We all know a person who always seems to only have one thing on their mind: gaming. Though it is a long ways away, Nintendo just announced you'll have the perfect holiday gift for that individual when the season rolls around.
Today (July 10), Nintendo announced its release of the Switch Lite. While it is similar to its big brother, the Switch, this new version is smaller and $100 cheaper. You can buy it for only $199 on September 20.
However, there are some differences from the standard Switch. Because the Switch Lite is intended for on-the-go handheld play, the device doesn't connect to your television or have built-in Joy-Con controllers. According to The Verge, the button layout is more precise and the battery life is better (mainly because of more efficient chips inside).
The Switch Lite is also lighter (as its name suggests), which means your weak hands can play it for longer than the Switch. It has a 5.5-inch touch display, instead of the Switch's 6.2-inch display. And while the screen on the Lite might be smaller, the resolution is the same as that of the previous make.
What's on the screen isn't the only thing that will look better, either. The Switch Lite comes in matte yellow, grey and turquoise options. If you're feeling fun, you can also get the grey Pokémon Sword and Shield edition, which will be out on November 8 for the same price.
Doug Bowser, the Nintendo of America president, told The Verge that the decision to make the gaming console portable was based off lots of research: “It’s more about how we’ve observed them playing. We have the ability to track how people play games and play our titles, so I would say that it’s really an option that offers more choices to people.”
The release of the new Switch comes after its predecessor's success, which has sold 35 million devices since its release in 2017. Bowser says:
“We believe the timing is right when we have momentum. This is the perfect opportunity for us to offer more choices, and to bring more consumers into Nintendo Switch in the third year. When you tie that with the software that we just announced at E3, we’ve got a perfect opportunity as we head into the holiday.”
The Switch Lite will release just in time for the perfect Christmas gift. That might make all the waiting for your new little toy worth it.