Nintendo Switch Tour, Release Date: How To Try The New Console Before It's Available To Buy

Nintendo consoles are always intriguing and require going hands on to truly get a feel for them. That latest creation from the company, the Nintendo Switch, isn’t due out until March, but Nintendo is taking it on tour so gamers can give it a try. Here’s how to give the new console a go before it hits store shelves.

An official unveiling of the device will take place in Tokyo, Japan on Jan. 12, 2017. Following the event, Nintendo will be hitting major cities across the United States and Canada with an interactive tour designed to get the Nintendo Switch in front of as many gamers as possible.

Here are the cities that will see the Switch before it’s officially made available:

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

The Switch will also be available off the trail at major gaming conventions taking place between those dates. Nintendo will have the console and games with it at PAX South in San Antonio (Jan. 27-29), PAX East in Boston (March 10-12) and SXSW in Austin, Texas. (March 16-18).

Those interested in taking a look at the Nintendo Switch should note the first two days of each weekend-long tour stop are available by invitation only. On Sundays, Nintendo opens the doors to the public.

The tour events will have a capacity and Nintendo expects it will be reached quickly at each tour stop, so it’s suggesting people arrive early when possible. Fans and gamers will be let into the events on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nintendo intends to make the event engaging and interactive for gamers of all ages. The event is designed to show off the variety of ways the Nintendo Switch can be played and will give attendees the chance to play select games that will be available with the console come launch day.