The Switch was something of a surprise smash for Nintendo, and the venerable Kyoto-based company is clearly eager to build on such success with the reveal of a portable-only variant dubbed, shockingly enough, the Switch Lite.
As a dedicated handheld gaming machine, the Lite drops all the features that make the original Switch such a novel hybrid machine. As such it lacks the removable Joy-Cons, with the controls being integrated, and it does not slot in a dock for TV gameplay. Such changes turn the Switch Lite into something more akin to the PlayStation Vita, if with a larger form factor.
While Nintendo says the Lite brings improvements in battery life and build quality, it does lose out on a couple interesting features from the original. The "HD Rumble" vibration feature is no more, as are the IR sensors allowing for novel games such as 1-2 Switch or Pokémon Let’s Go and the worryingly fragile built-in kickstand. The display is also slightly smaller, being 5.5-inch (the display of the original Switch is 6.2-inch). All other features remain intact, including wifi, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity and built-in gyro controls.
The Switch Lite hits the market on September in a choice of three colours, yellow, gray or turquoise. A special edition themed around Pokémon Sword/Silver will also be available.
