TOKYO, June 5, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Gamers on Thursday finally got their hands on Nintendo's new Switch 2 console, which could score record early sales for the Japanese "Super Mario" creator.

Featuring a bigger screen and more processing power, the device is an upgrade to the Switch, which became a global phenomenon with hit games such as "Animal Crossing".

The original Switch has sold 152 million units since its 2017 release, making it the third best-selling console ever.

At a Tokyo electronics store on Thursday morning, Nintendo fans -- including 24-year-old Lei Wang, a recent graduate from China -- queued to collect their devices.

He had been "shocked" to win a pre-order lottery, as none of his friends had been selected.

"It's basically just me who got picked... so I don't really want to say anything" to them, he laughed.

Shinichi Sekiguchi, 31, said he was so excited he forgot to bring his phone, while 33-year-old Kuro said she had taken a day off work to play with her new device.

"The improved graphics and the ability to play with a larger group -- I think that's a big deal," she said.

Serkan Toto from Tokyo consultancy Kantan Games said he "would not be surprised to see Switch 2 breaking sales records in the next weeks and months".

In Japan, Nintendo's online store had 2.2 million pre-order applications for the Switch 2 -- an "insane number the industry has never seen before", Toto told AFP.

- Worth the price? -
The Switch 2 has eight times the memory of the first Switch, and its controllers, which attach with magnets, can also be used like a desktop computer mouse.

New functions allowing users to chat as they play online and temporarily share games with friends could also be a big draw for young audiences used to watching game streamers.

Nintendo has its work cut out to match the overall success of the original, however.

Challenges include uncertainty over US trade tariffs and whether it can convince enough people to pay the high price for its new device.

The Switch 2 costs $449.99 in the United States, more than the original's launch price of $299.99. Both are hybrid consoles which can connect to a TV or be played on the go.

New Switch 2 games such as "Donkey Kong Bananza" and "Mario Kart World" -- which allow players to go exploring off-grid -- are also more expensive than existing titles.

"After playing it, I think it's worth the price," 24-year-old aspiring filmmaker Steven Paterno told AFP at a Nintendo launch event in New York City.

"I loved the original Switch, but I had to admit the Switch 2 really tops it."

- Cancelled pre-orders -
Retailers in the United States, Europe and other major markets are gearing up for a rush of excited fans, with some stores opening at midnight to welcome them.

"I'm very excited to pick it up at midnight," 22-year-old graduate Angel Caceres said at the New York launch event.

"I'm going to be very tired after that."

Supply pressures have forced some retailers to cancel orders, with Britain's Game saying it is "working hard to reinstate as many affected pre-orders as possible".

Nintendo forecasts it will ship 15 million Switch 2 consoles in the current financial year, roughly equal to the original console in the same period after its release.

The Switch 2 "is priced relatively high" compared to its predecessor, the company's president Shuntaro Furukawa said at a financial results briefing in May.

So it "will not be easy" to keep initial momentum going, he warned.

While Nintendo is diversifying into theme parks and hit movies, around 90 percent of its revenue still comes from the Switch business, analysts say.