Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo Switch 2 Consoles Spotted Early at Target—And Security Concerns Follow

ByMollie Dominy

The internet’s buzzing thanks to a now-archived Reddit post that gave us an unexpected look at the Nintendo Switch 2 in the wild—more specifically, locked up inside a Target store’s security cage. Yep, someone snapped a photo showing two nondescript shipping boxes stacked inside a cage with a claim that the store had received around 40 consoles.

Then came the second image—the real kicker. This one showed the consoles outside the boxes, fully confirming that they’re indeed the Nintendo Switch 2 units. It didn’t take long for the post to get screenshotted, archived by X users, and passed around like hot gossip in the gaming space.

The Clock Is Ticking to Launch

This is all happening with less than 10 days to go until the Nintendo Switch 2’s official launch on June 5th. That’s when Nintendo plans to unleash a wave of launch titles, including Mario Kart World, Welcome Tour, and enhanced next-gen versions of current favorites like The Legend of Zelda.

If Nintendo Switch 2 units are arriving at U.S. retailers already, that means pre-orders are locked in and distribution is underway. Cue the collective fan frenzy.

But About That Security Setup…

Here’s where it gets a little dicey. According to the now-deleted Reddit post, the Nintendo Switch 2 units were being stored in a locked cage—which is standard for high-value electronics. No issues there.

The problem? The cage was left in the middle of the store floor. Visible to employees. Visible to customers. Visible to anyone with a crowbar and bad intentions.

Unless the store was closed to the public at the time, this seems like a pretty big risk for a product launch this high-profile. A next-gen Nintendo console, sitting right there with a countdown timer hanging over it? Let’s just say some fans were not thrilled with the logistics.

Hopefully, No One Gets Sneaky

We don’t have a follow-up on what happened after the photo was taken—because the post has since been scrubbed—but here’s hoping Target (and every other retailer with Switch 2 stock) took the hint and beefed up security.

Because if you think gamers are intense now, just wait until someone’s launch day pre-order gets mysteriously “lost.”

Mollie is a site manager and article writer for Total Apex Gaming. She's loved playing and talking about games since she played her first game, Mortal Kombat, much to the dismay of those around her. She loves all forms of video games and uses her research skills to find out about every game she sees so that fangirling can commence

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