Nintendo Switch Lite Announced, Arrives In September
Surprise, everyone: there's now a second Nintendo Switch model. It's called the Nintendo Switch Lite, and it's coming out on Sept. 20, 2019 at a price of $199.99.
Nintendo announced the Switch Lite this morning via YouTube, sharing a video that features Nintendo's Yoshiaki Koizumi walking through the new features of the model. It's safe to say the Switch Lite will change the way people think about the Nintendo Switch significantly, and it almost certainly spells the end for the Nintendo 3DS. Here's why.
The Nintendo Switch Lite is all about portable gaming. It sports a more compact frame. The Joy-Cons are banished in favor of a solid, continuous build, with a traditional d-pad being added to drive the point home. And the Switch Lite cannot use the Nintendo Switch dock or connect to a television in some other way. This is the portable-only Nintendo Switch that some felt Nintendo would pull out of its pocket at some point, and today, Yoshiaki Koizumi did just that.
The system comes in three colors: yellow, gray, and turquoise, which means you'll at least have some options aside from dark gray. And according to IGN, a special Pokemon Sword and Shield edition of the console will be released on Nov. 8, 2019, so if you're a fan of Pokemon, that might be worth waiting for.
Otherwise, what you're getting is a Nintendo Switch that can't be anything but a handheld. It's off-brand when you consider the finger-snapping 'Switch' that is supposed to be the console's defining feature, but at $200, we don't think too many people will mind. This is a Nintendo 3DS killer that can play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. And it's a way to do that $100 cheaper than before.
Nintendo seemed pretty adamant that it wasn't working on additional hardware, so now we're wondering: is that third, more powerful Switch floating around somewhere inside Nintendo? We'll keep our eyes peeled for that. In the meantime, we'll keep you updated should any other news drop about the Nintendo Switch Lite.