Sorry, But There's No Hidden Workaround To Connect Your Switch Lite To A TV

It having TV output would be completely ridiculous when it is advertised as purely handheld. I don't know why this is news-worthy xD. It's basically placing an article on the website writing "Hey! Switch Lite, a purely handheld gaming device, is a purely handheld gaming device. Have a good one!".

There's also no work around to take just the Wii U gamepad with you to play games on the bus.

I mean... it's been advertised as a handheld-only device. Would anyone be surprised?

If they had given the Switch Lite that functionality, it'd backfire on Nintendo. Why buy the more expensive original Switch if you could still connect your Switch Lite to a TV? If this caught on, Nintendo would lose profits.

I prefer gaming on my TV as for one the screen is bigger and for two if i wanna do handheld gaming i have a perfectly good 3DS for that.
Everybody likes to call switch a handheld you can connect to the TV and not a legitimate home console. well not in my house! Rarely does it ever leave the dock.

Congratulations on killing the 3DS Nintendo! The switch lite should finally do the trick.

People who want to play their Switches on the TV should buy the model that has that functionality. Nintendo doesn't typically include TV-out with their dedicated handhelds.

I recall people doing mods to get the 3DS to output to a TV so i doubt this is impossible. Difficult i'm sure but in such circles, the challenge will be too enticing for some to pass up.

Who are these people that asked about that in the first place? Only youtubers with false, vivid imagination and internet websites that fish clickbait material from around the internet.

It's a handheld! Does the 3ds connect to a TV? No, so this article is redundant. Want to play on TV, buy a regular Switch, duh!

I'm pretty sure you can output pretty much any system to your TV with a little bit of effort and some wires here and there.

@Folkloner It´s not a simple mod, it required opening up the 3DS console and do hardware modification (to intercept the signal from both screens), including drilling a hole in the casing for the output cable to pass through.
It was a very expensive modification ( 200 bucks ) and only one store, somewhere in Japan offered that service.
It was really mostly interesting for youtubers who stream games for a living, like Abdallahsmash026.

It always cracks me up when Americans try to say Solder.

It's solder, not Sah-der.

It’s not there because Nintendo makes more money that way by selling the higher priced switch to those that want console play, and by tapping a new audience with a cheaper switch without it

Well that was obvious, did anyone genuinely think that a console designed to be exclusively handheld would have the hardware to connect ot to a TV?

I mean, people sort ways to do video capture of 20 year+ old handhelds, eventually someone will get it to output video if there is for some reason a demand for it.

Then why it's called Switch? Should change to NoSwitch or Solid instead.

Surely the fix is not to buy the handheld version?
This is a weird article

If you want a workaround that's easy.
1. Pair some joy-cons
2. Place the switch face-up on the table
3. Point a camcorder at the switch screen and run it through your TV

Or for extra tech points use a phone and a Chromecast!

It's basically like "hey the 2DS doesn't actually have capacity for 3D on it's board". Wasn't this the point of the Switch Lite?

@Jeronan Nowhere did I say it was a simple mod. All i said was there 'was' one. I've seen those videos of modded 3DS's and i am aware of the cost so really you aren't saying anything I didn't already know.

My point was to cast doubt on it being impossible, and that even if was at this point, modders will find a way, because they always do.

@impurekind Yeah it’s not going to long before people are going to be selling modded Switch Lites you can connect to a TV. It will be expensive, but it’ll happen.

Everyone in this article: Duh, nobody thought it could!

Some folks in previous SLite articles: I bet Nintendo hid a way to connect it!

People forget things awfully quick. There were users opining on this site in multiple articles about Nintendo hiding the feature and making a dock later, to get money.

@HobbitGamer it will happen. It's just super duper secretly hidden, like how the WiiU could play Gamecube discs if you turned it upside-down.

After the recent articles about how much Nintendo spoke to suppliers about bringing the cost of the device down as much as possible, it's not really surpising they wouldn't leave in hardware that wasn't going to be used, legitimately anway.

@Blizzia Precisely. Which part of it being handheld and the cheaper price tag do people not understand?

Appreciate the video for confirming the info but why do some people feel surprised?

@TJWorks with the expensive switch you would still get detachable joycons, an included dock and a bigger screen. At least for me, good enough reasons to buy the big model.

@TJWorks It's mainly due to manufacturing cost instead of marketing. The major price drop comes from not spending money on some parts.

@puddinggirl Yeah, I'll never get some people. I mean honestly, who in the world thought "wait, they priced it lower and said it was handheld only... BUT WHAT IF? MAYBE THEY SPENT THE MONEY ON THE EXTRA HARDWARE ANYWAY AND PUT IT INSIDE THE LITE, BUT WITHOUT MAKING A PORT FOR IT?!"

Like, dude, no. Why would they lower the consumer price, pay the same themselves, and release a nearly identical (and therefore purposeless) device?

But I guess it's cool nowadays to be those kids who go "but what if they actually made it exactly like the OG switch anyway", without considering the description and marketing of the product as well as possible production cost increases by keeping said components in the device.

@MrGawain

There actually is. Wii console is powered in backpack. But otherwise if you take a backpack with you portable Wii U gaming anywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ajOX5Y0Sg

@BarefootBowser,

But that would defeat the object of bringing a only handheld device, Nintendo do not want to take sales away from the existing Switch, but they also have to appeal more to the millions of 3DS owners out there, to me this is an awesome idea as it's like having two seperate consoles like the Wii U and 3DS, but only having to make software for in effect one machine.

@BarefootBowser It actually is as silly as I'm making out.

Johnvboy gave you a bit of an explanation, which should be sufficient.

They've also changed a few key parts and revised the size of certain items, meaning it is highly unlikely that they could've just retained major (read: crucial) parts of the OG stuff in the first place.

@BarefootBowser You call it speculation, I call it an educated guess (since I work with stuff like that).

I didn't need someone to do a tear down to know it, it would simply defy logic.

@HobbitGamer Thanks for the common sense comment, so rare these days.

At the very least, people should just accept the fact that this article is confirming HOW Nintneod kept the Switch Lite form allowing TV out, whether via software, hardware, so some combination of both. So all the jerks, seemingly half the posts, have to be all "Well of course it dind't" but not a single one seemed to have volunteered to take their SLite apart to find out HOW.

So thanks for salvaging for hope for humanity early on a Monday morning.

Not really surprising. But it is very lame.

It would add almost nothing to the cost to have kept the functionality, but it also would have given people much less incentive to splash out the extra £80/$100 to get the standard Switch. It's a shame, but an understandable shame.

@BarefootBowser it would be near on perfect. This size, tv out aaaand Bluetooth but nothings perfect I guess

I mean, it would make zero sense for Nintendo to make this an option, since they are still selling TV-capable Switches at $100 more. They'd be crippling OG Switch sales.

That’s pretty funny...😂

@BarefootBowser,

But unfortunatley as core fans we don't always understand the mass markets buying motives, but I guarantee you Nintendo would have done the research to justify spending a tonne of money on bringing out a new model.

The Switch Lite it's just so pointless.

@Lordplops What? There's no way that's true...

@RodSD64 I'd kill for 1% profit share of this "pointless" product.....

@Kalmaro Turn it upside down and insert a copy of Wonderful 101. Let disc spin up, eject. Quickly insert a copy of Chibi Robo, then eject before WiiU registers it fully. Then insert a copy of Luigi's Mansion into WiiU while simultaneously inserting a finger (lube optional) into your anus while whistling 'She'll be coming round the mountain' and voila! you has Gamecube games.

@Lordplops Yep, figured you weren't being serious.

@NEStalgia
If it sells well, great for Nintendo. But from a consumer standpoint, the system is pointless. If you are already making the investment, you should save a bit more money for the complete experience. The Switch Lite isn't exactly cheap. It's just less expensive with a lot of features removed.
I insist, if it sells well, good for Nintendo, but no informed costumer should buy a Switch Lite.

@HobbitGamer
Is "opining" a word? XD

Well they've lost a sale here because I really was considering one until I found this out; I will not be wasting my money on what seems to be a mess of a 'new' console right now. And seems people forget that we had a New 3DS and New 3DS XL which were the same system iirc except the size, unless they just figured that business strategy won't work going forward... then I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

@KIRO Exactly. This would've been an ideal Switch, but, like you say, nothing can be perfect I s'pose.

Well we all know when it comes to playing Gamecube games on the wiiU. Modders are able to do what "Nintendont" 😉

So I wouldn't be surprised if some people are working on something right now. Whether it's worth the effort is something else seeing as you can already buy the original console that does this but still some may try to prove a point.

@RodSD64 Yes.

@RodSD64 Depends what you want. If you just want a handheld to replace your handled, Switch Lite is the better size and price. If you're looking for cheaper portables for the kids that are less of a loss if they lose or break them, the Lite is great. There's a lot of cases where they might be a more desirable choice for a consumer. Not for me, but for plenty of people.

I am just waiting for the mod where someone takes the Wii U gamepad and puts a Switch lite into it just to mess with everyone.

@MrGawain As someone who played the Wii U on the bus... duh of course there is? It just takes a little creativity. I'd just reused the rig I made up for a portable GameCube when I was younger. Really, the Wii was the only system that's not bus compatible thanks to the motion controls in basically every game.

@NotTelevision i doubt it will be expensive, they already have an upper limit of $299 and all that’s involved is capturing the signal before it goes to the LCD, convert the signal and output it. I’ll be performing a mod on my original switch that removes the battery and screen and makes it more of a home console. lots of info will be gathered from this endeavor

I guess if you really wanted TV functionality, you would have already purchased a regular Switch. I mean, its been made clear what the purpose of the Lite is

This is the whole reason for the lite version totally mobile. Why are people expecting more. If you want to connect to tv buy the original system end of.

@BarefootBowser,

You can look at it that way but the fact still remains, that people who post on internet gaming forums tend to only look at things from their own point of view, so as they do not see a value in a particular console, they think everybody else thinks just the way they do.

If connecting the Switch Lite to a TV was possible, I seriously doubt Nintendo would keep that a secret.

I think my 15-year old son said it best. When I told him the Switch Lite couldn't be connected to an external display, he said, "Well, that's stupid."

@BarefootBowser,

I plan to get the blue one for my daughter for Christmas, and £199 seems a pretty decent price, how is the screen on your lite, I am guessing it will look pretty sharp as it's a little smaller than the regular Switch.

@Mountain_Man,

Great Idea, let's base all Nintendo's hardware decisions from now on solely on people's opinions on here and your son.

Well mostly the switch is better on tv sense the frames of it are so cool.

I mean. It IS handheld only.

OF COURSE THERE WOULD BE NO WORKAROUND.

Christ...

They should of just released a Switch package with no dock, end of story. I get why they released the Switch Lite in the wake of the end of the 3DS but it seems to me its going to put a lot of confusion this coming holiday season on parents that don't really follow the industry.

@ElioTheWerewolf

But a handheld-only Switch undermines the premise of the system. It would be like making a dock-only Switch. The whole point is that it's a handheld and a stationary console. The Switch Lite looks like a solution in search of a problem.

@Mountain_Man,

I think it compliments the Switch rather than undermines it, but it's all personal opinions at the end of the day.

Why would Nintendo have left that as a possibility? The TV model costs nearly a third more, and I imagine they are quite happy to pocket that extra cash wherever possible.

@Mountain_Man The problem is that a lower number of hardware owners than possible means that a lower number of software units will sell than possible. The secondary problem is that hardware install base is a key metric third parties use in determining the level of support to put in a given platform.

Lite serves to increase the install base, thus boosting the install base metric, and the unit software sales. It's not searching for a problem at all.

@Mountain_Man - Only if it were a replacement, which it isn't. It's just there to provide more options, particularly to those who only want a gameboy-esque handheld device and would much prefer a Switch Lite to a Switch.

i think someone will find a way eventually, like miracast via wifi or something.

@BarefootBowser i d rather have local saves to my micro sd card or the game cartridge instead of cloud saves. but if cloud save comes with the nintendo online service for no extra charge, then that would be okay.

The part that gets me is there is no real hardware needed.

The switch is running some linux, displaylink drivers exist, so just use a displaylink dock just like I can on my phone.
Nintendo has intentionally crippled the device for no gain.

I can easily find the old original Switch version for 220. This new Lite version is too expensive for 200.