The rumored and waited for long Nintendo Switch Lite is now official. Nintendo has launched a video presentation in which it has explained all the new features that will include this new model, a version that will not replace the current Nintendo Switch but will offer the alternative to those who are interested only in taking the console with them there where they go.
As they have been commissioned to repeat on more than one occasion in the official video, this Nintendo Switch Lite will be intended for those users who are not interested in playing on a television. It is the usual portable format, a compact device that we can take wherever we want and that will inevitably mean the end of what we know today as Nintendo 3DS (although Nintendo says it will not be like that).
Aesthetically it looks a lot like a Switch with connected Joy-Cons, however, its size is more compact, reducing dimensions, weight and, also, screen size. Yes, this is what was previously rumored as the Mini Switch.
No, the processor included in this Switch Lite will be just as capable as the previous one. The only difference is that it is more efficient, so it will generate less heat when working at maximum performance. The console will still not offer the possibility of connecting Bluetooth headphones, although the headphone port will still be present. With 32GB of storage and microSD card slot, the Mini Switch continues to offer the same capacity as its predecessor.
The main changes with respect to the switch of today are that with the new Switch Lite we cannot play on television. There will be no way to extract a video output from the console to the TV, and we will not be able to connect it to the dock either, as they will not be compatible.
In addition, the screen has gone from 6.2 inches to 5.5 inches, while maintaining the resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. It is still a capacitive LCD panel, so in principle, we should not find any improvement in the image, something that is especially missed in the Switch, where the outdoor game happens quite a bit.
Another thing that we will not find in the Switch Lite is the infrared of the Joy-con right or the HD vibration, so games that need it will be incompatible with the Switch Lite unless we link additional Joy-Cons (something that does we could do).
Now that the controls have been integrated into the body of the console, Nintendo has taken the opportunity to redesign the digital pad and place a complete crosshead that allows better control. Until now the left Joy-Con had a design of independent buttons that did the work of crosshead, something necessary because the remote control can be used as an individual pad. Now that the integrated Joy-Con is not necessary to break the crosshead, so it will be excellent news for fans of arcade games and indies.
In summary Nintendo Switch Lite:
- Smallest screen
- Without HD vibration
- Without interchangeable Joy-Cons
- Without TV mode
- No infrared (used in Nintendo Labo)
- It does not have support to use it in tablet mode
Additionally, most Switch games will work without problems on the Switch Lite, and there will only be some that need something extra. For example, to play 1-2-Switch we will need to separate the Joy-Cons, and since that is not possible to do it in the new Lite, we will not have to buy and pair additional Joy-Con if we want to play.
Almost all games are compatible with the portable mode of Switch, but to get rid of doubts, you will only have to search on the back of the box of each game for the icon Compatible with portable mode. If that icon appears there will be no problems when playing in a Switch Lite.
Nintendo has not talked about the exact capacity of the battery, however, it does use the game time in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild to compare the performance of this new Nintendo Switch Lite and the current Nintendo Switch. According to the company, while the switch always reaches about 3 hours of play in Zelda, the new Switch Lite can stretch up to four hours of play, which is not bad.
Another advantage of this Nintendo Switch Lite is that it is cheaper than the current one. The recommended retail price will be $200 and will hit stores on September 20 in three different colors: gray, yellow and turquoise. In addition, there will be a special version inspired by Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Spit that will hit stores on November 8 and will be called Nintendo Switch Lite edition.
