Nintendo just pushed a server-side update to the eShop on Nintendo Switch allowing cancellation of game pre-orders. Prior to today, if you pre-ordered something on the eShop, it was a pre-purchase where the game would immediately be downloaded to your console and would unlock on release day. From now on, you can pre-order a game and not be charged until seven days before the release date for the game. This gives you a lot of time to cancel pre-orders depending on when you put in the pre-order. All prior pre-orders will be treated as final but orders from today will only be charged seven days before the release date.
If you pre-order a game like Pikmin 3 Deluxe that is set for release in October, it will be listed under the pre-orders section in your account on the eShop. This will only list pre-orders that can be cancelled from your pre-orders. If a game is not listed here, it means the release date is less than seven days away or it was done before this new pre-order policy and update came into effect. This is a great move from Nintendo but it remains to be seen how it will affect purchases that reward you with DLC or items in other games.
How to cancel a Nintendo Switch pre-order
- Once you pre-order a game, you can navigate to the pre-orders section (Your Pre-orders) of your account on the eShop.
- All pre-orders that are eligible for cancellation are listed under “Your Pre-orders”.
- You can cancel any eligible pre-orders from here.
This works on upcoming Nintendo games like Pikmin 3 Deluxe and any third party games. Once you try to pre-order, the eShop has a page listing cancellation being eligible.
It is going to be interesting to see the pre-order and cancellation policy for Microsoft and Sony adapt with the PS5 and Xbox Series X nearly here. As of now, this is a welcome change from Nintendo who didn’t allow digital pre-orders to be cancelled before since the game downloaded to your console immediately after paying.
