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How to play the Nintendo Switch before it launches in March

Published Dec 19th, 2016 9:46AM EST
Nintendo Switch Preview Tour

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We’re still a few months out from the launch of the Nintendo Switch, but if you live in a big city, you could get your hands on the hybrid console as early as January 15th. On Friday, Nintendo revealed that it would host a preview your around the U.S. and Canada from January to March, giving press and the public an opportunity to see what the company’s latest console is all about.

As we’ve previously reported, Nintendo will be holding a Nintendo Switch livestream presentation on the night of January 12th, followed by an event in New York on the 13th. That event will be invite-only, but the company plans to stay in the city for two more days. On the third day, the tour will open up to the public on a “first-come, first-served basis,” so you’ll likely need to line up early if you want to play with the Switch.

Here are the locations and dates for the full tour across the U.S. and Canada:

  • New York – Jan. 13-15
  • Toronto – Jan. 27-29
  • Washington, D.C. – Feb. 10-12
  • Chicago – Feb. 17-19
  • San Francisco – Feb. 24-26
  • Los Angeles – March 3-5

According to Nintendo, the fans who do make it in to the “very limited” space will have a chance to “play select launch games in very original and surprising settings” that “will highlight the different ways Nintendo Switch can be played.”

If you can’t make it to a tour stop, Nintendo is also bringing the Switch to PAX South in San Antonio (Jan. 27-29), PAX East in Boston (March 10-12) and SXSW in Austin, Texas (March 16-18).

But whether you get a chance to play with it or not, you’ll know more about the Nintendo Switch (along with the rest of the world) when Nintendo holds its presentation in Japan on January 12th at 11PM ET.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.