The battle between the Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Nintendo Switch isn’t really a real fight, rather it’s more of a decision you have to make on which one best suits your needs. Or you might already have the Switch and want to weigh up if a Lite version is also worth having for daily commutes.
As such, we picked through the major pros, cons of both versions of Nintendo’s console, as well as their specs, to help you see how they stack up.
So read on for our Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Nintendo Switch face-off.
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Switch: Specs
| Nintendo Switch Lite | Nintendo Switch | |
| Starting Price | $199 | $299 |
| Processor/GPU | NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor | NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor |
| Screen | 5.5″ (1280 x 720) LCD Screen | 6.2-inch (1280 x 720) LCD Screen |
| Battery Life (ratings) | 3 – 7 hours | 2017 Switch: 2.5 – 6.5 hours | Mid-2019 Switch: 4.5 – 9 hours |
| Weight | 9.8 ounces | 14.1 ounces |
| Dimensions | 8.2 x 3.6 x 0.6 inches | 9.4 x 4 x 0.6 inches |
| Games | Switch games that support Handheld Mode | All Switch Games |
| Colors | Yellow, gray, turquoise, plus Pokemon Sword and Shield editions | Gray or Red and Blue Joy-Cons; multiple options available |
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Nintendo Switch: Design
The Nintendo Switch Lite is so-called due to its drop in size and weight over its larger and older sibling. But what it’s name doesn’t tell you is that the Joy-Con controllers no longer detach from the console, making it a Switch that doesn’t switch. The left-hand controller/side of the console now features a proper D-pad, which a lot of people will find useful.
While the Switch is hardly difficult to carry around, it’s not exactly a console you can easily pop into a pocket. So, for people who like to carry a console around with them all the time the Switch Lite (8.2 x 3.6 x 0.6 inches) has the advantage of taking up less space than the Switch (9.4 x 4 x 0.6 inches). And at 9.8 ounces, the Switch Lite is 30% lighter than the 14.1-ounce Switch.
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Nintendo Switch: Display
The Switch Lite’s shrinking size also applies to its screen. The Switch’s little brother rocks a 5.5-inch touch screen that’s trimmed down from the 6.2-inch touch panel in its predecessor. Both LCD displays sport a 1280 x 720 resolution.
Despite its smaller size, the Switch Lite’s display is comparable to that of the Switch in terms of color and brightness. And thanks to the Lite’s thinner bezels and more uniform design, the screen is even a bit more seamless and immersive.
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Nintendo Switch: Games
If you get a Nintendo Switch Lite as a present, but expected a regular Nintendo Switch, don’t worry: most of the same games play on both. That means that you’ll be able to enjoy top titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Super Mario Maker 2 regardless of whether you buy the Switch or Switch Lite.
The Switch Lite technically doesn’t support games that are built for TV or tabletop mode. Fortunately, there’s a workaround for this. You can easily pair your Joy-Cons or Pro Controller with the Switch Lite, enabling you to enjoy local multiplayer so long as you have a means of propping the Lite up.
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Switch: Play modes
While the Nintendo Switch’s dock allows you to switch between TV mode and handheld mode, and even detach the Joy-Con controllers to hold them separately while the Switch is on a tabletop, the Switch Lite isn’t playing that game.
Instead, the Switch Lite is one non-detachable brick whose controllers are permanently connected, making it playable in handheld mode only. It doesn’t work with Nintendo’s dock, either.
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Switch: Battery life
The Switch Lite is rated for 3 to 7 hours, which is better than the original Switch (approx. 2.5 to 6.5 hours) from 2017.
In our Switch Lite battery test (which consisted of a continuous 8-player Super Smash Bros Ultimate battle), the handheld console lasted for 3 hours and 50 minutes of continuous play. That’s an hour more than the result we got from the 2017 launch Switch (2:45), but an hour less than our result from the 2019 Nintendo Switch battery test (4:50).
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Switch: Price and value
The Switch Lite definitely appeals to price-conscious gamers (as well as the price conscious parents of gamers). Going by RRP, at $199, the Switch Lite is two-thirds the price of the original, and as we’ve noted above, there’s little that it can’t do in terms of playing most games in the Switch library. However, $299 offers more ways to play for the extra $100, so you’ll need to weigh which play modes are most important to you.
See the best prices in your region in the widgets below.
Nintendo Switch Lite vs. Switch: Our recommendation
As you might guess, the Nintendo Switch Lite is best for people who want to and will be predominately gaming on the go. It’s also $100 cheaper, but its $199 price tag is still not something I’d classify as a cheap impulse buy.
The Switch Lite is lighter and smaller, but all of its tradeoffs will make it a tough sell for gamers who prefer to play on a TV (or want to be able to easily get a tabletop play session going). The Lite’s battery life is longer than that of the launch Switch, but the 2019 Switch refresh has the best runtime of them all.
So, if you play games on your TV, you’ll probably want to stick with the standard Nintendo Switch. And ultimately, having a Switch that actually switches it the whole point of these consoles. But you can’t go wrong with the Switch Lite either, which is arguably Nintendo’s best handheld console to date.
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