While June 4 was just another quiet weekday for most, for many Greater Victoria residents, it marked the end of a nearly decade-long wait.
More than a hundred people lined the sidewalk outside a closed Mayfair Mall shortly before 9 p.m., eager to get their hands on the new Switch 2 – Nintendo’s latest console.
At exactly 9 p.m., the official Canadian launch time, staff ushered the crowd through a narrow side entrance to the shopping centre’s GameStop.
Inside, the line transformed into a packed coil of buyers clutching invoices and coupons, ready to pick up the coveted item.
The Switch 2 improves on its 2017 predecessor with a larger, higher-resolution screen, enhanced performance, increased storage, and a redesigned system. It also features a built-in microphone and an additional USB-C port, among other upgrades.
Global unit sales of the Nintendo Switch have peaked at 152 million since its launch, making it the third best-selling console of all time, behind Sony’s PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS.
Last month, Nintendo announced it expects to sell 15 million units of the Switch 2 in the fiscal year ending March 2026. The new console currently retails for $629.
