You didn’t pre-order a Nintendo Switch, so now what?

We’re not opposed to assisting the procrastinating gamers out there.

You should have pre-ordered a Nintendo Switch. You knew you wanted one as soon as you saw that first video, the one with the gee-whiz factor of the Joy-Con controllers and the Switch sound effect that soon haunted your dream.

Unlike some Nintendo products (ahem, NES Classic), it was actually possible to pre-order a Switch without much trouble. But you put it off and put it off … and now here we are on the eve of launch day.

Are you doomed to a weekend of watching other people tweet about how awesome The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is while you wallow in regret? Maybe.

But maybe not.

See, some retailers are making plans to have the Switch available for people just like you. Not many, most likely — this is still a Nintendo product we’re talking about here. You’re not going to waltz into a store on Friday and see piles of these things stacked up in the middle of an aisle.

The point, though, is that all hope is not lost. Here’s who is claiming they might have a Switch for your non-pre-ordering behind.

GameStop

Yeah, this surprises us too. We would have thought GameStop would have just sold pre-orders until the proverbial cows came home, because it’s what they do. Alas, the chain says that a “very limited supply” of walk-in customers can be accommodated. Those stores open at midnight Thursday night, so prepare accordingly.

Best Buy

Similarly, Best Buy is speaking of theoretical consoles for walk-in folks, but it’s also opening more than 600 of its stores at midnight on Thursday. Your best bet might be figuring out which stores are not doing the midnight thing and then hounding the poor keyholder who opens the door Friday morning. Use this link to plan your stealth Switch acquisition mission.

Walmart

Consider this retailer the same way you would Best Buy. Stores open 24 hours will start selling the Switch at 12:01 a.m., while others opening in the morning will follow suit as soon as they start their Friday. Walmart’s sheer size might mean they have more consoles available than other stores on this list, but that’s certainly not guaranteed.

Target

The Bullseye could be a sign of salvation for you as you hunt down a Switch. Target isn’t doing midnight openings and is advertising that it will have units available when its stores open at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. You might sense a recurring theme as we note it might not be many per store, so head on over there now. Yeah, I know it’s only Thursday afternoon. Just a thought.

Next: Nintendo Switch midnight release details: GameStop, Best Buy

One final note that may or may not be obvious: all of the above retailers will offer the Switch, at least in small quantities, online. Checking there and on Amazon on Friday is an option, but possibly an even bigger crapshoot when you consider the traffic some of these sites are going to get on launch day. The old-fashioned approach feels like a better bet, but regardless how you go about it, may the video game gods smile upon your efforts.