Nintendo announces $199 Switch Lite console
Nintendo has announced a new compact version of its Switch console, which is designed to be just a handheld gaming device.
The Switch Lite, which will be released in the UK in September, will not connect to a TV like the original Switch and does not have removable, motion sensor-enabled Joy-Con controllers.
Instead, the smaller, lighter device has integrated controllers and is compatible with all current Nintendo Switch games that support handheld mode.
Introducing #NintendoSwitchLite – a compact, lightweight console that’s dedicated to handheld play!
This new addition to the #NintendoSwitch family arrives 20/09 in 3 different colours.
👉: https://t.co/NkvzR1GMCm pic.twitter.com/SNctEEGRdy
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) July 10, 2019
The Switch Lite also has a slightly smaller screen – 5.2-inches compared to the 6.2-inch display on the original Switch, but the Lite will live up to its name by being nearly 100 grams lighter than the full-size Switch with Joy-Con controllers attached.
The original Switch was launched in March 2017 to critical acclaim – the console was the first of its kind that enabled users to play games on its remote screen and then be docked and connected to a TV to continue playing in a home console set-up.
Its success has been credited as being a key part of helping Japanese gaming giant Nintendo return to profitability in recent years.
The Switch Lite will cost $199 dollars, Nintendo said, $100 less than the flagship Switch. UK pricing for the device has not yet been confirmed.
