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Nintendo took the wraps off its next console, the Nintendo Switch, back in October, but tomorrow, live from Japan, we will hear the most important information: When does it launch? What does it cost? What games will be available?

A new console is a major event in video gaming. Here is how you can be sure you've caught all of the news of the Nintendo Switch, as it happens late tomorrow night.

When is it?

The Nintendo Switch Event begins at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 12. The event is being live streamed from Tokyo Big Sight, the largest convention center in Japan.

Will it be in English?

Yes, indications are that the presenters will be speaking in Japanese but the live stream will carry English voice-overs.

Where can I view it?

There are three sources:
How long will it last?

Nintendo hasn't said, but an hour is a good bet. Sony's PlayStation 4 announcement event in February 2013 clocked in at two hours. The news conference for the Xbox One the following May was one hour.

What should I expect?

We'll have a more detailed preview later, but the price and launch date, at minimum, will be set worldwide. Nintendo will also likely parade the games supporting the Switch at launch. It will be key to see how many of the 48 big-name developers and publishers Nintendo mentioned at the Oct. 20 Switch event will have wares shown, even in a B-roll of games. It's possible that big, U.S.-based publishers may make their own announcements through their own channels concurrent with the Switch event or afterward.

What about pre-orders? Where should I be looking?

Several major retailers started taking sign-ups for pre-order information after the Nintendo Switch was revealed on Oct. 20. If you signed up for any of them, watch your inbox.

Otherwise, these are the landing pages for the Nintendo Switch for several online retailers, some of which are still taking sign-ups for email notices. It might be a good idea to follow their Twitter accounts, too.


Pre-orders will probably go live right as the event ends; if you are dead set on getting this sight unseen, be prepared to act fast. Pre-orders for the Wii U maxed out quickly, leading to the usual ballooning prices on the gray market and the free hype that goes along with that.

What's next?

There will be a five-hour, private, hands-on event in New York on Friday, from which more details about the new console will emerge. Be sure to check in with Polygon throughout the day for news and video from this event.

Source: Polygon