Nintendo Switch Online members can check out the next Switch 2 exclusive early

Nintendo is giving Switch Online subscribers the chance to try Drag X Drive, its next Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive following Donkey Kong Bananza, ahead of its release next month.

While the game’s full launch is slated for August 14, the Drag X Drive: Global Jam event will take place several days before, on August 9 and 10.

If you’re a fan of weird, experimental Nintendo games, Drag X Drive is something you’ll want to check out.

Revealed during the Nintendo Direct that unveiled the Switch 2, Drag X Drive is a sports game with an odd control scheme.

Players partake in a modified version of basketball where the main characters move around in wheelchair-like vehicles. To move, players have to use the mouse controls of the Joy-Con 2 controllers.

Drag X Drive is the kind of game that needs to be played to be understood, which is likely why Nintendo feels the need to hold a demo event before its launch.

The Drag X Drive Global Jam demo takes place on August 9 and 10

It will be playable during three windows across those two days

Nintendo broke the news of this Global Jam event, along with the dates and times it will take place, on its official X account.

To check out Drag X Drive: Global Jam, you’ll need to own a Switch 2 and have a subscription to any tier of Nintendo Switch Online.

Unlike other pre-release betas that are open all day during a specific window, the Global Jam will only be playable at certain times on August 9 and 10, which you can see below:

• 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET on August 9
• 5 p.m. to midnight ET on August 9
• Noon to 4 p.m. ET on August 10

Nintendo has not detailed exactly what will be featured as part of Drag X Drive: Global Jam, but we can assume players will at least have access to the 3v3 matches demoed at the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events before the system’s launch.

Drag X Drive’s unique control scheme certainly seems like it’ll take some getting used to, so it’s understandable that Nintendo would want to give people a way to try the game early and get more comfortable with its control scheme ahead of the paid launch.

Limiting it to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers also makes sense because this is a competitive, online-focused game.

If you do miss the Global Jam event, you’ll have to buy Drag X Drive for $20 when it launches for Nintendo Switch 2 on August 14.