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The Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite is an essential debate if you want to add Nintendo’s handheld console to your collection. However, several features should be taken into account when you compare the two and want to make your next purchase.
The Nintendo Switch is a hard console to beat compared to the Nintendo Switch Lite. It’s compact, convenient and bridges the gap between home and handheld consoles. The Switch Lite is cheaper, though, and if you’re constantly on the go, the ability to connect your console to a TV isn’t a selling point anyway.
In fact, shortly after the release of the console, the handheld mode turned out to be the most popular for players. So it came as no surprise to anyone when Nintendo’s next move was to release the Nintendo Switch Lite and continues the tradition of the handheld-only console market.
Potential Switch owners currently have options for Nintendo’s latest console (unless the Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to appear), thanks to the launch of the Nintendo Switch OLED in 2021. But if you’re still looking at the previous options, which model does it suit you? Is it the handheld-only Switch Lite? Or the original hybrid?
To help you decide, we’ll take you through the similarities and differences between each console, comparing design, pricing, and game libraries. Keep reading to settle the battle between Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite.
Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: price
The current Nintendo Switch model retails for £259.99 / $259.99 / AU$435, with plenty of bundle options. For that price you get the console itself, two Joy-Con controllers, a dock and the accompanying cables. Bundles usually include hugely popular games like Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Pokemon Sword and Shield, or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – all great games to start with.
Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch Lite is on sale for the lower price of $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$329.95 for the console alone. The console is geared towards handheld play, so you don’t get docks or detachable Joy-Con controllers (more on that later), but bundles of the most popular games can be found at most retailers, with the accompanying games generally a little extra on the cost.
Bundles aside, just looking at the prices of the consoles shows that the Switch Lite, as you’d expect, costs less than the original version. If you’re not interested in the Switch’s TV output capabilities, then opting for the Switch Lite is worth saving money as it could be enough to get you a few more games.
Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: design
The main selling point of the Switch is undoubtedly the versatility of the console. It’s instant and almost feels like magic as you transfer your game from screen to television and back again. You can use your console to conquer Hyrule in The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild on your morning commute before docking the console once you get home to play with your detachable Joy-Con or the Pro Controller.
Nintendo has chosen to dispense with this hybrid functionality on the cheaper Nintendo Switch Lite. It has fixed Joy-Con controllers and doesn’t connect to a TV – and while this could be a deal breaker for many, we think it could be very appealing to new and existing customers.
For example, the bright colors really help to give it a more toy-like feel, which younger players will find appealing. Between yellow, grey, coral and turquoise, there’s plenty of room to express yourself – albeit without swapping joy-cons to your heart’s content.
The lower price is ideal for those looking for a second device for a younger child, or just a console that’s easier to carry around – the more plastic-looking Switch Lite with its fewer moving parts looks a bit more durable than its more versatile older brother.
Despite being fixed, the controllers offer mostly the same buttons as the original Switch – except the A, Y, B and X buttons have been replaced with a D-Pad – while some functionality has been removed, which we’ll get to later. will go in soon. Both models also offer wireless connectivity, Bluetooth, and MicroSD cards to augment the measly 32GB of console storage.
Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: View
The Nintendo Switch offers a 6.2-inch LCD screen with a maximum resolution of 720p. With PlayStation and Xbox chasing more and more pixels, 720p certainly doesn’t feel ambitious, but the system’s range of high-end exclusives belies any technical shortcomings. You can also dock the console to output at 1080p, of course: it’s not 4K, but it’s sharper when stretched across your TV or monitor.
The lower price of the Switch Lite means the system has to cut some corners. While the screen is still an LCD with capacitive touch functionality (and achieves the same 720p resolution), it’s slightly smaller than on the original Switch, measuring 5.5 inches. Still, it’s ideal for younger siblings to catch fish on the go in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: Games
This is where things arguably get a little complicated given the discrepancy between the two consoles’ feature sets. Because the Switch Lite’s controllers are fixed, they don’t offer HD Rumble, motion controls, or the IR Motion Camera of the previous model’s Joy-Con. This means that any game that requires one of these parts will require the wireless connection of an extra pair of Joy-Con controllers.
This means, for example, that Snipperclips (in addition to the Plus version) and Mario Tennis Aces require additional controllers for those playing on the Nintendo Switch Lite. However, that’s not all. Because many games require separate Joy-Con controllers, the following are not suitable for the Switch Lite: Labo kits, 1-2 Switch and Super Mario Party.
Perhaps the biggest concern is that there’s a chance that games will eventually launch that aren’t compatible with the Switch’s handheld mode, meaning you won’t be able to play them on the Switch Lite. It seems unlikely, but think of a world where the next big Mario platformer needs full Joy-Con support, and you might feel like you’re missing out.
Please also note that the Joy-Con is charged via connection to the Nintendo Switch or via the charging stand. If you only have the Lite, you’ll need to invest in the charging stand.
Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: Software and Interface
Much easier to explain is the interface of the console. The Switch has offered a clean, arguably barebones user interface, which has seen only minor incremental updates over the past two years, and the Lite offers the same functionality. You can share screenshots, keep up with the latest Nintendo news and access your settings just like you can on the full-fledged Switch. This means you have your friends list, your titles and the eShop all at the touch of a button.
You can play multiplayer games like Splatoon 3 with friends regardless of which Switch model you’re using, although a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online is required. This currently costs $3.99 / £3.49 / AU$5.95) per month, $7.99 / £6.99 / AU$11.95 for 90 days, or $19.99 / £17, 99 / AU$29.95 per year – a family plan with eight accounts costs $34.99 / £31.49 / AU$54.95.
Whether you have a Nintendo Switch or a Nintendo Switch Lite, you can enjoy online play, cloud storage and member-exclusive offers. The big draw here is the ability to play NES games, while masochists also get access to Nintendo’s unique horrible smartphone app.
So there you have it, two Switch models to mull over in preparation for your next holiday. Which one do you jump into? Fortunately, whatever you choose, you can play a huge library of excellent games.