Nintendo Announces the Portable-Only Switch Lite Model
The heavily-rumored alternate Switch model, initially stated to be revealed at E3, was announced early this morning out of the blue by the official Nintendo UK Twitter account. The Nintendo Switch Lite reveal was accompanied by a six-minute trailer detailing specific aspects of the new model.
The official tweet can be seen below:
Introducing #NintendoSwitchLite – a compact, lightweight console that's dedicated to handheld play!
This new addition to the #NintendoSwitch family arrives 20/09 in 3 different colours.
👉: https://t.co/ga5f9Z7ket https://t.co/Aop6MQi8Zx
— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) July 10, 2019
A Youtube video also dropped soon after, which can be seen here:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=59yuBFRSZdg
As revealed in the video, there are a variety of differences to the Switch Lite that distinguishes it from its parent console. Perhaps most notable is the removal of the joycon controllers on each side of the system, making it a single rectangular shape. This said, games that require joycon support, such as 1-2 Switch or Super Mario Party, will not be compatible with the system without separate controllers.
Other differences include the portable-only moniker. The Nintendo Switch Lite will only support handheld mode, therefore not coming with a dock, a kickstand, or being able to play on a TV. No rumble or IR motion camera features were also stated.
Other details not shown in the video but provided by the official Nintendo site reveal that the system will actually have a slightly longer battery life than the regular Switch system. Specific size differences and a comparable chart are also available.
The fine details of the Lite
Nintendo’s new Switch Lite console will release on September 20th for $199.99 and will be available in gray, yellow, and turquoise colors. Additionally, the trailer announced a Pokémon Sword & Shield-themed console which will feature the two new legendaries on a sleek silver casing. This design will be available on November 8th.
The legendary Pokémon theme
For more Nintendo news and highlights, be sure to check out our thoughts on Nintendo’s recent E3 conference.
