Nintendo Switch 2 release sparks massive scramble as London stores open at midnight to meet demand

Gaming fans have been queueing for hours in the middle of the night to get their hands on the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 which has been released worldwide.

Stores along Oxford Street in London’s West End opened at midnight to welcome eager fans who may have missed out on pre-ordering the console.

Some shops have the devices available to buy over the counter, but in most cases, customers have been picking up consoles they have ordered in advance.

Fans were pictured waiting outside Currys last night — with the supplier calling it its "biggest gaming pre-order ever” — selling 30,000 units already, according to the BBC.

Fans playing inside Currys on Oxford Street at midnight (David Parry/PA Media Assignments)

Tushar Sandarka, President of the University of York’s Mario Kart society, told the news outlet the launch was “a big deal” for gamers.

“Securing a pre-order was such a tough decision because it's so expensive,” she said.

"Even if it's a bit higher than I would have wanted to pay for it, it's going to serve me well for the next 7 or 8 years.”

Eden Rice from Oxford and Valentina Arro Bustinza from Spain were among the first in the queue at Currys Oxford Street store (David Parry/PA Media Assignments)

However, some fans have been put off because of the cost of the new console.

Mae and Lottie, both students in York, said they would stick to the original, but noted their disappointment at not being able to play the new Mario Kart.

The Switch 2 is very similar to its predecessor, which has sold around 150 million units worldwide since its release back in 2017.

Customers line up outside of a Best Buy store in Florida waiting for the midnight opening to purchase Nintendo's Switch 2 (Getty Images)

But the newly-improved console offers a larger screen and improved graphics, as well as larger controllers and new features.

The standard edition of the Switch 2 is priced at £395, but many gamers are choosing the £429 bundle, which includes the popular Mario Kart World.

Despite the excitement around the release, there have been a few setbacks, with one supplier Game, having to cancel some pre-orders.

Customers line up outside of a Best Buy store waiting for the midnight opening to purchase Nintendo's Switch 2 (Getty Images)

Nintendo briefly pulled Switch 2 pre-orders in the US in April over concerns around tariffs, before starting again a few weeks later.

Concerns have also been raised around whether Switch 2 will match the success of its predecessor because of its high game prices.

A physical copy of Mario Kart World, for example, comes in at £74.99, which is £15 more expensive than a typical Switch title.