Nintendo Switch Online Will Make a Big Upcoming Game Free to Try Next Month

A subscription to Nintendo Switch Online includes several perks. Obviously the major reason to have a subscription is the online functionality for games like Splatoon 3 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, there’s much more to it than that. There are exclusive profile icons, the Nintendo Music app, and a whole bunch of Nintendo Classics that can be played, spanning systems that include the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and more. On top of all that, the service even offers trials for more recent games, allowing subscribers to get a feel for games before they commit to buying them.

Nintendo Switch Online will be doing just that in a few short weeks, allowing subscribers to test out Drag x Drive ahead of release. Nintendo has announced a Global Jam demo event, which will take place during three specific windows on August 9th and 10th. Two sessions will take place on August 9th (3 a.m. to 7 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT), and one session on August 10th (9 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT). Since this game is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, the game will only be playable to subscribers that own the new system.

Drag x Drive is set to be released on August 14th, so this should be the perfect opportunity for players to try the game and see if it’s right for them. This is a brand-new IP for Nintendo, and that alone should add to a level of uncertainty for players, and that’s not even accounting for the game’s unique control scheme. It’s impossible to say whether Switch 2 users will embrace Drag x Drive, or if they’ll stick to playing Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza instead. The Global Jam is a great chance for Nintendo to sell anyone that might be on the fence.

Drag x Drive was one of the first games revealed for Switch 2, appearing during April’s Nintendo Direct. The game is clearly inspired by wheelchair basketball, and incorporates a control scheme where players use two Joy-Con controllers in mouse mode, with each one controlling a wheel. I got a chance to play Drag x Drive earlier this year, but it’s still a little difficult to figure out what to make of the game. It seems like a fascinating application of the mouse feature, but the game did leave my arms a bit tired after a while, and it’s hard to gauge the amount of content that will be present in the finished product.

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This is not the first time Nintendo has done this kind of demo for a new IP. In the past, Nintendo has held similar events for games such as Splatoon and ARMS. It’s great to see this tradition continue with Drag x Drive, and it will be interesting to see how Switch 2 users feel about the game after the demo session comes to an end. Drag x Drive might not have the same level of hype surrounding it as other major Switch 2 games, but that could change once more players have a chance to see what it has to offer.

Do you plan on checking out the Drag x Drive Global Jam? Is the game currently on your radar? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!