Nintendo will share exclusive details about the new Nintendo Switch tonight live from Tokyo, Japan. We expect to learn pre-order dates, an official release date, price, and hopefully a full list of games that will launch with the console.
The Nintendo Switch is one of the most expected releases of 2017, as the Japanese giant makes its comeback after the Wii U flopped upon launch and failed to gain traction in the following years.
Without further ado, here is all you need to know and what to expect from the Nintendo Switch live event.
Nintendo Switch event: How, when and where to watch
Nintendo will hold two Nintendo Switch reveal events in Tokyo, Japan at 11 PM ET and 8 PM PT on Thursday night, January 12.
The broadcast will be live all around the world on Nintendo’s official site, YouTube, and Twitch.tv channels. While the event itself will be in Japanese, the stream will have an English dub option.
Nintendo’s President Tatsumi Kimishima will lead the presentation, which is expected to last between one and two hours, covering details about launch, price, specs, and games.
While launch titles are certainly one of the most anticipated reveals of the night, don’t hold your breath: Nintendo will hold a second event to showcase gameplay footage just 12 hours later.
The Nintendo Treehouse Live will also be live streamed on all the platforms mentioned before, and it will begin at 9:30 AM ET and 6:30 AM ET on Friday, January 13.
Games launching alongside the Nintendo Switch most likely include The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild, a Mario title, and third-party games from developers like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Activision.
Nintendo Switch: when, where, and how to pre-order
The Nintendo Switch should be widely available for pre-order from select retailers in the U.S. and the U.K. starting on Friday morning, according to insider information from said game stores.
Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart in the United Stated all list the Nintendo Switch on their catalogs without a price or even a placeholder, providing a small form you must sign up for if you want to receive pre-order information ahead of everyone else.
Things are different in the U.K., however, with stores like Gameseek listing the Switch as available for pre-order at £198.50. GAME requires a ridiculous £999.99 placeholder, while GameStop has a €499.99 holding price for the console.
A few months ago, Toys R Us in Canada accidentally listed the Nintendo Switch on its website at CAN$329, roughly $250 in American currency. The $250 mark is reportedly the sweet spot for the new Switch, with a $300 version with more storage also expected to hit the shelves.
Nintendo keeps annoying fans with limited releases
The rumored Friday 13 pre-order date was all but confirmed by Nintendo, after tweeting it would offer a small number of consoles to customers tomorrow morning at its New York City store.
“A limited quantity of pre-orders” will start at 9 AM local time, so expect reports soon about people lining up overnight to get the Switch ahead of everyone else.
Those who want a truly wide release of the Nintendo Switch did not take the announcement kindly, as it is the second time in just a few months that the company pulls off something like this.
The Nintendo Switch, however, is not a collector’s item but a next-gen console, so it should not be constrained to any marketing schemes to make it appear more successful than it is, especially with so many details yet to be revealed.
Tune in tonight for more info on the Nintendo Switch, and see if the new console lives up to the hype and expectations of gamers around the world.
If you want a hands-on experience before pre-ordering or buying the Switch and you are in North America or Canada, Nintendo will kick off a limited preview tour coming to New York, Toronto, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles this Friday 13.
Source: Nintendo