Throngs of gamers stood in long lines outside of stores hours before they opened from Tokyo to New York City in hopes of snaring a long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 video game console.

Excitement built in Tokyo as customers lined up before dawn on Thursday to collect their pre-ordered Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. The long-awaited successor to the original hybrid gaming system is now officially available around the world.

Nintendo Co. fans from Tokyo to Manhattan stood in line for hours to be among the first to get a Switch 2, fueling one of the biggest global gadget debuts since the iPhone launches of yesteryear.