all about the community and sort of sharing that love of Nintendo with each other,” said Lauren Hyde, who has been in line since she traveled from Maryland on Monday.

The Japanese gaming giant is releasing the coveted console Thursday, eight years after the original version hit shelves. The first iteration of the Switch was a major hit for Nintendo, selling roughly 150 million units, according to the company, making it the third-best-selling console of all time, behind the PS2 and the Nintendo DS.

Nintendo Switch 2, the successor to the Nintendo Switch system, will be released in 2025.NintendoThe hype for the Switch 2 has been building for months, with Nintendo teasing a brief first look at it in January. With a bigger screen, better graphics and larger controls, the next iteration of the console has drummed up enough enthusiasm among gamers that many showed up early at stores like Best Buy and GameStop to pick up their units at midnight.