Nintendo Switch Lite offers better battery life and improved portability

Nintendo has today announced the Switch Lite, a budget version of the flagship Switch that is strictly for handheld play. The reveal comes after much speculation, questionable leaks, and mock-up product pics.

The gist is that this is the Switch without the ability to, well, switch. It’s done away with joy-cons, instead opting for integrated controls, and is a touch smaller than the flagship version of the Switch. Disappointingly, it comes with no kickstand, and, as it’s a dedicated handheld device with no dock, doesn’t support any video output to a TV.

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The Switch Lite is able to play all Switch games that support handheld mode, though you will have to sync a pair of joy-cons in order to play something like 1-2 Switch. The battery is said to last between 2.5 and 6 hours depending on what you’re playing – a marginal improvement on the flagship version. It’s got a thinner 5.5-inch display, the original Switch is 6.2-inch, and an improved D-Pad (thank God). Concessions include no HD rumble, no Nintendo Labo compatibility, and no auto-brightness sensor.  

It’ll be available at launch in three different colours: grey, turquoise, and yellow. If you’re willing to wait until November 8th, you could instead get yourself a limited-edition Zacian & Zamzenta Switch Lite. It looks pretty sleek, with cyan and magenta buttons and illustrations of both legendary Pokemon Zacian and Zamzenta from the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield games.

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The Nintendo Switch Lite will be available worldwide on September 20th. You can make a quick trip to Nintendo's official site in order to see more product pics and info. It’s looking like it could be a decent choice for those who only want to play in handheld, and the $200 price point sounds about right.