GameStop has responded after Switch 2 players who finally got their hands on the long-awaited console reported being given damaged goods, as the store receipt was stapled to the screen.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting the follow-up to the Nintendo Switch for years, ever since the original launched in 2017. Their prayers were answered back in January 2025, when the Switch 2 was officially unveiled.
Now, as it launches worldwide, players are finally getting their hands on the console and jumping into Mario Kart World for the first time.
However, this exciting day has been ruined for some, as players have reported being given hardware with a punctured screen.
Switch 2 players receive consoles with stapled screens
After picking up their Switch 2s from a New York GameStop store on June 5, multiple fans have shared images of holes in the screen. These were seemingly caused by the staples holding the store receipt in place, which had poked through the box and into the console.
“GameStop stapled the receipt for me and my friends’ Switch 2s to the box. FML,” said one frustrated player on X. “Genuinely insane now I’m gonna have to wait 3 months for the restock.”
“My switch 2 has staple holes in the screen. They stapled the receipt to the box at 1756 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10303 and it damaged the screen,” said another while trying to contact GameStop and Nintendo.
In a now-deleted Reddit post, another player who attended the midnight launch mentioned that every unit in that batch suffered from the issue, as they saw plenty of others affected.
“Me and my homie here (we never met before) were unfortunately at the same GameStop and this happened to me and another buddy!” said the OP. “Think the entire pre-order batch is completely f****d.”
GameStop offers replacements for viral staple-damaged Nintendo Switch 2 consoles
GameStop has since responded to the incident, humorously replying to Dexerto’s tweet with a meme and clarifying that the stapled consoles were tracked to one specific store.
“We’ve addressed a unique case of staples damaging Switch 2 screens — isolated to one store,” the chain wrote. “Replacements have been offered. Staplers have been confiscated.”
This comes just after a number of major retailers cancelled some pre-orders just days before launch.
