The latest from Nintendo

Nintendo recently announced the Switch Lite as the latest addition to their growing family. But what is it exactly?

Now most of us are well aware of the Nintendo Switch that was released in early 2017. A console that not only links up with a TV, but also has a portable screen, a controller that breaks apart and all the other little “gadgets” that Nintendo could think of. Good thing they did, as the Switch was an absolute hit!

However, the Switch is still crazy expensive here in South Africa, with the cost of it being around 6Gs at the time of this article. So is the Lite a smaller, cheaper version of the Switch? Like the iPhone XS is to the XS Max? Or is it a watered down version of the same product, like any lite/diet version of drinks? We’ll let you decide that for yourselves.

Before we delve into it, retail price has not yet been confirmed in South Africa, but it has been announced at $200. Don’t all rush to your converters to see what we’ll be paying here just yet. As is the norm, we know that it’ll be a good R1500+ more than the overseas selling price.

So what exactly is the Switch Lite?
The Lite is a handheld console designed for the Nintendo users who prefer the portable capabilities of the original Switch. It is slightly smaller, will not be able to link up to a TV and it doesn’t have the Switch’s trademark break-away Joy-Cons, rumble or motion feedback. All of which lends to the “portable system” focus of the Lite.
One massive improvement to the Lite’s overall design and feel is the addition of a D-Pad on the left side of the device – something fans have been asking Nintendo for since the Switch was released.

At the moment, the Lite is available in 3 colours – Yellow, Turqoise and Grey, but there is also a limited edition Pokemon Sword and Shield design pictured below.

One other interesting point to mention is that not all current Switch games will be playable on the Switch Lite, due to the Lite’s reduced functions. So you will have to check on the back of your case to see if your favourite Switch titles are playable in handheld mode.

Along with the Switch Lite, Nintendo also announced a new version of the Switch which is said to have a longer battery life in it’s handheld form. Not much else is known about this “enhanced” version of the Switch, except that it may feature a few internal improvements on the existing Switch model.

If you are interested in getting your hands on a Switch Lite, they will be releasing in South Africa at the same time as the rest of the world (thank you Nintendo for having an established presence in our country) and will be on shelves on the 20th of September this year. Pre-order is available at select (overseas) vendors though.

For more infromation on the Switch Lite, have a look at this video straight from Nintendo.