After a wave of rumors suggesting the imminent announcement of both a powered up Switch and a Lite version of it, Nintendo finally announced the lite version of its flagship system complete with a release date and price point.
The Nintendo Switch Lite will release on September 20th, 2019 at a price point of $199.99 ($100 dollars cheaper than the standard model) the price point was made possible by the elimination of a few key features.
The NSL cannot dock into a docking Station for TV play, it doesn’t have detachable joycons, IR sensor or HD Rumble. Table top play is not possible. On the converse the battery should last 3-7 hours which overall is an hour longer than the original model, and there is a digital pad now on the integrated controller (fighting fans rejoice!).
Only games that can be played on portable mode (the vast majority) can be played on the system.
The NER take:
Nintendo Switches are selling like hot cakes at some point the system is bound to over take XB1 life sales next year, a cheaper more conventional option (as far as portability goes) will go a long way in boosting sales even if it removes the TV play option.
Most people haven’t gotten into Switch for TV play as most 3rd party games have superior versions on the rival consoles as far as TV play goes. However portability is the selling point, so I think Nintendo has made the right decision. Personally I would still prefer the original model as $100.00 gets you a larger screen (6.2 inches to 5.5 inches on the lite version), the detachable joycons which turn the Switch into a play anywhere multiplayer device, and the ability to play the first party offerings on TV at 900p even if occasionally.
Most parents however will probably find the cheaper, smaller, easier to carry (and seemly more resistant) version of the console too attractive to pass up.