Nintendo announced the Switch Lite in July, and at a recent event in New York, we got a chance to test it out. The new console is a smaller and cheaper version of the original Switch: its price dropped to $199, but that’s at the expense of its ability to hook up to a TV. Otherwise, it’s still a Switch, which means it’s pretty great.
Despite its smaller size, the Switch Lite is still enjoyable to use to play games. The screen is a 5.5-inch panel (versus the 6.2-inch display on the full-size Switch), but it still runs at the same 720p resolution, which means things look a little crisper on the Switch Lite than they do on the bigger model.
Just because the Switch Lite is smaller than the Switch, doesn’t mean it’s tiny. Compared to an iPhone X or a Game Boy Micro (Nintendo’s smallest landscape form factor console), for example, the Switch Lite isn’t exactly pocketable. But it is meaningfully more compact than the full-size Switch, and it should be easier to stow in a bag and be less of a burden on your back when you do.
The buttons and joysticks are the same as the ones on the original Switch’s Joy-Con controllers (a Nintendo representative confirmed that they use the same hardware), so it still feels like you’re playing on a regular Switch. There are still some motion controls — you’ll still need detachable controllers for games like Pokémon Let’s Go or 1-2 Switch with Wii remote-style gameplay — but the Switch Lite still supports motion aiming for things like the bow in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or paint guns in Splatoon 2.
While the new controls are largely the same, there is one important addition: a proper D-pad for the left side of the controller instead of the full-size Switch’s detached buttons, which were needed for the “removable” aspect of the Joy-Con controllers. It’s a joy to use. Nintendo has always been one of the best companies around when it comes to good controller hardware — the Game Boy helped pioneer the D-pad layout in the first place — and the Switch Lite’s D-pad is no exception.
The connected buttons make the experience of switching between them so much smoother than the separate D-pad buttons, and I honestly cannot wait to use it to play pixel-perfect platformers like Celeste or the grid-heavy Super Mario Maker 2.
The battery life has also been updated: Nintendo says that the Switch Lite should get between three and seven hours of playtime, depending on how hard you push the hardware. That’s a step up from the original Switch’s estimate of two and a half to six and a half hours, but it’s less than the updated Switch model’s four and a half to nine hours. We’ll need more time with the hardware to get a better idea of how that holds up in real life, though.
The overall hardware is excellent, which is expected from a modern Nintendo product. The three colors (yellow, gray, and turquoise) are all vibrant, and the plastic is a similar matte style to what’s used on the Joy-Con controllers, making it pleasant to hold.
All told, the Switch Lite seems like a worthy spinoff of the original Switch that feels more premium than its budget price tag suggests. It’ll be out on September 20th for $199, with a Pokémon-themed model planned for a November 8th release.
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Comments
These images make it look really nice. Clean design.
An improvement from the 1st gen Switch.
By shashanksaxena1992 on 08.27.19 11:08am
Asuming the Joy-Con drifting problem is fixed I desperately need one for me. It was a terrible idea to let my wife try out Breath of the Wild, now I don’t have a Switch anymore. But this seems like the worst possible time to buy a Switch Lite…I suppose only time will tell if the problem truly is fixed.
By Sergei G. on 08.27.19 12:53pm
I always end up liking the second revision of of Nintendo consoles the best DS Lite, 3DS XL now the Switch Lite. In some ways the GBA SP was better due to the front lit screen however i still preferred the form factor of the original GBA.
By InsaneNutter on 08.28.19 7:38am
this looks really nice. considering that the majority of switch games support handheld mode, i think i might go for this model for its price.
hopefully performance, loading times, etc. doesn’t suffer as a result from its small form factor but i don’t think that’ll be much of a concern
By nawatobi on 08.27.19 11:16am
same chip as the updated model, same screen resolution, etc. There should be no difference.
By Winklemeier on 08.27.19 11:23am
Performance should theoretically be marginally better than the original model, if not now, with future software updates that can allow games to tap in to the additional horsepower present on the newer chips. That’s entirely up in the air, but you will 100% get at least the same performance than the original Switch.
By greg2k on 08.27.19 3:39pm
My biggest question is, can you sync saves between two Switch devices? I want to get a Switch Lite as a secondary device (I travel once in a while, and my spouse has started playing our regular Switch a lot). Ideally, I could play Breath of the Wild on my regular Switch, save and then pick up from where I left off on the Switch Lite. Somehow, knowing this is Nintendo, my guess is this either isn’t possible or it won’t be that straightforward, but I’m hoping I’m wrong!
By dylanljmartin on 08.27.19 11:19am
Oh no. Nintendo did a "Nintendo!"
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/5-reasons-to-buy-the-new-nintendo-switch-lite-and-3-to-skip-it/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0b
By dylanljmartin on 08.27.19 11:21am
"dozens" of hours on Zelda…oh if that were all. No regrets though!
By Winklemeier on 08.27.19 11:25am
While there’s no official game sharing, my niece is able to play Celeste (my purchase) on her brother’s Switch that I had added my account to, and without even signing in to my account. Maybe it’s a game specific thing (or a 3rd party thing), but it was my understanding that that wasn’t possible. They should probably just build family sharing in to the family version of Nintendo Switch Online.
With that said, she and her brother could sign in to my profile any time and play my purchased games even when I’m playing on my Switch. That’s one thing you can’t do with PS4 or Xbone, iirc (though they all let you do the "change primary console" thing to get around it)
By DoomPlague on 09.16.19 10:30am
You can already sync saves between two Switches today, but it isn’t automatic across systems (backup is, but not download). So on your travel switch you have to go to the game’s home screen options (+) and sync the cloud data the first time (after that it will backup automatically).
As for sharing games, your options are physical cards, or choosing a primary switch for offline play. If your home switch is already on WiFi, make the travel switch "primary" so it can play cloud games without being online.
By elementary on 08.27.19 1:17pm
That’s good advice. You may have just convinced me a little.
By dylanljmartin on 08.27.19 2:00pm
Here’s one of the problems with the approach of designating the home console as the secondary device:
That means my spouse won’t be able to play any games that I bought, though if she’s only playing with cartridges or digital games she purchased, that wouldn’t be a problem.
By dylanljmartin on 08.27.19 2:25pm
That is true, it seems DLC just doesn’t work with their cloud-user account stuff.
The dream of buying everything once and sharing everything across multiple switches and multiple accounts with zero friction just isn’t here yet.
By elementary on 08.27.19 2:46pm
That’s DLC, not the main digital game. The game itself will still be playable as long as the system is online, which is why people recommend making a docked Switch be the non-primary.
By aardWolf on 08.28.19 2:28pm
Are you sure? I didn’t take "downloadable content" to mean DLC but games you download from the eShop based on the context of Nintendo’s statements. Consider the following statements and then the example image. I believe they’re using "downloadable content" and "downloaded software" interchangeably here given the progression of the statements. I don’t think they’re talking about DLC.
By dylanljmartin on 08.29.19 12:41pm
DLC is the abbreviation for Downloadable Content. Read a previous bullet point and they explain that you can still play games if you’re online. The only issue here is that you cannot "initiate" DLC downloads on a secondary console unless you log in as the person that purchased it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downloadable_content
By aardWolf on 08.29.19 5:47pm
The upspeak intonation, and intonation of these verge videos in general, make me want to jump out a window.
By Jaykayjay on 08.27.19 11:30am
Every time my American wife says her own name with an upwards intonation, I think of this.
By pimlicosound on 08.27.19 11:40am
Don’t let us stop you
By DJCR33P on 08.28.19 9:56am
This looks pretty good. Am considering it!
By yeckolo on 08.27.19 11:37am
I can’t help but look at it and think that it should just be a great add-on to a cell phone.
The fact that Nintendo hasn’t sorted out digital game sharing given the positioning of this device is inexcusable,IMO.
By shabanga on 08.27.19 11:47am
Seems like an odd obstacle to be stuck behind for a company with this level of experience
By DJCR33P on 08.28.19 9:57am
Strange; was not interested in an original switch, but somehow I want this Switch lite.
By tutiso on 08.27.19 11:59am
I HATE that this one can’t be docked. Being able to buy a Switch Lite, which is clearly the superior portable Switch, and then at home docking it and using a Pro Controller, would be the ideal Switch setup IMO.
By Tuff on 08.27.19 12:05pm