soft launchnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈsɒft ˌlɔːntʃ//ˈsɑːft ˌlɑːntʃ/specializedan occasion when a product, service, or business is made available or opened for the first time, but only to a limited number of people at first:
A soft launch is the best way to optimize your app or game for its later widespread release.
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hard launch
soft-launch
verb [ I or T ] uk/ˈsɒft ˌlɔːntʃ//ˈsɑːft ˌlɑːntʃ/
specialized business
The online US legal giant has just soft-launched its UK service.