Switchin’ it up
The Nintendo Switch was an idea two generations in the making. The blueprints were there with the Wii U, and now Nintendo has a bonafide phenomenon on its hands. The Switch is easily the hottest console on the market. It is gaining third party support daily. Games that shouldn’t even work on the system are even coming to it. So it was inevitable that Nintendo would eventually capitalize on the success with a new model of the console. What is weird about the Switch Lite is that it removes the one thing that makes the Switch unique, making it feel more like an accompanying piece rather than a replacement.
The Switch Lite completely removes the ability to display games on a TV screen. Let that sink in. The namesake of the Switch was designed around the idea of it ‘switching’ between portable and console mode. This led to compromises on both sides of the fence. Portability suffered due to size and battery life, while TV display was compromised in terms of power. The Switch Lite opts to focus on just one aspect: the portability.
MSRP: $199.99
Price I’d Pay: $199.99
The new design shines. This model is significantly smaller. The texture of the unit feels great in longer sessions, and the weight doesn’t drag it down and make it a chore to hold after hours. The dedicated d-pad also does wonders in eliminating the awful Joycon button d-pad of the regular switch. The analog sticks still feel too small and brittle for my liking, but the rest of the buttons on the Lite are lightyears above the standard Joycons.
Size is a big factor. The original Switch is 4 inches tall and 9.4 inches wide, while the Lite is 3.6 inches tall and 8.2 inches wide. Sure numbers don’t make it sound all that different, but the first time I picked it up, it was substantial. Nintendo has always been excellent when it comes to redesigning their game machines. The Switch Lite makes the most of its size changes with its design. Everything feels more compact. I had issues holding the original Switch for extended periods, with the Lite those issues disappear almost entirely. It is a perfectly-designed machine for on-the-go gaming.
The design of the Switch Lite fixes a lot of my issues with playing portably on the original machine. Everything just feels better and more refined. Games that require finesse with platforming such as Mega Man 11 and SNES classics such as Super Mario World feel so much better with a proper d-pad. The shoulder buttons also feel more defined with a better click-in to them. Controlling any game feels slightly better outside of the still problematic analog sticks. It just seems that handheld consoles are destined to have bad 3D movement, and that is a shame.
The screen size is also cut down just a bit. It is about the size of a phone screen, but the less real estate helps with the battery life. The resolution is set to 720p, which is fine for its size. Games look crisp but I did have some issues with text in certain games such as Astral Chain and Daemon X Machina. I found it a bit hard to read and with no options to resize in certain games, this could become an issue. Battery life fares better than the original Switch. I could now harness about 4-7 hours depending on the game, which is about an hour longer than the original. Not quite as impressive as the upgraded OG model, but still better than the launch console.
Transferring my games posed little issue. I just signed into the new Lite and was able to download all my titles. My cloud saves also came over, but this really brought my attention to games that simply do not support cloud saves. Daemon X Machina came to mind, as I was not able to find my save. I only discovered it did not support it by digging into the menu in my original Switch and seeing the message. Nintendo is slowly getting onboard with online features we have all come to know and love, so a little warning when a cloud save doesn’t work would be handy.
Switch Lite is a weird release. I personally have no reason to need this upgrade. I enjoy playing on my large TV at home with the Pro Controller. Sure, I like the option to make it handheld for travelling and playing while my TV is occupied, but having a preference to play docked really makes the Lite not for me. For those that travel the $100-less iteration feels very appealing. Being able to enjoy the massive library for ⅔ the price is always a nice option. Still, I can’t help but feel compelled to suggest ponying up the extra dough for the option down the line. Switch Lite feels like a nice compliment, but not a console I would recommend owning solely for Switch gamers.
Review hardware provided by publisher.
