Whatever your opinion on Nintendo's new console reveal, the Switch Lite appears to have investors of the company rather excited.
According to the Financial Times, the Switch Lite reveal caused stock to rise by as much as 4.5% today, reaching ¥41,780 at its peak. This leaves Nintendo's shares at a nine-month high.
It's easy to see why investors would be excited by the new product; costing $100 less than the original Switch model, the Switch Lite looks like a perfect way to snap up a younger audience or families who would be put off by a higher price point. Kantan Games analyst, Dr. Serkan Toto, has said the following:
“Investors should see the Switch as way for Nintendo to substantially increase the install base and prolong the life-cycle of the console for years.
This device will be a mega hit."
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects the console to be supply constrained towards the end of year, estimating that it will ship 8.5 million units during this fiscal year and 11.5 million the following year. He described the Switch Lite as “the right product at the right time.”
Do you agree? Do you think the Switch Lite will go on to be a huge success? We're still listening to all your Switch Lite thoughts in the comments.
[source ft.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 115
Definetly the right product at the right time!
I love these kind of articles, people will prolly be happy now (even when I think that the most of us do not have Nintendo stocks), but when the share price goes down because of something once again everbody (who prolly also do not have stocks) gets mad.
Just funny thats all.
NintendoLife, please. you have posted 13 Switch Lite related articles in less than 24 hours.
PLEASE STOP. we get it, you want clicks.
A number of Nintendo blog/podcasters already having to tell people that a Switch lite might not be for them but another audience. I assume because they are reading all the reaction comments from people expressing disgust and confusion at the reduced model.
@zocker-hias It's like they've done this before..
2/3 the cost but like 40% the functionality. Something seems off.
No detachable controllers I can live with. Smaller actually isn't a bad idea. But taking away the TV functionality is a massively stupid drawback. And I don't understand why they did it. Unless the Switch lite has been totally rebuilt internally removing components that are needed for that.
Like, not shipping with a dock I would understand. Making the device not work on TV at all... WHY?
And save your "It's not for you comments!" desperate to defend this. This is not a Switch, it's a Game Boy. It only has about 40-50% of the features of the base model, but costs 2/3s as much and that's real dumb.
$150, and marketed as a new Game Boy that plays Switch games... then I would understand.
Nothing to do with clicks imo, they’re a nintendo website and this is a big nintendo product.
@Heavyarms55 Switch lite is a 2nd option... what’s with the protest?
@Fuz More than 90% of the articles should have been combined, though. Now you have MULTIPLE articles with the same kind of comments.
They should have made one "soapbox" to talk about the system and news articles without comments. Or less articles.
@CharlieGirl It's a Nintendo news website. It's perfectly normal. They're doing their job.
No tv because they want you to buy thé original switch.
If the lite could do tv what’s the point of the non lite?
@graysoncharles oh no
@sailornic yes, they’ve eliminated building in any redundancy. A one switch owner becomes a two switch owner to maximize the benefits (profits) of both models
I have to agree with @Heavyarms55 on this one.This isn't a Switch, it is a Gameboy. Except it is too big, remove one joy con from your Switch and it is the same width, thickness is nearly the same and it is 1cm shorter. That is less portable than a normal Switch in tablet mode (my preferred way to play when I am out).
The price if anything, will likely push more normal Switch sales. It is as bad a misnomer calling this a Switch lite as Metroid Prime:Federation force. I was looking forward to a more portable Switch, but the lite is too big for it's function and too expensive for adoption by younger audience.
£150-£160 and a smaller design, shave off a few more cm, would have "been a mega hit".
Love this type of post, as it shows that the stock market is just a type of gambling.
@Heavyarms55 Like you I fail to understand the cost for a console with roughly the same battery life, a smaller screen and so many functions removed.
My best guess for the absence of dock compatibility is heat. When docked, the Switch is overclocked and heats a lot more. Not giving TV compatibility means the Switch Lite heats less and require a smaller cooling system. And the difference also justifies buying the original Switch which is now the high end.
@Mycroft very likely as it even looks like the rumour from when the Switch first came out. Why they didn't pick the Switch Flip design for the portable iteration is beyond me tho (to get those GBA SP vibes).
WHAT ?
https://www.amazon.de/Stichw%C3%B6rter-3-markiert-Games/s?k=B07V6M7YLT+%7C+B07V5JJHK4+%7C+B07V5JJ4ZD&rh=n%3A300992
I thought the price was 199... which is already too expensive for what it is BTW but at 230 NO WAY.
@Rhaoulos I suppose a smaller cooling system is possible, but that really doesn't sound like a good idea. Having watched a lot of videos about tearing down and repairing Switch units, I feel like the cooling system rides a very thin line as it is.
@NinChocolate Did you not even read my comment? It has less than half the features of the base model, but still costs two thirds as much. Furthermore it's not a Switch. The whole idea of the Switch was the ability to SWITCH between console and TV modes. This device cannot do it.
It's over priced and mislabeled for what it is.
@CharlieGirl Nobody is forcing you to read them you whinge. A hardware revision on a Nintendo news website is understandably a big news story. Your sense of entitlement is overwhelming.
@Heavyarms55 I'm with you on this. I do not plan on getting one, unless Nintendo can do something to really wow me and absolutely blow me out of the water.
Assuming it ever gets made, I'm going to save my money for a Switch Pro. But in the meantime, I am perfectly fine with my original model Switch.
@Heavyarms55 Less than half the features? It still has the #1 feature of playing (99% of) Switch games. If you're someone who doesn't really care about playing docked or playing with others on a single switch, it seems like a great deal for $100 less.
As for your other point, I suppose they could've named it Ninten No Switch.
@Heavyarms55 I think it's a great product, there is a huge market for Switch with those who only want it as a handheld device, saying its only 40% of the functionality is an exaggeration as it literally just doesn't connect to a TV. There will also be people like myself who want a second Switch for the household so detachable joy cons or lack of tv output are of no concern. At £80 cheaper its also a good deal for those who are interested in it and it's an extra choice for consumers, if you want to be able to play on a TV buy the standard Switch and if you aren't bothered buy the cheaper one
@astrofan1993 I can't think of a single reason for anyone who already has the original model to ever buy this. If you are that desperate for a D-pad joycon there are 3rd party options. Or you can buy one of mod kits floating around. I modded on of my joycon sets and despite no training in electronics and never having done anything like it before, it took about 40 minutes and works great!
But I feel bad for those looking for a cheaper Switch, because this device isn't sufficiently cheaper to justify the lost features.
Did all of you not read the comments here? So many people don't want to play Switch on a TV. They just want to play in handheld and so Nintendo gave us the not-switch Switch which you can only play in handheld mode.🤷♂️
@Rhaoulos If the Switch Lite had the option to be docked, that would make the OG Switch irrelevant. And why would Nintendo want that? That happened with the OG DS.
I'm shocked that people around here can't understand the purpose of the lite. It's an alternative for people who primarily play in handheld mode — nothing more, nothing less. If you want to use the older features, stick with the regular Switch. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
@NinChocolate Well, of course it's meant for a different audience. I don't know how there could even be any confusion about that. This is essentially the Switch's 2DS, or the Switch's Wii Mini: much cheaper, some minor stuff that's fairly unimportant to everyday consumers removed, with the real deal still available. The lack of any rumble at all is a shame, but with the horrible noise the regular Switch makes in handheld mode when the joycons rumble, I can't say it wasn't to be expected.
@Heavyarms55 It is almost certainly to do with thermals, By shrinking the device they have a much smaller thermal envelop to work with. In TV mode the increased clocks equal increased heat. There is no cost in enabling TV mode as it is part of the X1 i/o package and both devices have a usb-c that can carry the signal. But you can't cheat physics, higher clocks need more power produces more heat.
@Heavyarms55 I hear what you’re saying, ‘Switch’ was both a brand name and a literal description. It got the message out. Clever. I don’t feel that a ‘Switch Lite’ is some travesty. I think it’s okay to just build out the brand element of “Switch”. Like an Apple Watch isn’t a literal apple. It’s just a name.
@nintendoknife Minor stuff? You mean the main advantage the Switch had over previous devices? I bet you a month's wage that the overwhelming majority of players use both docked and handheld modes for their devices. I'm THAT confident.
@NinChocolate Apple never marketed themselves as a fruit. Apple always was just a name. The Switch was named after its primary advantage over other products, its hybrid nature. They've taken that feature away. It is no longer a Switch. It's been downgraded back to Game Boy. (not bashing on Game Boy, I love the thing, but it is inferior to Switch)
@Heavyarms55 Switch lite is a 2nd option...
@Heavyarms55 The Switch as is will have something in it to upscale when docked, that was probably taken out for space saving purposes. I personally prefer this as I only play handheld but the battery life isn't an increase enough to warrant the change
It’s going to sell well, there’s a lot of people out there who only care about handheld gaming.
@Rhaoulos Market segmentation.
@Heavyarms55 Portability.
I can play the same games on the big switch at home and take the pocketable device on airplanes with me. There is one reason for you.
@TooBarFoo TV mode doesn't technically need to increase clock speeds, though. They could easily force handheld speeds and tell people that it's possible to use the dock but not recommended because the 'real' Switch will display a better picture. People with 720p TVs wouldn't even notice.
Edit: in fact, I'm positive that whenever the Switch Lite gets hacked, some clever homebrewer will figure out a way to do just that.
As a share owner (I have two shares!) I personally made a fortune of $3.18.
Not often Nintendo make me money, I can tell you!
@StevenG sorry but this device is not pocketable, and is less so than the original Switch because you cannot remove the controller's. First thing I checked out was the dimensions to see if it was suitable for my niece. It simply isn't portable.
@Heavyarms55 I'm pretty sure you're wrong on that, see the article below. A significant portion of the userbase (in 2017, when it was only just released) considered the TV mode as an afterthought.
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-10-31-nintendo-switch-owners-play-slightly-more-in-handheld-mode-than-on-tv
In any case, I was only talking about hardware like detachable controllers, IR sensors or rumble, not the lack of compatibility with the dock - although the comments above already indicate why they wouldn't want to (but technically could) make it dock-compatible.
As for your comments about the 'Switch' name no longer being accurate, tell that to the company who created a 3D handheld and then made not one but two versions of it that didn't include the 3D functionality at all, or who gave an entirely new console a name that sounded like it was just an alternate version of their older console.
Let's all wait for the inevitable New Switch lite
@CharlieGirl Nobody cares what you think about the number of articles. Don't like it? Don't click.
@FargusPelagius I'm putting my bets on the "New Super 2Switch (i) Lite XL Micro Advance SP U Pocket Classic".
@FargusPelagius it’s substantially lighter. Won’t have to really cinch my waist belt just to keep my pants up!
@Heavyarms55 Marketing it as a Gameboy would be the dumbest possible decision they could make. The Switch is now an established brand. It doesn't matter at this point if it "Switches" or not, the name has brand recognition - the original meaning no longer matters. See 3DS/2DS. Naming it something else would be far more confusing to the average consumer than a Switch that doesn't switch.
I agree with you that it's stupid they removed TV out capability. But there is still the original switch option if you need it. Despite what you want to hear - a substantially cheaper, portable only switch clearly isn't for you.
I was thinking of getting this one next to my already owned Switch original.
But being unable to play games like ARMS, Mario Party and Pokemon Go on this device made me change the idea.
@Moonwalker-1986 you can though. Just connect another set of joycons for motion controls or don't use the motion controls.
@Illusion all the games I mentioned can't be played without the motion and playing with the Joy Cons on this device isn't a good option as there is no kickstand lol.
@Heavyarms55,
The whole point is to offer a more portable alternative to the Nintendo Switch,and to be honest I do not expect many people myself included to be all that impressed by this revision,but it will sell very well.
@NinChocolate aye at least they got weight about right. Just a few more cm smaller and it would have been an ideal birthday present for my niece. Oh well
@Moonwalker-1986 they need to isolate next the table top mode. I’m taking a tablet the size of an iPad and round off the the joy cons for extra comfort, no need to attach them
@NinChocolate ironically table top mode is my preferred way to play the Switch, unless I am online, in which case I pass it through my Xbox for voice chat.
@FargusPelagius I’ve said all along that Sony Vita is the perfect sized handheld. This is just a bit larger, so ya, it just misses perfection, I hear ya
@NinChocolate again, this one doesn't have a kickstand like the original model so playing using Joy Cons is a bad idea.
@FargusPelagius I have an iPad Pro that I use for work. I’ve often daydreamt playing Switch games on it with my joy cons
@Moonwalker-1986 I’m saying they need a table top only switch variant to accommodate the ultimate table top experience.
However, when I’m at a restaurant, I don’t even bother with the kickstand on my Switch anymore. I just play it flat on the table so for me there’s no issue there
@NinChocolate aye no joke either, I loved the size of the Vita, just right for me, a little big for younger members of family. The two flaws of Vita, memory cards and no TV out (like that stupidly rare PSP cable!), Sony would have demolished 3DS with less greed and a little more practicality.
@CharlieGirl
They’re an Nintendo fan site funded by advertising. What did you expect?!
@Moonwalker-1986 my Switch case (£10 at launch) has a fold over for game storage. Switch just lies back on it nicely while I play table top mode. No doubt at all the same case will release for this model.
However this Lite isn't right for me.
@sanderev
I disagree. I don’t want to plough through one massive article to find the bits of info relevant to me. There have been a couple of Lite-related articles I haven’t read as they’re not relevant.
And again, it’s a Nintendo fan site. They get their revenue from advertising. Clicks help advertising. New hardware is big news. Complaining about them making a big deal of it is strange.
@NinChocolate Switch Lite is brilliant.
The key issue with many Nintendo fanboys is they're often stubborn control freaks who think they know best for everyone else and people only like what they like, the concept of people having different tastes and requirements is alien to them.
Very backward and defensive - it has taken over a year for most fanboys to become accustomed to the idea of the impending Switch Pro in 2020.
Atleast Sony and MS fanboys are open to multiple choices, the Pro, X, slim models of their systems added much needed diversity to their markets.
@FargusPelagius ya that PS TV was a step too far. Should have made the Vita dockable. Hard to believe now that Nintendo was first to do it when Sony had all the ingredients with Vita
@liveswired oh for sure it’s brilliant. There’s a reason people knew right from the outset of the reveal of Switch that Nintendo could and probably would just make a traditional compact handheld version as soon as things got rolling. This really was no surprise and the rumor was no big deal. There’s a market for dedicated handhelds, Nintendo caters to that market with their software to keep it going, the ingredient all the other major players lack
@johnvboy That, I don't deny, despite the clear flaws I pointed out, it still plays the outstanding library of games on Switch. That alone means it will sell.
The Switch Lite is what it is-- Want/Need to play Switch portably only, you're going to get this... That's the point of it's marketing. Unfortunately I don't meet that market. My market is the one awaiting the Switch Pro which should be available one the hype settles for Switch Lite in 1.5 - 2 years from now. By then PS5 and Scarlett should be established enough that Nintendo will need to bring the Switch up to PS4/XB1 standards and add a couple other bells and whistles. Til then, original Switch for now.
Hm, side thought: I wonder if Nintendo would release a console only option that's more powerful to satisfy that market...?
If you already own a Switch why even bother with is?
I think it won’t be the success they expect a least not at this price.
@nintendoknife They changed the name for the 3DS to the 2DS when they dropped that feature.
I find it funny people actually think this revision is gonna be "pocketable" maybe if you have massive cargo pants. Be careful when you sit down!
10 bucks says we start hearing about a bunch of these things breaking for this very reason!
Pokemon + cheaper handheld model is going to light the market on fire this holiday season. It was a brilliant move.
@NinChocolate "Sony Vita is the perfect sized handheld." It's pretty good, but this really mostly depends on the size of your hands. Regular New 3DS and the PSP Go are my top picks.
@FargusPelagius You may want to look into getting an SD2Vita adapter, it lets you use MicroSD cards (but it uses the game cart slot, so you have to play digital games only) and will only cost you a dollar, maybe two. There's also an internal modification for the 3G Vita 1000, PSVSD, which replaces the 3G SIM module with an SD card slot (meaning: it lets you use the game cart slot). It does cost significantly more but setting it up is as easy as unscrewing the Vita's backside, taking out the SIM module and putting the PSVSD in its place. You do need to hack your system to be able to use the SD2Vita and/or the PSVSD, though, but it's pretty easy to do. The Vita is such a great handheld, as long as you hack it to overclock, improve the resolution, and other tweaks which make it shine (none of them pose any danger to the system).
@Heavyarms55 Yes, but it's still a system in the 3DS line of products and all games are still sold under the 3DS moniker. Agreed on the cargo pants comment, by the way. It's fine to walk around with but sitting down is impossible unless your pockets are extremely deep.
@NinChocolate
Of course! And Nintendo should also bring a Switch, which you can only play with one player and another one, where two people can play. I also want a Switch just for playing online and another one with no gaming function at all.🤪
It's sad, that they days of the Switch concept are basically over, because the average, dumb consumer will just buy the cheaper version and sooner or later no developer will care for the regular Switch features.
@Heavyarms55
The regular Switch is even more pocketable, because you can remove the Joy-Cons.
@MrBlacky What do you mean by "the regular Switch features"? The IR sensor and rumble? Barely any games made use of those anyway. Regardless, you could have posted the same comment when they released the 3DS. No one will make 3D games anymore! Well - other than some games released late in the system's life which were too resource-intensive to get the 3D to work without a significant performance impact - they did, despite the 2DS selling like hotcakes.
@Heavyarms55 my guess is removing TV function removes the need for a fan as the GPU won’t be over clocked so saves cost and space that way.
@MrBlacky you’ll have to reference which comment you’re replying to at this point
@beazlen1 There's still a fan:
https://cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/images/08_content_images/systems_5/nintendo_switch_3/nintendo_switch_lite_2/NSwitchSpecsTop_en~2.jpg
Also see the comments by @TooBarFoo.
@nintendoknife I’m with you on psp, if it just could have a 5’’ screen. I can get all the details I need to with 5” and up
@FargusPelagius As a grown man and not your niece I disagree.
Removing the controllers does not make the original switch pocket able.
@NinChocolate I just saw your comment on how Nintendo was the first to do a dockable handheld or a portable home console, technically that honour goes to the PSP Go (which you can even connect a DualShock 3 controller to, which lets you play 2-player PS1 games!), or the Sega Nomad, depending on your preferred description of what the Switch is. Both are almost as simple in use: on the PSP Go, you just hold a button for a couple of seconds and it switches to TV out (provided the cables are connected, but if you use the dock they probably are), and the Nomad was a matter of connecting the cables. Nintendo are definitely the first to do it really well, though.
@graysoncharles @nintendoknife
If there’s still a fan and the chip is the same then it makes no sense to me. I’m with you guys. Thank you for the heads up.
Kills me seeing people bent out of shape over the LiteSwitch. "Rahr rahr rahr nobody wants that, rahr rahr rahr it's not gonna sell after Pokemon rahr rahr rahr what's the point".
Have a seat, and observe the sales curve impact this thing has for the foreseeable future. Then you'll understand.
@nintendoknife that’s a good reminder too. I guess I’m just thinking that Sony could have taken it to an equivalent level, really setting up the identity of the Vita as a dockable handheld. Nintendo certainly wasn’t original in the hybrid aspect, but they centralized the design around it. That was waiting for someone to do: make the real hybrid console not just a link cable bonus feature. The tech is all the same, it’s all in the pitch and Nintendo was speeding towards it, but Sony was there too. I think the problem is that Sony failed to compete against themselves, really doubling down on the PSP’s features and software pipeline. They did more of a reboot of the initial concept than an evolution
@nintendoknife
TV mode, local multiplayer. And almost no game makes use of rumble? What?
Business as usual for the stock market, then. Investors are fickle beasts and like to see what will be a hot product hit the market (and help line their pockets. ).
@NinChocolate
Good question.🤔 I think it was your comment, regarding Nintendo should bring a dedicated version for tabletop use.
BTW: As the biggest Nintendo site in europe, it's really laughable that there is such a shitty forum with no working reply-functionality whatsoever. Doesn't this bother anyone or do you just don't care anymore?
EDIT: I am replying to your question about my question.
@MrBlacky oh, okay. Yeah, big Nintendo switch gaming tablet, that’s the dream, yeah
Why the hell would anybody want a gimped Switch? The regular Switch can't even do full 1080p in BotW while docked and we're quickly moving into a 4K resolution era. Walk into a hardware store and check out the huge majority of 4K TV's for sale compared to the very few 1080p TV's. We need a BETTER switch if anything - one that can do 4K 60hz / 60fps at least. Nintendo's jaggy, pixelated, low res textures are getting old real fast. We're living in a era where parents are buying their kids $1000 phones. Do you really think people will complain about a $400 console that can keep up with modern day TV's?
@NinChocolate The Vita could have probably really competed with the 3DS (like the PSP did with the DS) if only they didn't make the system so expensive, and if only they didn't make yet another proprietary memory card that was also extremely expensive even for really low storage amounts. Neither the 3DS nor the Vita had a good start, but Nintendo learned from their mistakes and released a string of excellent games in quick succession, and made the system a lot cheaper as well. This got a lot of people buying the console for those games, which in turn got third parties much more interested in releasing games for a popular system. It's as if Nintendo, in response to the really bad initial sales, said "we'll do everything we can to make it a success", and Sony, in turn, said "oh well, looks like no one wants the Vita, let's forget all about it because people must only be interested in mobile games".
@Ravenmaster
“Why the hell would anybody want a gimped Switch? ”
You’re confusing what you want with what other people want. Watch it sell.
@Heavyarms55 I only use my original Switch as handheld.
I see exatly the same use in this revision. Excepting that I'll need to use another joycons whenever I want to play Mario party.
For me, the only difference is the screen size. Which I'm alright with it being cheaper.
@nintendoknife
I really liked the Vita by it never stood a chance. It really needed Sony to throw their full weight behind it but they couldn’t support two systems as they needed to do the same with PS4. Nintendo had the same issue with 3DS and Wii U.
Nobody can support two systems anymore, hence the Switch.
@JaxonH
It’s getting hilarious now.
I can’t believe so many posters are unable to understand that what they want does not represent what everyone wants.
I also can’t believe so many posters are incapable of going ‘well not for me, but I’m sure it will do well and it doesn’t affect me in any way’.
@liveswired
“The key issue with many Nintendo fanboys is they're often stubborn control freaks who think they know best for everyone else and people only like what they like, the concept of people having different tastes and requirements is alien to them.”
Absolutely spot on.
@carlos82 After thinking about it, I've got to agree with @Heavyarms55. And here's why:
With every new "re-iteration" of their systems (with the exceptions of the 2DS, the Gen 2 Wii and Wii Lite, but we will not speak of such awful things), Nintendo has always ADDED or IMPROVED functionality. Look at DS Lite (which made the screens far brighter and the system beautiful but still carried the Lite name), DSi, New Nintendo 3DS, etc.
Releasing the Switch Lite is like releasing the Star Wars prequels, which were also awful. I'm not saying there's not a market for it, but it begs the question as to why Nintendo didn't stick with the core reason to call it a "Switch" in the first place. At least including a kickstand would allow you to say you can "switch" to table top mode. Now it's just as confusing as the marketing for the Wii U for the average consumer, who might be calling Nintendo customer service asking how exactly to hook it up to a TV (which they obviously can't).
The Switch Lite really isn't for most of the people commenting on it. It's meant to convince parents to buy their younger children a Nintendo handheld because it's $100 cheaper. Or to buy it as a second Switch to stop the siblings (or significant other) from fighting over time with the first one.
The good news is it will expand the install base on an already healthy Switch games library. More third party support should follow. That benefits everybody.
@Ravenmaster "The regular Switch can't even do full 1080p in BotW while docked" That's mostly because BotW is a Wii U game that was quickly ported to the Switch, not because the Switch can't handle it. I'm willing to bet that the sequel will run in 1080p no problem.
In regards to 2160p, first of all it's only an incremental upgrade to 1080p, whereas 1080p was an enormous upgrade to 480p (usually 480i), especially with TV broadcasts in mind. Most importantly, though, only a minority of games actually run in full native 2160p, most use all kinds of optimisation tricks to make the image look like it's 2160p whereas it actually isn't. 2160p (and more) screens are being heavily pushed by the TV industry even though nothing actually properly supports them yet. Technically the same thing happened with 1080p, the PS3 and Xbox 360 mostly played games at 720p, or '1080p' with a boatload of optimisation tricks. The PS4 and Xbox One are really the first consoles to be able to run 1080p properly, and even they still have lots of games running at e.g. 900p, like Breath of the Wild.
Even then, for people to even notice any real difference, they need to either have an enormous TV and/or sit right in front of it, as you can see in the graph below. I'm sitting about 3m from a 22 inch 720p TV and, save for some rare occasions with extremely obvious artifacting, cannot truly tell the difference between a 480p and 720p signal. The TV industry luckily isn't as full of snake oil salesmen as e.g. the hifi industry, but there are still many placebo improvements being passed around, and the fact that most TVs available in stores nowadays are 4K has more to do with making money than offering discernible improvements.
https://i.rtings.com/images/optimal-viewing-distance-television-graph-size.png
At some point, some of you are gonna have to realize that the name of the device will stop having any meaning other than being the name of the device.
The "Switch Lite should have been called _______ becuz it doeznt dock to the TV" comments are ridiculous
@nintendork64 That is wrong. The GB Micro, for example, lost support for GB/GBC games. The NES got a cute top loader redesign that broke support for certain games. The SNES got a redesign with only one kind of video output (not the best one) as opposed to the original's three. The DS no longer supported GB/GBC games either. The DSi, which was definitely an improvement overall, removed the GBA slot altogether (even though the chip that allows it to play GBA games is actually still there). In fact, the DS Lite already made GBA cartridges stick out uncomfortably far. The 2DS no longer had 3D, the later Wii models no longer supported GC controllers and memory cards, and the Wii Mini didn't really support anything other than playing Wii games.
In the end it's hard to say "Nintendo always improved with reiterations, except for this and that and that and that and that and that case". Some reiterations are just meant as cheaper alternatives. Don't worry, a more powerful Switch will inevitably come next year or the year after.
@nintendork64 this isn't a re-iteration though, its an alternative for those that just want a handheld and even the kickstand would be irrelevant as the controllers don't come off. Remember those buying it are doing so to play a handheld and won't care about joy cons and if they did then the normal Switch still exists.
If you don't want to but one then fair enough but I bet you any money that they sell millions of them. I personally will be buying one so that I can play some handheld multiplayer with my son and for when the Pokemon games come out. He has never played my Switch on the TV and has no desire to have one hooked up to his, so this is perfect for us as it's much cheaper then a second standard console. If anything I'd be more likely to use that one for handheld play more than the standard as I'm not a big fan of how the joy cons feel like they might come off (they probably never would).
If this was replacing the standard console I can see why people might be annoyed but most complaining already have a Switch and might not need a second one anyway. The cheap 2DS was a big success, the NEW 2DS was a big success as there will always be a market for a console but may not want to be spending nearly £300 for it just to have features they don't even want.
I think they have got this pretty spot on and whilst Switch does have some neat features its biggest selling points are being portable and its library of games and these 2 things still apply. The other stuff is cool and as I've said that is still available for those who want it and will probably still be the best selling version
@carlos82 "(they probably never would)" They're held in place by a little plastic nub, so eventually they will. Especially if you take them off and put them back on often, the plastic will relatively quickly be scraped off.
@nintendoknife so they might then, luckily I don't actually like using them, so they rarely come off as I use a Pro Controller exclusively on the TV and obviously as is when portable. That's probably why this appeals to me so that I can leave that in its dock and take the new one with me
@nintendork64 The 3DS approach is probably exactly what Nintendo's going for though.
3DS (2011) = Switch (2017)
2DS (2013) = Switch Lite (2019)
New 3DS (2014 Japan + Australia/2015 Rest of world) = New Switch (Whenever BotW 2 launches)?
@Grumblevolcano It's just a weird approach to take. Why release the sequel before the prequels? The rest of the industry starts from the beginning and enhances as technology allows. While Nintendo does this too, it's like they take two steps forward and one step back every generation.
@carlos82 Yeah definitely see the appeal, don't get me wrong, but it just strikes me as odd that they omitted even a kickstand, which would at least allow table-top mode (and the "Switch" moniker would make sense). I've mentioned before that yes, a case will inevitably be released that will include a kickstand, but my brain just can't wrap itself around the logic!
I can definitely understand not wanting a TV hookup. I play mine 75% in handheld mode (and the 25% is usually during multiplayer sessions with my fiancee on Mario Party or Mario Kart).
I can definitely understand not caring about rumble or the IR sensor and camera. The only time I've ever used these are when my fiancee got her Labo set.
Just seems weird to omit a kickstand. I can't imagine it would have been a big expense, especially after sacrificing the unnecessary stuff.
@carlos82 In addition to my previous comment (sorry these are so long), I would have preferred if Nintendo added some exclusive hardware / software to the Lite. Like, say, a sensor a la 3DS so you can walk around and randomly "bump into" other Switch Lite owners on the road (Pokemon GO kind of thing). For me, that would easily justify a purchase of both systems. One for standard on-the-go and TV use, and the other for hooking up with other Switch Lite users and gaining content, items, etc. Then when you got home, you can use the content you obtained on the road with your standard system.
I don't know, maybe I'm being weird and picky, but I think it would have been cool to have the Lite be a sort of "companion" to the main Switch.
@CharlieGirl whats the point of commenting this? this is mainly a news website, so it just makes sence, please shut up.
@nintendork64 I expect they didn't bother with the kickstand due to the joy cons not being detachable, I mean if you're going to buy this and some joy cons you'd probably just buy the standard Switch. I'd been looking at a second Switch as I have a stepson who's 12 and my own son who will be 3 soon, so this is the perfect solution for my needs. Weirdly I always kind of envisioned the Switch looking like the lite but with a proper home console component that you could download your games from to take with you or stream to when at home. Perhaps something like this will make more sense to others when we get the inevitable Pro version as this will probably make a better companion piece for that. Maybe they should have even waited for it as a newer chipset would surely have meant for a longer battery life in a downclocked lite version
@nintendoknife Yep, good call. I would actually be surprised if someone had not found a hack to enable hdmi over usb-c within 12 months of release. But I think hand held does more than just drop resolution, a lot of post process effects can be dropped on a on a 6 inch screen. I don't think it will be much of a looker when blown up to 55 inch
I only want to know if I can still connect to my TV?
@nintendoknife
If this is what a fan can do with decent hardware, imagine what Nintendo could do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Qmig8nf3A&feature=youtu.be&t=45s
https://youtu.be/nzl5CRNfd38?t=71
I want to believe...
@StevenG I don't think that either, but it is practically the same as carrying a normal Switch in it's case in a backpack as carrying a Switch lite in a case in a backpack. The size difference simply doesn't warrant a purchase as a gift. No doubt someone out there will buy the lite tho.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfkcYxsI4x8
this video will give you all some clarity on what the switch lite is capable of
@Heavyarms55 Agreed. For me, I see no reason for the D-Pad in the first place. Most games I play I almost never use it. I only use the D-Pad for playing the NES Online games, and again, I have the Pro Controller, so I don't need an entirely new Switch just to get a D-Pad.
@MarcianoMD
People who own a Switch may want the Switch Lite because:
1. They only play in portable mode all the time, anyway.
2. They live in a household where everyone shares one Switch.
3. They find collecting different looking hardware irresistible.
4. They want an easily accessible Switch in more than one location
For number 2, this could be a couple, a family of five, etc. In my own family, we bought a second Switch, and it would definitely have been a Switch Lite if it was available.
(I left this unsent in a web browser for a few days... figured I might as well post it anyway)
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