How To Get Nintendo Switch: Release Date Stock About 35 Units At Big Stores Like Target Without Pre-Order

Nintendo Switch releases to the public Friday, so big box retailers like Target are getting ready for the big date. If you haven’t scored a pre-order, internal memos allegedly estimate an average of 35 units per store. A tweet from games industry deal finder Wario64 reveals the details.

To quote the tweet directly, “most Targets will carry about 35 units on average for Nintendo Switch.” However, that range could go as low as 15 and as high as 70. We also know that Target has specifically instructed employees to offer one Switch per patron with ticket distribution beginning one hour before standard store opening hours. Beyond that, the rest is up to management.

Obviously without access to the memo ourselves, we can only take the source material at its word. That being said, Wario64 has a strong track record for finding all manners of gaming deals the instant they happen. It’d make sense for the insider to have direct retail contacts rather than make up details.

Assuming what Wario says is true, it may offer insight into what consumers can expect if they want to buy a console on Friday. This info is obviously specific to Target, but we can’t imagine the numbers differing too wildly from what’s headed to other major retailers like Best Buy, Wal-Mart or GameStop. Yesterday we reported that most of those stores were anticipated to have some number of units on hand.

The good news is that most stock numbers seem fairly hefty compared to the NES Classic Edition launch late last year. The $60 microconsole was sent in single digits to similar stores. Despite an initial target of just 2 million units globally, it looks like a fair amount of Switches are headed to the U.S.

Does that mean the Nintendo Switch will be easy to find on day one? Not necessarily. Even though a peak of 70 is night-and-day compared to last fall, gamers should never underestimate the popularity of new hardware like the Switch. There’s always the potential for luck, but we’d advise any hopeful Switch buyers to head to stores as early as possible.

Nintendo Switch releases March 3 for $299.

How do these stock reports make you feel about getting a Switch? Do you plan on getting one without a pre-order? Tell us in the comments section!