Summary
- Nintendo will be holding hands-on Switch 2 events starting in April.
- Anyone can attend, but you will need to be assigned a ticket through a lottery system.
- The events will take place in cities across Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania.
The console reveal it feels like we’ve all been waiting forever for finally happened. The Nintendo Switch 2 is real. Nintendo confirmed so itself, providing a first look at the Switch’s successor and noting that we’ll have to wait until April 2, 2025, for a full reveal that will likely include its price, release date, and a better look at its launch games. However, directly after that Direct, some of you will have the chance to be among the first people in the world to use a Switch 2.
To accompany the Switch 2’s reveal trailer, the new console also has its own page which is now live across Nintendo’s various websites in different countries. On that page is information regarding something Nintendo has dubbed the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience. Effectively a world tour for the new console during which potential customers will be able to get hands-on with the next-gen Nintendo console before it’s released.
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The tour begins on April 4, so two days after the Switch 2 Direct after which we will know a heck of a lot more about the console. It will begin in Paris and New York, remaining there until April 6 before moving on to other cities across Europe, the UK, and North America. Nintendo fans in Japan and other Asian countries will be able to attend Switch 2 experiences starting from April 26, and a date for Melbourne, Australia has been announced for May (thanks, VGC).
Nintendo Will Hold Hands-On Switch 2 Events Around The World
They Start In April And Will Run Through Until June
As it stands, the hands-on events won’t be coming to an end until June 1, 2025. While this is far from any sort of confirmation, that heavily implies the Switch 2’s release date won’t be until mid-June at the earliest. It would be a little strange for Nintendo to be holding events where people can be among the first to play the Switch 2 when the Switch 2 is already available to buy.
Being among the first to take the Switch 2 for a spin will require more than simply showing up on the day. There’s a link on the respective Switch 2 pages in each part of the world where people can apply for tickets to the events, similar to the ticket system Nintendo uses for its museum in Japan.
Registration for tickets opens at 3 pm EST on January 17 in the US and will close at 11:59 pm local time for each of the three events (New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas) on January 26. No need to rush to register. As long as you do so within that window, you will have as much chance as anyone else of landing a spot at the event as attendees will be chosen at random and notified once the registration period has ended.
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to Nintendo Switch, scheduled for release in 2025. Confirmed as backwards compatible, it will play both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. A full reveal is pencilled in for April 2, 2025.