TOKYO, Japan — In Tokyo, enthusiastic customers gathered outside electronics stores well in advance to pick up their pre-ordered Nintendo Switch 2 gaming consoles.

The highly awaited Switch 2, launching globally on Thursday, serves as an upgrade to the eight-year-old original model, featuring enhanced social capabilities designed to engage players in online gaming. Nintendo hopes the Switch 2 will rejuvenate declining sales.

In the U.S., a chaotic pre-order process in April left some fans frustrated after the consoles quickly sold out.

In Japan, the new consoles were sold through a competitive lottery system that Nintendo said got about 2.2 million applications.

Outside the official draw, some retailers offered their own lotteries to pre-order the devices.

Koji Takahashi initially didn’t succeed in the official draw but was fortunate to be chosen during the second round of a lottery conducted by a major electronics store in Japan.

He was first in line waiting outside the store, arriving four hours ahead of its opening. He hoped to secure a limited supply of Nintendo accessories to buy along with his pre-ordered Switch 2.

“I feel very sorry for those who weren’t successful in the lottery. But I also had tough time getting this far, so I hope they forgive me!” Takahashi said.

The new console comes with a larger and higher resolution screen than its predecessor, with improved processing power, offering smoother and more vivid graphics.

Nintendo has said it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year through March 2026.

The company has promised to roll out attractive software for the Switch 2 later this year, including “The Legend of Zelda” games, a Pokemon title and a Kirby game, as well as offerings from outside software companies.

Nintendo is capitalizing on the launch with the opening of a store in San Francisco and the Super Nintendo World amusement facility in Orlando, Florida, both set for this month.

The Switch 2’s rollout arrives at an uncertain time for much of the gaming industry due to new tariffs implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In the U.S., the Switch 2’s baseline launch price is $449.99 — significantly higher than the original Switch’s $299 price tag.

U.S. preorders for the Switch 2 were delayed for several weeks so the company could assess the potential impact of tariffs.

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