Nintedo Switch bundles are available for preorder at GameStop

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit, forcing many people to look for ways to keep themselves entertained at home, it’s been almost impossible to find a Nintendo Switch in stock either in stores or online. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer have nothing on that 3-year-old console.

SEE ALSO: Best beginner-friendly video games for your coronavirus lockdown

With no end in sight to social distancing restrictions, combined with Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ viral popularity, it’s difficult to see the Switch’s elusiveness letting up anytime soon. If you’re hoping to get your hands on one in the near future (and you don’t want to pay third-party sellers’ borderline absurd prices), your best bet is to find one available for preorder — that way, you’ll lock in your purchase. Granted, you’ll probably have to wait a few weeks for it to ship, but it’s better than the alternative (i.e., breaking your self-isolation to frantically wander a retailer’s video game aisle in search of the last console when someone eventually gets it back in stock. Please don’t risk your life for a gaming console). 

As luck would have it, GameStop just made available two preorders for new Nintendo Switch bundles — one with the original console, one with the Nintendo Switch Lite. Neither comes out until April 30, but there *is* an option to choose one-day shipping for release day delivery so you can get yours in hand as quickly as possible. 

Here’s what each one includes:

• Nintendo Switch with Gray Joy-Cons: Released in 2017, Nintendo’s hybrid console easily switches between TV and on-the-go play. 

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: This critically acclaimed, beginner-friendly racing game expands upon Mario Kart 8 for Wii U with a huge lineup of playable drivers, vivid graphics, and a new and improved Battle mode.

• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Featuring iconic Nintendo characters and an epic multiplayer mode, this “exceptional” fighting game from 2018 is coronavirus catharsis at its most entertaining. (Check out our official review here.)

• Nintendo Switch Tempered Glass Screen Protector

• Nintendo Switch Black Wired Controller

• Ultra microSDXC 128GB Card with Adapter

• Nintendo Switch Black Starter Kit: Designed to ~complete your gaming experience~, this all-in-one starter kit includes a compact carrying case, screen protectors, headphones, and a soft cleaning cloth.

• Nintendo Switch Lite: This smaller, lighter, and exclusively handheld version of the Nintendo Switch boasts a slightly longer battery life than the standard console and comes in three colors — turquoise, yellow, and gray. (Check out our complete review here.)

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons: This one came out March 20, and it’s a low-pressure, delightfully escapist life simulation video game that “feels like a little beacon of hope” in these dire times. (Check out our complete review here.)

• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

• Nintendo eShop $20 digital gift card

• Nintendo Switch Lite Premium Screen Protector