Several Nintendo fans who just received their Switch 2 and Mario Kart World bundle claim to have received boxes that had broken seals on them. According to multiple Reddit posts, the issue is widespread with several British retailers affected, including Currys, Argos, John Lewis, and Smyths — even those who reportedly purchased directly from Nintendo received boxes with broken seals.
One Redditor claimed Argos staff told him that the issue was caused by Nintendo using “seals with insufficient strength,” leading to them breaking while in transit or storage. On the other hand, others claim that the seal was cut cleanly, as if with a knife or scissors, meaning it was unlikely to have happened accidentally.
Currys - Switch 2 broken seal from r/Switch
Someone who picked up their pre-order from Currys had the same issue. When they asked the staff about it, they were told that the boxes had to be opened to check if the Mario Kart World code was inside the box. Some customers reported that their code was missing, so someone in the supply chain, at least in the UK, took it upon themselves to check for them. One even said seeing getting an “opened and examined” sticker on their retail box, possibly indicating that their newly-purchased handheld console had been tampered with.
New Nintendo Switch 2 arrived opened from r/mildlyinfuriating
One commenter also claimed that they bought theirs in Italy, and they have the same issue. They said that they bought it from Unieuro, and the staff claimed that the whole stock arrived in their store in that condition.
There’s no official statement from Nintendo or other retailers about this yet, but it seems that the affected units all had the Mario Kart World bundle. EE and Currys were not immediately available for comment. Argos declined to comment on the story.
Got my switch 2 today from EE(United Kingdom). Both seals were already broken. What should I do? from r/Switch
Nevertheless, even though the units had broken seals, it looks like nothing inside the affected boxes is missing. This will give affected buyers some relief, especially as a few were already worried that they’re getting a tampered unit or receiving rocks instead of the handheld.
This isn’t the first brouhaha Nintendo is facing with the launch of its most-awaited console. GameStop customers in the U.S. were flabbergasted to find that the staples used to stick their receipts on the box had punctured through the thin protective cardboard layer and damaged the screen of their console. While a few were frustrated at the retailer for doing so, many more were disappointed at Nintendo because its packaging wasn’t as protective of the precious contents as it should be.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
