Nintendo Switch 2 is already in some users’ hands, but a mandatory update means they can’t be played

Nintendo Switch 2 is officially in public hands, but early users have allegedly discovered they’re unable to play the console before launch.

On Tuesday, a YouTube user posted a short video of them opening a retail Nintendo Switch 2 unit, which, based on the retailer packaging, was likely obtained early in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the user, they are unable to actually play the Switch 2 console, however, because it requires an update to function before the official June 5 release date.

A second person who has allegedly been able to obtain Switch 2 early is said to have sent proof to the news and deal aggregator Wario64.

“I have no permission to post pics, but can share that when they try to boot a Switch 1 game, a message prompts ‘Please connect to the internet and update your system’,” they wrote.

According to Wario64’s source, Switch 2 games cannot be booted without the mandatory update. If true, it means Switch 2 owners will need to connect their consoles to the internet before they can be used. However, it’s also possible that physical games include the system update.

With fewer than ten days until Switch 2’s global launch day, some social media users have already posted images of Switch 2 units arriving at stores in the US. However, today is the first indication that units have made their way into public hands.

Nintendo Switch 2 is due to launch on Thursday, June 5, alongside first-party titles Mario Kart World, Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and Switch 2 Editions of current-gen games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Third-party launch games include Split Fiction, Cyberpunk 2077, Civilization VII, Hogwarts Legacy, Street Fighter 6, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Sonic X Shadows Generations, and more.

Donkey Kong: Bananza is due for release in July, with Drag X Drive also expected this Summer. Nintendo Switch 2 versions of Pokémon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are also due this year, with no confirmed release dates.