Nintendo has announced a new model of its successful Switch console: the Switch Lite. It is cheaper, lighter and smaller than the original model, and will be available on 20 September.
However, the Switch Lite lacks a headline feature of the original Nintendo Switch: it can only be played as a handheld and can’t be docked to play on a TV. The Joy-Con controllers are also built into the console, and can’t be detached. This means some Switch games – such as launch title 1-2 Switch and the innovative Nintendo Labo – will be incompatible with the Lite model.
Nintendo describes the console as “dedicated to handheld play”, and it features roughly another hour’s worth of battery life and a 5.5in screen (as opposed to the 6.2 inch screen on the standard Switch). It will release in time for Nintendo’s Christmas lineup of Pokémon Sword and Shield, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Luigi’s Mansion 3.
The Switch has sold around 35m units since its launch in March 2017, making it one of Nintendo’s fastest-selling consoles. The Lite is the first new model since, and will retail for $199.
