Nintendo today announced the Nintendo Switch Lite, a compact version of the existing Switch system which launches this September.
Available in three colours – yellow, gray, and turquoise – this new variant is designed for portable play and is compatible with all existing Switch games.
Here's what it looks like in the flesh:
Comments 111
It doesn't seem much smaller, which I guess explains the Lite, not Mini.
Looks nice, If i find myself in need of a third switch I'll consider it
No side by side comparison pictures?
Come on Nintendo, give me those sweet "x% less" infographics sweetness
Hope the sticks are better than the ones on the regular joy cons.
The only thing I'm not too sure about is the white color of the buttons. Why not make them black like in the original?
But other than that, the form factor and everything else is just as I had hoped it to be. Will very likely pick this one up Day One.
I have no reason to ever buy one when I already have a standard Switch but it does look nice.
I play almost exclusively in Handheld mode. I only ever play on tv when I take it to friend's houses for parties. Otherwise, I'm always on handheld mode, so my tv can be free for other things. Plus, I've always been a huge fan of Nintendo's D-Pad. So, this is intriguing. Still want to see the Pro version first, before looking into getting either one. But I can see myself getting one of these one day too.
This is a very good solution if you have kids for example.
You don't need 2 or 3 docked switch models.
This is a cheaper alternative in that situation.
Good move Nintendo!
Not for me but it looks really nice
gotta love all the rumours and leaks getting the name wrong.
Doesn’t have a kickstand but supports joycons... Nintendo: Two steps forward, one step behind. 🙄😪
Vibrant colours, this will no doubt appeal to the kids..
I want the specs, I don't care what it looks like.
Is it still 720p, still LCD? Same Tegra X1, no revision? Bluetooth? Battery?
Baby blue, mustard yellow and faded grey with white buttons...
Ugly. No TV function? More ugly.
I'd have understood not shipping with the dock. But taking the feature away entirely is stupid. Just plain stupid. This is worse than Apple taking away the headphone jack!
@Heavyarms55 Really? Removing the headphone jack rendered expensive hardware obsolete. It's nothing like that here.
The Switch Lite is for people that aren't connecting the Switch to their TVs. If that sounds stupid then I guess it's just not for you, but there are plenty of people that would love one of these. And I think the new colours look ace, so each to their own.
Whilst not getting one it does look nice; stuck between the grey and turquoise for my hypothetical purchase.
@TenguKing Yeah that’s what killed any chance of me getting one; my guess is that feature was cut to bring the price down.
@Heavyarms55 I agree the colour choices are dreadful. The only one I'll get is the Pokemon edition if I can get my hands on it.
I'm not a big fan of the colours and I highly doubt Nintendo wants a lot of different SKUs on shelves. These could be the only variations which would suck. If I had to choose, maybe the yellow? I dunno....I'm gonna wait and see what happens with Pokemon. Doesn't this seem the like perfect system to bundle with Pokemon for kids at Xmas? Like $250 for the system and the game.
can't connect to the TV and no detachable JoyCons. Why is it still called Nintendo SWITCH ?
I'm absolutely baffled as to why they chose to reuse the 3D-shaped +/- buttons alongside a D-pad-- I assumed they'd instead use round ones with the +/- molded-in them. Having two buttons with the same shape seems like this will needlessly cause confusion with in-game instructions.
I'm also baffled as to why there doesn't appear to be a stand. Since it's still compatible with separate wireless controllers, there seems like no real reason not to stilk have one.
As a collector, I'll probably pick one up down the road but it wont be a launch thing for me. I'll wait for a limited edition or a cool bundle of sorts. I know myself....I'll end up with one lol.
Nintendo should figure out how to share digital games across a family. Both Apple and Google have this feature in their ecosystems. Physical games are no problem to share but i don’t want to pay again for digital titles in the same household.
Where is the purple color😫
It is few mm bigger than the PS Vita which for me is a sweetspot handheld wise.
Just so sad that unlike on Sony having multiple saves and account doesn't work as flawless on the Switch, in that case this would be my system for on the go and the older on for home.
Looks great, has a normal d-pad and sadly speakers are on the bottom.
I am a littlebit concerned about the power button location, the rest is fine.
Huh, I though they would drop it in a direct, not a random tweet. Still, it makes sense for it to be announced now - Pokemon is on its way after all.
It's not for me, but I'm glad those that want have the option of jumping in now.
Why not call it the "Lite Switch"? That's my dad joke for the day. Anyway, my kids are playing with our Switch quite a bit more now so I may get one so I can have a dedicated handheld version for myself. It still play the 3DS and it seems to suit my time constraints well.
It’s so gorgeous 🤩
It would have been nice to have a hot pink option. Not even kidding! Or dark green.
Can we dye them using berries at the Festival Plaza?
I feel pain looking at how they held it under unnatural angles.
@SegaBlueSky This is taking away a major functionality of the device. Just like removing the headphone jack. And it is doing so unnecessarily. Unless the internals of the Switch lite are completely different, which I seriously doubt, then the Lite should still be able to connect to a TV, it's just had the function restricted.
A Switch that doesn't switch. Great.
At least people will shut up about it now.
@abe_hikura the screen was decreased from 6´2 to 5´5
@Heavyarms55 Did they actually remove the headphone jack? That’s so stupid! If it was built on portability, then there should be a headphone jack. Thank god for bluetooth adapters!
Too many features scrapped to justify the 200$€ pricetag. I would be fine with no rumble but no docked mode makes no sense from a technical standpoint! Very disappointed.
@Rutty_YT
No, he was referring to Apple
Turquoise color with White buttons, one of my signature color. 😍
I love you Turquoise color. 😘
@Rutty_YT No no no, Apple ditched the headphone jack, not Nintendo. I just think removing TV functionality is equally as stupid and unneeded!
@Bloodmetal they already have? the limitations are
a) two consoles cant run the same game at same time
b) the not "primary" console has to be online to play digital games
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22448
so no hdmi out, no headphone jack, smaller screen and awful colours to chose from...
what is the reason to purchase this again?
No thanks. I am fine with my Nintendo Switch for TV and for outside (I rarely use it for outside anyway) This is 3DS wannabe. I will ignored it. Don't liked it! I will wait for Nintendo Switch PRO rumour to be for the next year.
@tameshiyaku wtf? it is basically a handheld only version of the Switch, so are you complaining about something missing that should not be there in the first place?
Looks good makes sense
@huyi colors are great no HDMI is because it is a handheld, a smaller screen because it is a handheld making the console a more compact thing, .. there is a headphone jack you idiot
Lol. “No headphone jack” has literally caught on as a thing to be angry about despite there being a clearly visible headphone jack in all the pictures.
@huyi There is a headphone jack?
@nintendolie exactly same, it only missed what they said.
Changing the spepcs would be rather stupid this will run all the games in handheld mode speeds anyhow.
@tr573 Exacly my issues with this, I have a gaming PC and a weaker notbook for simple games but I can play same save and same games on Steam ect.
Same with my Vita, I have a PS TV and a PS Vita so that I can play certain games on my TV and on the go.
I would LOVE to be able doing this with the Switch, it's size is the main reason why 95% of the time I take my Vita or 3DS with me and not the Switch, with the new Lite I would use my old Switch exclusively hooked on TV and this for on the go.
(the most ideal situation would be if this was a regular switch but smaller, it's smaller but has better battery life by half hour so nothing to lose if it was a regular switch, but it's not)
@SegaBlueSky @HeavyArms55 and technically, you can still call it a "Switch" since you can hook up Joy-Con and "switch" to a sort of table top mode. I know it's a stretch, but then, the market for this thing is primarily children and people who enjoy playing in handheld only, not for power users who like the premium version of the Switch.
@ZeldaNX Exactly my thoughts. I'm digital games only so I can sync the Lite with my account and make kids friendly games available on this second decide. My only pushback is when a Pro version will come out so the original can be passed to the kids. The guy put a lot of emphasis to refer to the current model as flagship but of course that may not last long.
@Luna_110 The 6 minute launch video was very "Mini Direct" like, they just didn't announce it in advance. It may even show up on their Direct page eventually but it isn't there yet.
https://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct/archive/
Here's the UK version that released about an hour ago.
I would like to confirm the lite has a headphone jack
I would also like to confirm this doesn’t replace the regular switch and you can still buy it
@nintendork64 "and "switch" to a sort of table top mode"
The weirdest thing to me is letting joycon attach to it for 1 2 Switch - of all the games to put in the announce trailer - but the system doesn't have a stand or a dock? The guy NEVER showed ANYONE playing it with other joycon even though he said you could. Weird.
@huyi “so no hdmi out, no headphone jack, smaller screen and awful colours to chose from...
what is the reason to purchase this again?”
It’s a dedicated handheld. You could label all those complaints at pretty much every other dedicated handheld ever made.
Its screen is still bigger than a Vita’s. It does have a headphone jack. And grey is possibly the least offensive colour in existence.
While we're all here talking abut headphone jacks - which I think is hilarious - anybody know if it still has stereo speakers?
The 2DS dropped stereo speakers for mono audio on the tablet model just to save 8 cents or whatever they saved.
@rjejr 2 of them on the bottom
@rjejr Right! At least a kickstand would have been nice. I'm waiting for the inevitable launch of Nintendo's "kickstand case" for the Switch Lite so they can say they added additional functionality (even though they'd basically be just putting it back). A kickstand case would at least make the table top mode work.
@tr573 I think know what @bloodmetal is talking... We have two switches in our house but we made the mistake of buying everyone's eshop games using my account ... as I'm the Dad, the one with the credit card, etc.
Now only I can play those games on the second switch. So the games I bought for my son (or anyone else in my house)... he must use my account (which means either overwriting my saves or starting from the beginning). I can't transfer the games to his account either.
Not a problem if you go physical.
@cammy the account limitation they should fix for sure. as long as the account is on the console, and you're online, it should allow anybody to play/save games.
@Rayquaza2510 You can change which one is the "primary"' console , so you could set the new lite as the primary (allowing you to play without an internet connection) , and with the old one at home and always online as the secondary, it would be able to play also.
@nintendork64 "kickstand case"
Darn, I didn't think of that. Of course the case will have a kickstand, makes perfect sense. But even if it doesn't, kids console needs a case to keep it from getting destroyed so a kickstand would be useless anyway. And it will probably get a stand to charge it anyway, who wants to just charge their console laying on it's back? Bottom looks lie kit has 3 holes, USB-C and too tiny ones, so a non-TV out charging stand is probably more inevitable than than the kickstand case.
Nintendolife commenters are up in arms. That can only mean one thing. It'll sell bucketloads. The other way of looking at it is the Switch is the OS, much like you have a Macbook, Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, iMac, all different levels of functionality depending on your needs.
@Rayquaza2510 Thanks, I've been looking.
Do you mean those 2 little round holes right next to the USB-C what I'm assuming is the charging port? I thought those might just be for a charging dock to stabilize it like the Wii U Gamepad has.
Anyway good to know, I'm not a fan of mono.
@tr573 I do hope so. I doubt it, but I do hope so. At the very least the ability to gift or transfer a game to another account would be good (even if you can only do it once or twice per title).
I can't believe it. They went with light mode complete handheld mode. Fine. But at least give a decent screen. This is a bit too small. A 7 inch would've been proper since you can't use joy cons anyway and those took, i'm sure, more space. They could've given a bit more to handheldmode. Just saw Mario in the trailer on the very tiny screen. Who can enjoy a game to see a point moving on a large map? At least all games were adjust to 3DS hardware since it was a handheld game. So the size ingame was also different than standard console games. It doesn't really match. I'm not sold. Well the pricetag is lower. But I wouldn't pay more than 150$/euro
@tr573 true but compared to PC and PS4 it is still inconvenient so I hope Nintendo changes this because it's very easy to do.
@Alucard83 In Mario it's easy to see, I would worry more about big console ports to the Switch as those never run at the native 720p so the blurryness could make viewing a map more difficult (unless the game is not native but the UI of the game is)
This is great , I'm going to use it for my physical games on the go and leave my regular switch hooked up to my tv at home .
@rjejr no that's not it.
https://cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/images/08_content_images/systems_5/nintendo_switch_3/nintendo_switch_lite_2/NSwitchSpecsBottom_en~2.jpg
This explains it perfectly (those 2 things are not holes, they are screws)
@Heavyarms55 Yes, and it's available at a reduced price with an advertised reduced feature set. It doesn't make your TV obsolete because there is still the core Switch model that maintains that feature. This is a cheaper, lighter option for those that don't use the dock. Of which there are plenty. Nintendo aren't trying to rip you off or force you to adopt a new technology to do the same thing you did before. So it's nothing like the headphone jack saga.
@WiltonRoots It always seems to be one extreme or the other, doesn't it? Frothing rage or blind fanboyism.
Super meh.
Hshdozisne
I'm glad there's finally a Switch I can play in space.
@ZeldaNX honestly I was certain they would keep going exclusively with the OG Switch but in hindsight this really make sense in being aimed at family with multiple kids. Especially ones that already have the OG Switch.
The OG remain for family TV/tabletop splitscreen multiplayer, but the lite offer a new and, more importantly, sturdier(thanks to attached controls) handheld option that individual kids can more easily carry in the rough and tumble of school and so on.
In many ways this remind me less of a 3DS successor than being to the Switch what the original 2DS was supposed to be to the 3DS: the sturdier(the reason why og 2DS didn't have a clamshell flip screen was stories of kids accidently snapping it off in earlier models)and cheaper kid-friendlier option.
In addition to the images of all the good looking young adults playing the switch in cool locations, I wish they would have just one shot of a regular slob carrying it into the bathroom.
If you're only into playing in handheld mode only, this is for you, otherwise, it's a really crappy "addition" to the Switch family, the fact that it doesn't have a kickstand and HD rumble, specially the last one, makes it a no for me.
@abe_hikura ya I don't plan on getting one but I was hoping it'd be at least a little smaller then this, then I probably would think of getting one if I could just put it in my pocket or something like a gameboy xD
@Chozo That would’ve made the whole video! 😂
@Heavyarms55 We'll still have to wait and see if that actually turns out to be literally true. Nintendo has a history of saying their products can "only" be used one way, when in reality it's only OPTIMIZED to be used that way and other ways still work. Like when they said the 3DS didn't support SDHC cards or that the NES Joy-Cons were only for playing the Switch Online NES games. That seems to be their way of simplifying things for their target audience. Going by my understanding of how the hardware works, that capability is an integrated part of the hardware that they'd have to go out their way block. I heavily suspect as long as you have a proper USB-C to HDMI converter with an attached power supply, you'll still be able to get it to output to a TV, but you might not be able to use the built-in controls.
NINTENDO CAN'T SWITCH! No TV mode throws cold water on this announcement.
@WiltonRoots - Okay, but there’s no headphone jaaaaaaackkkk!!! What will I do with my headphooo0nes?!? Oh, there’s a headphone jack. My point still stands.
I'd like to see a 1:1 comparison, but I do think the colors (minus that yellow....No thanks) are nice. They'll clearly add more options if the Pokemon edition is any indication.
That yellow is nasty.
@ZeldaNX They could have just sold the switch without the dock. No need to create a new device.
@Raw_Dawg
Then the price would have been $250 and this just makes the difference.
Uh, the still didn't round of the corners more to allow for a more ergonomic grip, just a downsize of the og switch...
And what's that? No docking? Why? Like that needed specific hardware inside the switch...
@tr573. Thanks for posting the response regarding digital games with multiple consoles, very informative.
@ZeldaNX No. If you drop the Hdmi cable, dock, joy-con grip, and downgrade the left joy-con to the Hori D pad joy-con. It would be less than $200. The dock alone is $90. The grip is $10 The Hdmi cable is probably $5. The difference between the joy-con is about $25.
This could be a terrible solution. It's possible that they just crippled the original switch. I might now have a $300 portable device instead of a $300 home console. I guess only time will tell.
NintendoLife: "These colors are ugly, what were they thinking?"
@Anti-Matter: " It's my signature color!!1"
Yes, the world is still in balance today....
@thatawesomedude Switch docks basically have a DRM encryption - a generic USB-HDMI cable doesn't work. Most of the aftermarket ones are made by pulling the handshake chip from a real Switch dock, or third party reverse engineering attempts, which have had a habit of bricking Switches.
@1UP_MARIO You can see the headphone jack right in the pictures in the above gallery. Right where it is on normal Switch.
Also Koizumi in the intro video explicitly compared it to "the flagship Nintendo Switch console." The "old" switch is still the "flagship" device. It's not being discontinued.
@ZeldaNX At the end of the day the Lite ends up being more expensive. Which is somewhat genius on Nintendo's part. To play a game as intended you still need to buy $80 joy-cons, $10 grip, and probably a $30 dock
@Rayquaza2510 Insert "Wait until your blind at my age" joke here.
Thanks a lot for the pic link, words and arrows help. Too bad that USB-C accessory description doesn't mention TV out or there would be a lot more happy people.
@neufel They have a good size comparison here.
https://www.nintendo.com/switch/compare/
@BlackenedHalo technically a handheld only version of the switch shouldn't be called a switch, but yeah, changing the name would be a branding nightmare. I assume the lite still uses an usb c Port for charging, so having av go through wouldn't break the bank and have the gadget still live up to its namesake. The 100$€ price difference just doesn't seem justified. I love the look though and if the tech and price were alright I'd get a yellow one for the family at launch. Don't worry, I still love Nintendo... and Sony 😁
@bagajr Thanks for the link, it was very cool to look at the size difference when they are next to each other.
While I play 80% docked, I could see how a smaller device would be more easy on my hands. (and more portable in my backpack to work)
I’ve been looking to get a switch for a while and a lot of the the games I want (mostly first Party) work in handheld mode so this is perfect. I’m personally gonna grab the yellow version.
@bimmy-lee But but but....my Pro!?!!?! My precious precious Pro??!?!?!? Frame rates, the PS5 etc.
@WiltonRoots - I’m replying to you from my holodeck. I can barely make out what the Lite looks like because it’s sub 5,000 frames. Just looks like a Game Boy to me. Does it even have a screen? If this thing gets SNES games before Switch Pro, I’m gonna freak out all over the Internet.
The back looks kinda sexy and slick, imo, but I'm not a fan of the front, which I think looks a bit cheap and plasticky-toyish.
@NEStalgia i agree. This is just another option
no family eshop game sharing, no buy.. (they really need to relax that always online secondary console limitation !!)
@WiltonRoots no ray tracing, no buy!
This needs it's own entire bingo card. NL 2-card bingo's era has begun.
@Zeg the always online secondary console works identically to XBox and PlayStation. All three are better than steam, uplay, epic, origin in that regard. It's not changing this century. At least not for the better
@NEStalgia We could do one for Pokemon alone. You can be burnt as a witch for even suggesting you're looking forward to Sword and Shield. Well if these people ever left their houses you could.
@WiltonRoots real gamers don't leave their houses. That's why they don't need portable consoles. Doritos & Dew can be shipped by the case.
Ok, 3 card bingo. Nintendo, Pokemon, switch pro/lite. This is getting complicated.
It's 20XX Nintendo!
gamefreak liieess to ussss, precious!
Muh 4Ks!
No kickstand, no buy
Mega evolution.
BINGO!!!
This gets too complicated a game with 3 cards. I'm not playing it without a proper 8k 120fps console. Come on, Nintendo, it's 2019.....
@NEStalgia Ahhh so that's why a portable only Switch is so confusing. Oh the kickstand. How many portable consoles to date have had a kickstand? Mustn't forget Bezelgate™ either.
@nintendolie From what I have heard, the screen is still 720p and LCD, but smaller. The chip in the Nintendo Switch is a new Nvidia Tegra chip that will allow for longer lasting battery life.
@thatawesomedude I mean maybe. It still has the USB-C connection that the current model has. Maybe if you have a striped down dock and connect that way, it'll work.
@nintendork64 Noooooo way. That's a hella stretch my friend! This is a Game Boy that plays Switch games.
@WiltonRoots ONE portable has a kickstand. So now EVERY portable needs a kickstand. Or do you think it's acceptable to go backwards? Why not just play a game boy if you love the past so much?!
Just like Pokemon emerald had Snorunt, and now every Pokemon EVER has to have Snorunt. #171 FOREVER!!! WHY ARE YOU BACKWARDS?? YOU NUTCASE!!
@vitelus You can Switch it between home, office and vacation.
I don't know, 03:30 looking to avoid that stick to get to the face buttons. Of course, probably feels different in the hands but that's my concern.
@CarpeDiem #11
”Still not sure about the bezels around the screen, Nintendo seem to love huge bezels. Just make it all screen estate for once.”
The bezel is probably there for structural reasons. The original Switch is also structurally extremely sound compared to other smart or tablet-like devices with similar form factors. You could throw the Switch at a wall and it wouldn’t sustain much damage.
But yeah, I hoped it would’ve retained the 6-inch screen.
@Heavyarms55 You're right, of course. Playing devil's advocate for this thing doesn't really work well. The only advantage it has over the original is the fact that the games will appear slightly sharper on the 0.5" smaller screen since they are the same resolution and so the dpi would be increased.
No kickstand is interesting. It's the same thickness as the original Switch though, which means Nintendo's charging stand will likely work with it.
Great, more confusion for parents by now having 5 different portable systems to choose from this holiday- do I get my kid an $80 2DS, a $150 New 2DS XL, a $200 New 3DS XL, a $200 Switch Lite, or a $300 Switch? Yeah, the marketplace is officially flooded with systems that can be played on the go- good job Nintendo this won't cause a glut in stores at all, parents will buy all 5 systems for their kids!
@gamefreak77 the switch lite would be my answer
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