Following the shock announcement of the Nintendo Switch Lite yesterday, many of us were considering if we were going to grab a yellow, grey or turquoise model when they launch in September. Of course, there is also a special Pokémon themed Switch Lite too, which will be ready just in time for the launch of Pokémon Sword and Shield. It's all so exciting!
But no matter what colourful delights Nintendo bring us, we're never happy on the interwebz, are we? Our minds just cannot help drifting and imagining a version of the Nintendo Switch Lite customised to our exact tastes.
Designer Tom Storm has captured our hearts with his rendering of a Game Boy-themed Nintendo Switch Lite, which we feel would be the perfect accompaniment for The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening when it also launches in September. What better way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Game Boy as well?
We just love the attention to detail in Tom's rendering, from the purple face buttons to the retro-styled bezel around the screen.
Let us know your thoughts on this concept with a comment below. Would you buy this in a heartbeat?
[source twitter.com]
Comments 75
Yes. This a nes or a SNES theme and I’d change my mind about getting one. Silly I know but true
Neat. I’m going yellow.
I want Pearl White color for entire Switch body and buttons. 😍
Except the screen. 😅
...until a pink Kirby version comes out
I would go for that, unlike the Pokemon edition I actually like it.
They would make an absolute fortune by letting you go online, make your own design/color scheme like Microsoft does with their controllers. I'd pay a bit extra to have a custom one just how I wanted and I'm sure others would too. This Gameboy one looks ace!
If this device had been announced as "New Nintendo Game Boy" plays Switch games and costs $150, I'd have thought it was a stellar idea!
Because that's what this product is, and that's about the perfect price. Taking away the TV functionality is about half the functionality of the Switch, so it should have cost half as much. Especially since it doesn't have the extra cost of the joycons and dock.
Also Nintendo already had a line of rather iconic single screen portable only devices that just had a major anniversary this year. The timing would have been perfect!
All right ALL RIGHT! This would make me really consider buying what I really don't need... Nintendo knows my weaknesses, and is willing to exploit them, so it could happen... Must fight back.
Atomic purple variant when
Yes. This is desirable.
IF I buy one, it will be the yellow, but if this was an option...
If this were an option I would pick it up day 1.
The Switch lite is basically a Nintendo GameBoy "Switch"
If the battery LED worked, man that is great.
I’d buy that in a hot minute.
I want a purp!e GameCube one or a white one with the SNES coloured buttons like the new 3ds
I would love this one but I'll go for Yellow i think. It will be great to have one just for travelling. Just hope the data transfer system Nintendo is allegedly working on will work seamless.
I wouldn't be able to resist a NES one to go with my NES special edition GBA SP...
Im holding out for one with snes coloured buttons or a pikachu or fire emblem version.
I didn’t initially want a Lite because I love my current Switch, but I would buy this. Without hesitation.
Probably too late the make the dream happen, both the Nintendo Switch Lite and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch launch on September 20th.
@sanderev I don’t understand the game boy line... it’s closer to a Vita Switch if anything
Although I'd prefer an all white Switch, I'd probably dish out the cash for something like this. Looks amazing.
@redd214
Oh man, I'd be all over that. I'd gladly pay extra for that sort of customization.
@NinChocolate You could say it's a bigger GBA with more buttons and backlight:
TBH the Vita (and PSP) also copied the GBA design.
Me right now: Yeah, I think I’ll pass on the Switch Lite. I’m sure it’ll be great for a certain niche. My OG Switch is enough for me.
Me in September: IS THE SWITCH LITE OUT YET?!?!? I NEED IT IN MY LIFE I NEED IT I NEED IT I NEEEEEEEED IIIIIITTTT!!!!!
That's some good use of the bezel... which we would otherwise have wished Nintendo would have avoided for any new Switch iteration, right? But here it's just perfect and wouldn't be the same without it...
I don't know. I am perfectly happy with different colored joycons. I don't think I care if the whole device is colored differently. I just need a small amount of customization.
That's pretty cool.
I honestly don't know if I wouldn't buy that and just sell off my OG switch...
@sanderev It's better if you use the white model. 😉
When I saw the pic I immediately thought GBA.
I can't believe I've been having conversations about the Switch Lite for over 2 years now. Took them long enough.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/03/xbox_boss_phil_spencer_shares_his_thoughts_on_the_nintendo_switch
@rjejr
I quickly made this in Photoshop:
Yeah, it really has the classic GBA feel coloured like this.
@AlternateButtons It's a nice distraction from work. I talk about this stuff, or I can go out to a bar and complain about other things I also can't control. lol
@Heavyarms55 It's an HD-capable handheld that costs the same as a 3DS. It's more than worth $200 if you want a dedicated handheld version of the Switch.
If you don't, then you don't need to buy it. Nintendo's not going to confiscate your hybrid model.
@sanderev I could, but spec for spec it’s still closer to a vita than any game boy.
Omg ... it’s ..... it’s gorgeous. I’d buy this even though I have no plans to get the Lite. I mean, I want a lite... but I just don’t see a need for it since I have an OG Switch already.
Just beautiful. I don't need a switch lite, but I would get this just to keep it in my hands.
See, this is a good news week. Lots of Nintendo goings on. There's no need to try to pad the news with "news" about fan made photoshop hacks on prototype pictures of newly announced hardware.
@Heavyarms55 You're sort of right about the naming. Functionally, and it's obvious intention, is as the next iteration in the Game Boy/DS line of products. So using those names make sense based on the hardware functionality. But that would be confusing.
Buy the new Game Boy(TM)!
Where are the games?
Oh you buy Switch games, it plays Switch games.
But you said it's a Game Boy!
It IS A Game Boy(TM); But you use it to play Switch games. There are no new Game Boy games.
Wait so the new console has no games?
Sure it does! Games Like Luigi's Mansion 3, Fire Emblem 3 Houses, Dragon Quest XI!
No, those are Switch games, where are the Game Boy games?
No, no, the Game Boy(TM) plays Switch games!
But it has no Game Boy games?
No, the Game Boy(TM) is for playing Switch games!
Then what does Switch do?
Please understand.....
Its role is that of a new Game Boy (which is why people are excited), but it makes a lot more sense to call it a Switch since it doesn't get a separate library of games, takes Switch game cards, is compatible with all Switch controllers and non-attachable accessories, has Switch's controller layout, plays Switch games, and offers the same (handheld) experience as Switch (sans HD rumble.) It's a little unfortunate that "Switch" is a name so descriptive of what the primary unit physically does and thus doesn't apply to this hardware piece, but Switch Lite is probably the best description you can have of it - it's like a Switch with a reduced feature set. Namely it can't Switch. (Which also explains why they were so bent on encrypting and locking the video out to not work with 3rd party docks and such - can't very well have people docking their Mini if they want to play on TV. )
Though it's clear the design intent in addition to price point was to cut costs of production to absolute minimum to maximize margin on a very mass-market priced device. I'd wager they're making a lot more profit on a Lite sale than on a normal Switch sale, since the normal Switch is actually a fairly expensive device to produce, and Lite stripped it down to minimum assembly. I doubt Lite needs as robust a cooling solution either without needing docked mode....so some of the weight loss is probably a smaller copper heatpipe- so running it docked if it tries to run in high power mode could probably burn it out, too.
If they do one like a nes controller similar to the SP that was done I'm so there. Of course I'd have to find a way to explain to my wife why I need 2 Switches.
@Rafx Give one to her.
YES! I would buy a GameBoy version in an instant! I plan on buying the yellow one for my wife for xmas.
Seeing as I never owned the original coloured Game Boy, but a red one with black buttons, I figured I would make a quick and dirty edit (so mind the rough edges):
Here's the Game Boy for reference:
@sanderev unfortunately she is not a gamer. Even watching her play the original Mario game is like watching two blind squirrel s fighting over a nut. Lol
That looks amazing, but I would still rather have the turquoise.
That looks incredible
Don't plan on picking up a Lite, but if one of these were available that might just change my mind xD
This needs to be a reality, like seriously
This truly is pure awesome.
@Monkeido Oh heck no....if you could strap that to a Labo VR, you couldn't unsee it:
@sanderev oooh, pretty. Honestly I like it more than the current yellow or turquoise.
I probably should have mentioned I owned the white GBA which is why I always think of the white one.
@Monkeido Your red Switch Lite looks so much like my Mario Switch I don't think they'll bother making a red one. Unless they bundle it with SMO 2 I suppose. hmmm
I love the little details on this design like the green screen and the shape of the speaker in the bottom corner!
@NEStalgia Can you believe we've been discuss this for nearly 2 1/2 years?
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/03/xbox_boss_phil_spencer_shares_his_thoughts_on_the_nintendo_switch
Looks like you were right about Sony not making a new handheld, even I don't believe anymore. 5G means we still could get a StadiaGo before Google abandons it in 6 months. Who knows, by 6G we could get closer to your wireless world. (post #41)
Honestly though, who else thought this was official when they first saw the article? I was disappointed to find out I can't buy it
@rjejr I know! I keep thinking over those conversations as these articles pop up It's pretty much the exact device we arrived at, too! Though I'm surprised it has stand-out sticks. Lacking a clamshell isn't surprising, but that was a good design. It's more of a return to the GBA.
Haha! Always glad to be right about something...even if it's the end of PSP.
StadioGo....shiver. Of all the harebrained, ill-thought Google services over the years, Stadia has got to be the worst one I've seen yet. Big data still doesn't seem to understand that 5G is pure garbage. They're in a race to beat China to it because China's betting the bank on it and they don't want China to get control of the tech worldwide. The problem is it's a tech that probably works just fine for China where everyone will be displaced to put it where they want it, harm be darned, and ONLY the cities actually matter to them. Anyone who ever though UHF communications was in any way useful in the US should be made to wear a Radio Shack uniform for the rest of their lives. If UHF was so useful cable would have never even become a thing.
Such a shame Wimax was killed off by VZW/ATT/TMO. That was substantially superior tech. They're using WiMax 2.0 in parts of Eastern Europe. I hear it works great. And isn't half as terrible as LTE.
Intel already has a good system for a wireless world. The phone companies just refuse to use it....instead playing with their "refrigerator sized cabinets every 800ft, and doubling the number of 4G towers" (I love how the backbone of "5G" is doubling 4G capacity.... )
I gotta admit, it looks great. Too bad it ain't real...
@Doktor-Mandrake There are bound to be some console skins for the Switch lite. For instance dbrand has already Nintendo Switch skins, I can see them make some for the Lite as well..
https://dbrand.com/shop/nintendo-switch-skins
@BensonUii No one is saying to call it a GameBoy lol. They're just saying it would be nice to see this done as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the GameBoy and also a cool nod given Link's Awakening is coming the same day and was originally on GameBoy.
@NEStalgia All that hate for cell phone tech yet you still buy a $1,000 phone. 🤣
I think we'll still get a SwitchDS w/ the clamshell design. Why make a 2DS tablet into a New 2DS clamshell if you are abandoning the clamshell design? Might be called a SwitchDS or Switch Mini - this one is Lite b/c it's Lite on features - I can't believe how many times you are still explaining that to people, it's not called a Switch, it's called Nintnedo Switch LITE b/c it's a gimped Switch that plays Switch games. Look at the box art, might as well leave off the Switch name entirely and just call it Nintendo Lite.
So anyway, it's not Mini, it's Lite, so a Swtich Mini clamshell with like a 4.5" screen could still happen in a couple of years. How else are they going to port all of those DS and 3DS games and a few Wii U games like W101 and SFZ? Also WW HD and TP HD, the games were the map wasn't a distraction to drivers.
@rjejr I didn't buy a phone. I bought a pocket computer. If it happens to do telephone things, that's a free bonus. It's just a modern Palm Pilot/iPaq to me!
I suppose DS Lite confuses the matter since in one area it had more features than DSi (GBA BC), but still, it's not the first Lite console Nintendo has ever made...you would think there wouldn't be confusion on this. It's like Reggie's words all those years were just too big and complicated...people needed more simplification from Nintendo.
I could see a clamshell model in the future. I don't know if they could cut the screen any smaller though. People want it but 3rd party games would be nigh unusable on such tiny screens (how is Stadia and XCloud going to handle that??) Micro Switch (that's what I'm going to call the 4" clamshell because I want to watch the world burn) I could see being only a very late stage entry....like when they're phasing Switch out sort of thing. I don't think they want anyone confusing it for a DS line product, so they need the iconic, unique design that almost looks like a Vita except not as ergonomically disastrous.
I'm a lot less certain they'd do it though that I was about this. Sure they have no way to BC the DS games. But, otoh, structuring a Switch to look DS-like may be damaging too.
If this would ever happen, I'd would make room in my budget for this particular Switch special edition! It would be the perfect gaming handheld!
@NEStalgia Nintendo doens't seem too worried about brand confusion when they call the new 3DS literally New 3DS and change the tablet 2DS into a clamshell design for New 2DS XL.
But you may be right about a Switch DS, people might expect it to play DS or 3DS games out of the box. So maybe a Micro Switch. After Switch 2 or whatever in a few more years.
You and your pocket computer are on a roll.
@rjejr New 3DS is a stupid name but it doesn't create confusion. It' literally says it's a New 3DS. One could argue they did that specifically because of the kind of people that don't get that a Switch Lite is a Lite Switch.
WiiU is the example you should have used 2DS is an odd animal. It was weird it was ever a tablet to begin with. In that sense New 2DS kind of merged it into the 3DS line where it belonged.
Switch though has more focused marketing than any of that. Beyond the "it's a hybrid that switches" marketing not applying to the Lite - the brand itself....the logo being a Yin-Yang mirroring the offset stick design on a slate, etc, is concise. The logo looks like the machine. If you change the physical design in a way that ruins the brand continuity, that might create confusion.
It would be like Apple making a product in a color that wasn't white or silvery-white.... (Ok, I know the iPhone C-series is multi-color but you get the point. That's their 2DS moment.
If they would add the currogated feel to the back that would be awesome. GameBoy fingertips like back then... 😍
I probably won’t be getting the Switch Lite, but I’m a total sucker for this kinda stuff. If Nintendo released this, I would have no choice but to buy it.
@Stocksy same.
This is the same thing I suggested for a name(roughly) instead is Switch Lite. The colors look good on it as well. This I would consider buying
@NEStalgia "It would be like Apple making a product in a color that wasn't white or silvery-white...."
@NEStalgia Haha that's true! ^^
@rjejr I'd love to own that! I don't understand why Nintendo is so reluctant to use their own brand colour for their products.
I’d buy this even though I don’t NEED it
@Monkeido "I don't understand why Nintendo... "
Welcome to the club where nobody understands anything that Nintendo does. We usually just write it off as a Japanese thing that only makes sense to them but nobody else. If you're Japanese you'll need to find some other excuse.
@rjejr Every single one of those prominently features white though....except the Nano. But Nano's just weird.
@NEStalgia "prominently features white"
And this pine tree prominently features brown.
But since you don't like the Nano, have a Touch.
@Stocksy Totally agree! I got the GBASP NEs version when it came out and then the Smash Bros 3DSXL (the red and black was a nice throwback to Nintendo of the 80s and 90s ident) and then I got Japanese New 3DSXL in the SNES colors so yes,it’d make perfect sense for Nintendo to release a version in classic throwback colors, either Game Boy or NES ^_^
DAMN CLICKBAIT!!! I thought this was REAL! Yeah, real VAPORWARE! But just to be clear, I would totally buy it... if it were REAL, which it ISN'T! DAMN CLICKBAIT!!! I thought this was REAL!
😣😤💩😡😖😩🔫💀👎👍👎👉💣👈💔🚫❓❌❗🎭🚑🔓🔒💉💊🍼💤🌈🌻🐇🐥🐨💖✌😶
Well fudgesicles,I really thought this was really real!!
This makes me dream of a switch console release in original famicom colours.
That's beautiful.
Totally would buy this! Good point though, which raises a question: Why isn’t Nintendo releasing a special edition Switch or Switch lite alongside the release of Link’s Awakening? Practically every previous Zelda game in the series had a home system or handheld system themed-after the game... any leaks?
Tap here to load 75 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...