Nintendo has announced the newest addition to the Nintendo Switch family – Nintendo Switch Lite. The newest model will cost $199/£179 and will release on September 20th. At launch, there will be three colors to choose from: yellow, grey, and turquoise.
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The Nintendo Switch Lite cannot be docked. Therefore, you cannot hook your new Nintendo Switch Lite to your TV – one of the main features of the standard Nintendo Switch console. The joy-cons are non-detachable, and the rumble has been completely removed. Nintendo Labo is also not supported with this new model.
The Nintendo Switch Lite will only support games that use handheld mode. Games that do not support handheld mode will need wireless joy-cons that are sold separately. An obvious example is 1-2-Switch.
The Lite comes packed with a 5.5 inch 720p screen (compared to the 6.2-inch screen on the standard Switch) and supports a 20-30% better battery life than the Switch we have in our homes today. Also, a D-Pad is used instead of the directional buttons.
Nintendo is also working on a feature to allow players who already own a Switch to transfer their progress over to the Nintendo Switch Lite. This would allow players to easily switch between the two consoles, whilst bringing their game progress along with them.
A Pokémon Sword and Shield special edition Nintendo Lite will also be available in November – alongside the release of the games. However, it does not include a copy of Sword or Shield. Like the standard Switch Lite, it will cost $199/£179.
The Switch Lite is the ideal entry point for children. It is inexpensive, more portable than ever, and easy to use. And most importantly, it comes with some new fancy colors.
For more on Nintendo Switch, check out our original 2017 review, and for something more recent, you can check out the thoughts of someone who has only had a Switch for a week.