Nintendo Switch Multi-City Tour Starts Next Month, But Good Luck Playing It
Nintendo has announced plans to take the Switch on a multi-city tour in the US and Canada. The tour kicks off next month and will run through the beginning of March, presumably ending shortly before the console launches. While that will probably come as exciting news, you may want to temper your expectations, because it sounds like it's going to be difficult for regular consumers to get some hands-on time with the Switch.
The first thing complicating matters is that this tour will only include six cities. Five will be in the US and only one is in Canada, so if you don't live near Toronto, you might have a difficult time checking out the Switch. Here are the six cities the Switch will visit, along with the dates it'll be there:
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
While three days seems like it'll be enough time to ensure you get to play the Switch, these hands-on sessions will only be open to the public on the last day in each city. The first two days will be invite-only, which most likely means you won't be able to see it then unless you're part of the press. Nintendo recommends that you arrive early if you want to check out the Switch, as space will be limited and guests will be admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
However, there is a bit a good news in that the Switch will also be visiting three popular gaming conventions early next year. Nintendo will have it on hand at PAX South from January 27-29, PAX East from March 10-12, and SXSW from March 16-18. If you miss it during its tour and happen to be going to one of these events, you'll get a second chance to see the Switch there.
Nintendo will be announcing more details about the Switch next month. On January 12, it will host a livestream from Tokyo in which it will discuss the Switch's price, launch titles, and release date. The stream kicks off at 11 PM Eastern/8 PM Pacific, so make sure you tune in if you want to learn more about Nintendo's latest and greatest.