Exclusive: Nintendo's Doug Bowser on San Francisco Expansion Plans

Nintendo enthusiasts on the West Coast have a new reason to celebrate as the gaming giant opens its second official store in the United States today, May 15. Located at 331 Powell Street in Union Square, San Francisco, the new Nintendo store marks the company's first venture on the West Coast. This follows the success of their New York location, originally known as the Nintendo World Store, which underwent renovations and a rebranding to Nintendo NY before its grand reopening in 2016.

IGN had the opportunity to visit the San Francisco store to explore what Nintendo has in store for its fans. Additionally, we had an exclusive sit-down with Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to delve into the reasons behind choosing this moment to open their first West Coast store.

During our conversation, we couldn't help but steer the discussion towards the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, set to launch on June 5. We pressed Bowser for details on the Switch 2's availability in the U.S. at launch and beyond, as well as the much-talked-about Game-Key Cards, and a host of other topics related to this exciting new console.