Shut Up and Take My Money: Nintendo Switch Lite

By Mike Flacy on July 10, 2019

Announced this week for a September 20 launch date, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a less expensive version of the popular Nintendo Switch that sacrifices size and TV docking for a reduction in MSRP.

Starting at $199 (as opposed to the $299 price point of the full-sized Switch), the Switch Lite screen size is 5.5-inches rather than 6.2-inches and the controllers on the left & right side of the screen are not detachable.

On the positive side, the battery life is supposedly more robust than the original Switch. The Switch Lite will last three to seven hours, depending on the game. That’s 30 minutes longer than the original and Nintendo claims players will get 4 hours of Zelda on the Switch Lite as opposed to three hours.

The resolution on the 5.5-inch screen is identical to the original, 720p. That may end up looking sharper than the original model, the same number of pixels packed into a smaller space. Nintendo ditched the four-button d-pad on the left controller for a more traditional d-pad.

Unlike the OG Switch, you won’t be able to connect the Switch Lite to a dock and play games on your HDTV. While you will be able to connect a Switch Pro controller or other joy-cons controllers to the Switch Lite, you will need to look for other ways to charge the controllers.

It will be available on September 20 in three colors (yellow, gray, and turquoise) for a MSRP of $199.99. There will also be a special edition (seen below) for the release of Pokémon Shield and Sword on November 8. Check the launch video / pictures below for more information as well as Ben’s Buying Advice:

Ben’s Buying Advice

Deals on the original Nintendo Switch have fallen as low as $240 in the last 12 months with a typical discount in the 15% range. More bundles have appeared as well, usually including extras like 12-months of Nintendo Online or a bonus game.

Discounts on the Nintendo Switch Lite will likely be difficult to find during the first six months post-release. Look for store-wide coupons in November (related to Black Friday sales) that could reduce the price up to 10%. After the first six months, expect to see discounts similar to the sale price on the Nintendo 3DS XL, likely in the $175 price range.

About Mike Flacy

Editor-in-Chief for The CheckOut. During my free time, I love to write about pop culture, home theater, digital photography, social media, mobile technology and cool gadgets!

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