Nintendo Switch OLED Restock Tracking Guide: Score The Hottest Gaming Handheld
Handheld gaming consoles are hot commodities, as we have seen with Valve's Steam Deck and Nintendo's recently-released Switch OLED. Getting your hands on the former is a matter of placing a reservation, and then waiting until sometime next year. As for the Switch OLED, it's out now, but it will take some work and perhaps lucky timing to procure one. We're here to help.
As much as we can, anyway. It seems everything is in short supply these days, and apparently even securing a pre-order months ahead of time doesn't guarantee you will receive what you bought at the promised delivery date. That's the situation facing many people who pre-ordered a Switch OLED from Walmart back in July, myself included—others and myself find ourselves in pre-order purgatory at Walmart. Boo!
Unfortunately, there's no magical chant or spell you can cast to make a Switch OLED appear out of thin air. If you want to purchase one at MSRP, your best bet is to frequently check various retail landing spots, in hopes of a restock. So let's start there.
Where To Buy The Nintendo Switch OLED
There are two models to choose from, one in white and black trim, and the other in red and blue...
- Amazon: Switch OLED w/ White Joy-Con | Switch OLED w/ Red and Blue Joy-Con
- B&H Photo: Switch OLED w/ White Joy-Con | Switch OLED w/ Red and Blue Joy-Con
- Best Buy: Switch OLED w/ White Joy-Con | Switch OLED w/ Red and Blue Joy-Con
- GameStop: Switch OLED w/ White Joy-Con | Switch OLED w/ Red and Blue Joy-Con
- Nintendo: Switch OLED w/ White Joy-Con | Switch OLED w/ Red and Blue Joy-Con
- Target: Switch OLED w/ White Joy-Con | Switch OLED w/ Red and Blue Joy-Con
- Walmart: Switch OLED w/ White Joy-Con | Switch OLED w/ Red and Blue Joy-Con
There are a couple of things to note about these listings. When visiting GameStop, it defaults to 'Pre-Owned' models. Be sure to click the 'New' option under Condition (the URL is actually the same). And at Walmart, it shows marketplace seller listings at jacked up prices on the main landing pages for both Switch OLED consoles. Be sure that Walmart is the actual seller. Retail pricing is $349.99, and all of the above offer free shipping. Don't feed the scalpers.
Tracking Nintendo Switch OLED Stock
You can get lucking by visiting any of the above retailers at precisely the right moment. But to increase your odds, it helps to be privy to restock events ahead of time, so you can be ready. That still doesn't guarantee you'll be able to buy one—demand is red hot for the Switch OLED—but you can definitely increase your odds.
One way to do that is to keep a browser tab open at NowInStock on its Switch tracker page. Optionally, you can have it sound an alarm when it detects a real-time restock.
It can also help to follow certain Twitter accounts that provide stock status updates, both as they happen and sometimes before they happen. Here are some to follow...
- Wario64 (@Wario64)
- Matt Swider (@mattswider)
- Nintendo Switch OLED Stock Alerts (@SwitchStockNews)
- Jake Randall (@Jake_Randall_YT)
- Stock Tracker (@PS5restocks_etc)
Note that most of these accounts track more than just the Switch OLED, including other hot items like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
One last tip—it can help to have accounts set up and be signed into any retailers you are willing to buy a Switch OLED from, so when the time comes, you can race through the checkout process. You typically have precious little time to complete an order and are competing with thousands of others.
Good luck, and if you manage to get your hands on a Switch OLED, feel free to brag in the comments section below (or in our Discord channel). Same goes if you have any tips of your own you'd like to share!
