Now that the dust has finally settled on E3, Nintendo has stepped back into the limelight and sneakily announced not one, but two new iterations of its Switch console. Revealed a week apart from each other, the double-act might initially seem a little confusing, so we’ve broken down the most important bits you should know.
Meet the Switch Lite
The first official spin-off of Nintendo’s hybrid console – the Switch Lite is all about being taken on the go. The system features a smaller 5.5-inch screen, is lighter in weight than the original system, packs a better battery life and will come in three funky new colours: yellow, turquoise and grey.
Watch the full announcement video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKGMEZ-i–E
In a major departure from its older sibling, the Lite won’t feature detachable Joy-Con controllers. Instead, all controls will be built into the foundations of the system. All this sounds wonderfully convenient, however it’s worth pointing out that this creates a few caveats for those wanting to jump on the Lite bandwagon.
The first is that while the Lite can play all games in the Switch’s library that support handheld mode, some games will have restrictions, and for titles like 1-2 Switch or Super Mario Party, you’ll have to purchase separate wireless Joy-Cons in order for them to be playable at all. HD Rumble support or the IR camera are also not included in this revision, and perhaps the biggest point of all – it can not be played on your television, nor will it come with a dock.
Love Gaming?
Get the latest Gaming news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
This is strictly a handheld machine in the same vein as the Nintendo 3DS family. If you only really play your Switch undocked, cherish a few extra hours of power, or need a more durable system for the little ones – this is the system you’ve been waiting for.
It will hit store shelves on September 20 for $329.95. There will also be a Zacian & Zamazenta Edition Console to line up with the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield – featuring blue and pink buttons and drawings of the legendary characters on the back of the system.
Then there’s an updated regular Switch
Also announced mere days ago with almost zero fanfare, this updated version of the base-level Switch touts an improved battery life as its major selling point. With an extra two hours, that brings this new system to an estimated usage of between 4.5 and 9 hours, while the current model is between 2.5 and 6.5 hours.
There is also reportedly an updated CPU within the system, but Nintendo has not made any claims that will lead to an increase in performance. In fact, speculation suggestions that the revised processor is the reason behind the boosted battery performance.
There are new Joy Con colours, too!
Aren’t ready to buy a new console but want to give your existing Switch a bit of a refresh? Well then get excited, because two new sets of coloured Joy-Cons are headed your way. Both a purple and neon orange combo, as well as a blue and neon yellow combo will land in stores on October 4 for a retail price of $119.95.
But wait, what about the Switch Pro?
Rumours about the so-called Switch Pro have been circulating for months now – which would allow for increased performance and prettier visuals. As of writing, however, there is no plans such a system, and Nintendo has previously gone out of its way to deny such a product.
That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if a beefier iteration was unveiled a little further into the system’s lifecycle and once the Lite has been released to the public in an attempt to further bump sales.
