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amazon Nintendo Switch Lite reviews
With the release of the Nintendo Switch — the company’s handheld, hybrid handheld console — Nintendo has finally found a happy medium for both console and handheld gamers. The Switch’s ability to switch between handheld modes between TV and handheld mode in a snap is still its biggest draw. That said, a few sacrifices were made so it could appeal to a broader audience.
The Switch isn’t as compact as the company’s previous handhelds, such as the venerable Nintendo 3DS. It cramps easily during long gaming sessions. It has a short battery life that’s not ideal for gaming on-the-go moves. Removing the possibility of “switching” from the equation, Nintendo has given us the Switch Lite, an unabashed return to handheld gaming as the solution to all those problems.
Small and intense
Abandoning the Joy-Cons, the Switch Lite has an all-in-one design. It’s almost an inch shorter in width, making it more compact than the original. Coming in at 9.7 ounces, it’s lighter but not so much that it feels flimsy. Instead, you get a more portable console, made to grab and slip into the side pocket of a backpack or bag when you’re on the go.
Although smaller than its predecessor, the Switch Lite feels extremely comfortable to hold. The layout is slightly different as the shoulder buttons are raised higher, and the trigger buttons are longer than the regular Switch. There’s also the introduction of a D-pad in place of the four separate directional buttons found on Joy-Cons.
That makes the input smoother and more precise, as there is no divot to move in between each button press. It feels great to play Super Mario Maker 2 levels like I remember playing the classic Super Mario games as a kid. The Switch Lite’s ergonomic shape fits snugly in your hand, and with its improved button layout, the handset delivers the impression it’s made for long handheld gaming sessions.
It comes in various colors – gray, yellow, or turquoise – with white external buttons that contrast beautifully on the gray panel and complement the turquoise and yellow color variants. The Pokemon Sword and Shield versions are now available, and Nintendo may have plans for even more colors and designs and announce a new coral version in 2020, a strategy the company has used with the devices hand in the past. With its small size, variety of colors, and matte finish, the Switch Lite has a lovely aesthetic that kids and Nintendo fans will love.
The Switch Lite comes with a smaller and more power-efficient Tegra chip than the original Switch in performance and battery life. Nintendo says this contributes to longer battery life. Considering portability is one of the key features of the Switch Lite, it’s one of the more important upgrades to consider.
Nintendo says the Switch Lite will offer about three to seven hours of gameplay. The original Switch, by comparison, promised around 2.5 to 6.5 hours. Playing Link Awakening at 50% brightness on the Switch Lite provides four hours of playtime. At full brightness, it lasted about three and a half hours.
If you want to take some time out while commuting or need to keep the kids (or yourself) busy for a few hours, I would say that the Switch Lite will do the job on its own. It didn’t last me through the six-hour flight, but it provided a nice distraction for a good part of it.
A serious handset
There is no discernible difference in gaming performance; Nintendo properties run like butter on the Switch Lite. Walking around Bowser’s Castle in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was as satisfying as I remember it. Likewise, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 still suffers from texture loading issues, and the frame rate drops are sometimes very noticeable in Link’s Awakening. Games that didn’t work so well on the original Switch will continue, not so great on the Switch Lite.
Handheld gaming and comparing the two, I found the Switch Lite’s 5.5-inch touchscreen and 720p resolution sharper and more vivid than the original Switch’s screen. That is likely due to how the Switch’s native resolution looks on the smaller screen, but the difference is noticeable.
Despite their differences, the Switch Lite has many of the same services as the original. The OS is the same, which means it comes with all the same features – and lacks them.
The Switch Lite’s lack of Bluetooth support for wireless headphones is a potential for some, but it’s more environmentally responsible. Wireless headphones contribute to the e-waste problem due to their short lifespan and lack of repairability. If you want Bluetooth audio, buy an adapter – one of the cool Switch Lite accessories you’ll invest in. There’s also an auxiliary port for wired headphones, which should provide better audio for gaming anyway.
It is worth mentioning that Switch Lite does not natively support the full Switch library. That makes sense: The Switch Lite doesn’t come with a dock, HDMI output, or Joy-Cons, which means it can’t connect to a TV and has no motion controls. Out of the box, it only supports games that can be played in handheld mode, which you can see labeled on the back of the game case or its page under-supported game modes in the Nintendo eShop.
That shouldn’t significantly affect your options, but if you’re interested in playing Just Dance or trying out Nintendo Labo, you’ll want the standard Switch. As someone who only plays Switch in handheld mode, these options will not be missed. You can buy Joy-Cons and find a foothold if you like playing games that need tablet mode support, but it’s an extra change from your pocket that could be better spent on the Switch normally.
For handheld gamers, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a small win. Its compact body makes it more portable than the original Switch, and its ergonomic design feels great to hold during long gaming sessions. These small improvements combined with the return of the D-pad and the gorgeous display add up to make the Switch Lite Nintendo’s best-dedicated handheld.
That said, it is a handheld device throughout. With no dock, HDMI, or Joy-Cons support, the Switch Lite has no TV support or motion controls, slightly affecting your gaming options. Its battery life could be better, but it’s an improvement over the original.
where can you get a Nintendo Switch Lite online
Nintendo Switch Lite – Gray: Buy it now
Nintendo Switch Lite – Turquoise: Buy it now
Nintendo Switch Lite – Coral: Buy it now
Newest Nintendo Switch Lite – 5.5″ Touchscreen Display, Built-in Plus Control Pad, Built-in Speakers, 3.5mm Audio Jack, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, 0.61 lb, iPuzzle 9-in-1 Carrying Case – Blue: Buy it now
Nintendo Switch Lite, Yellow – with SanDisk 128GB UHS-I microSDXC Memory Card for The Switch: Buy it now