Where and when you can play the Switch 2 before release

By Jesse Lennox Published January 16, 2025

Mario Kart running on a Switch 2. — Nintendo

Nothing is more exciting than a new console, and the Switch 2 might be the most highly anticipated system yet. Nintendo finally made an official announcement on January 16 with a glimpse at the new hardware and promised to deliver more information in April. While it didn’t give us that all-important release date as we hoped, it did fill us in on some important details like if it is backwards compatible. But what is most exciting is that Nintendo is letting consumers go hands-on with the new system long before release. You have to be in the right place at the right time to be one of the first to play a Switch 2. These are all the locations and dates for the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience.

Nintendo Switch 2 Experience dates and locations

The Switch 2 on a blue background. — Nintendo

Nintendo will be visiting multiple major cities around the world to give players a chance to play the Switch 2 before launch. While we don’t know what games will be playable just yet, we are confident they will be worth the trip for anyone able to make it. Here is a full list of the announced cities and dates for the Nintendo Switch Experience. The only details we don’t know are specific hours, but we will update this article as soon as we learn more.

Recommended Videos

Note that you will need to have a Nintendo Account to participate in the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience, as well as a ticket. Registration for tickets will begin on January 17 at 12 pm P.T and is completely free, but drawn randomly. Visit this site once tickets become available to enter.

North America:

New York, April 4-6, 2025
Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025
Dallas, April 25-27, 2025
Toronto, April 25-27, 2025

Europe:

Paris, April 4-6, 2025
London, April 11-13, 2025
Milan, April 25-27, 2025
Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
Madrid, May 9-11, 2025
Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025

Oceania:

Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025

Asia:

Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025
Hong Kong, To be announced
Taipei, To be announced

Topics

Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…

Gaming

Will the Switch 2 be backwards compatible?

A Switch 2 in its dock.

Now that we're at the end of the Switch's lifecycle and there are almost no more upcoming Switch games to speak of, we've all amassed a huge library of the best Switch games. Almost every major Nintendo franchise has appeared on this console, from Zelda and Mario to Animal Crossing and Metroid. Now, Nintendo is finally ready to move on and give us the long-awaited Switch 2. This new console has the same winning formula of being a handheld and home console hybrid but with far more power under the hood. That will lead to even better games going forward, but will we need to hold onto our current Switches if we want to play anything we missed in the current library? If the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, you can safely sell or give away your old Switch and make a clean upgrade. Let's see what the official word is now that we know the facts about this console.
Is the Switch 2 backwards compatible?

Yes! Thankfully, Nintendo isn't forcing us to rebuild our entire game collection from scratch once again. All your existing Switch cartridges and digital games can be played on the Switch 2. As long as you sign in with your same Nintendo account, you can access your digital library and download your games onto the new system, while physical game cards can simply be inserted as normal.

Gaming

Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Sim might come to PS5 and Switch 2

A screenshot of a plane in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Good morning and buckle up, folks: We're leaping onto the rumor mill today. As more and more news about the Nintendo Switch 2 emerges as its anticipated announcement approaches, a video game podcaster named NateTheHate has claimed that both Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are coming to the Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. NateTheHate has been correct numerous times in the past regarding upcoming games, but we encourage you to take this news with the proper amount of skepticism. The idea of an Xbox title on the Switch 2 is somewhat far-fetched, especially since we still have no clear picture of the console's specs.

However, the Switch 2 might not need the onboard hardware to power titles like this. Xbox made an announcement in February 2024 to bring more of its games to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo, including Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded. The idea is that the Nintendo Switch 2 could work with cloud game streaming; by providing an interface, gamers could play titles through the cloud that the Switch would not be able to handle on its own. Considering the demanding specifications of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, streaming is the only practical answer for how Nintendo's portable console could handle the game.

Gaming

Nintendo downplays CES’ convincing Nintendo Switch 2 leak

A Switch 2 mock-up sits in a Genki case.

Following CES 2025, where accessory-maker Genki showed off a mock-up model of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo is now debunking recent leaks about its still unrevealed console.

Gamers have been glued to nearly every Nintendo Switch 2 rumor that has emerged in recent weeks (and there have been a lot of them), but the most recent was a supposed mockup of the console on the CES 2025 show floor. Until then, Nintendo had kept mum about the leaks, but now the company has broken its silence and issued a statement.