I got to try the new $200 Nintendo Switch Lite before it arrives next month - here's how it compares to the original

Kevin WebbAug 27, 2019, 20:30 IST

Kevin Webb/Business Insider

The $200 Nintendo Switch Lite will arrive in stores on November 20.
The Switch Lite is a handheld-only revision of Nintendo's latest video game console and can play all of the same games. It will launch in three colors: yellow, gray, and turquoise.
The original $300 Switch is already the best-selling video game console of 2019.
The Switch Lite can't connect to a TV or separate its controls like the original Switch, but it's $100 cheaper and easier to carry on the go.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nintendo recently invited me down to New York City's Rockefeller Center to get my first hands-on experience with the Nintendo Switch Lite, the newest version of the company's best-selling video game console.

Nintendo revealed the Switch Lite in July after months of speculation about a cheaper, portable-only revision to its popular console. The Switch is already the best-selling video game console of 2019 at $300 and new "Pokémon" and "Legend of Zelda" games coming this holiday season will further boost sales for the $200 Switch Lite.

Nintendo made a habit of making cheaper, more portable versions of its past handheld consoles, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Switch Lite arrives as popularity for the original Switch hits a fever pitch.

As a portable-only device with no Joy-Cons, the Switch Lite seems to forsake some of the original Switch's innovations in favor of embracing what's most important: all the great games you can find on the platform.

The original Switch successfully introduced the idea of the hybrid video game console in March 2017. The Switch can be connected to a home theater system for high quality gameplay or taken on-the-go as a portable console. Furthermore, the Switch's controls can be separated from the console and used as two separate motion controllers called Joy-Cons. Nintendo sold more than 30 million Switch consoles in two years with these hybrid features at the core of its marketing.

But the Switch's success has also shown that there is a general interest in a portable video game console with access to the latest releases. The Switch Lite can earn customers who may already own a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and just want to play the same games while they're traveling. Parents may be more willing to invest in a handheld console at a lower price point when introducing their child to gaming.

Nintendo gave us a chance to try "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," "Super Mario Odyssey," "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe," and "Super Mario Maker 2" on the Switch Lite during a private session.

Here's what it was like using the Nintendo Switch Lite:

See I got to try the new $200 Nintendo Switch Lite before it arrives next month - here's how it compares to the original >>

The Nintendo Switch Lite will come in three colors: yellow, gray, and turquoise.

Yellow has been a common color for Nintendo's handheld consoles in the past — the GameCube came in a yellow variation called "spice."

The gray Nintendo Switch Lite is bit darker than the original Switch, and is closer in color to more traditional electronics.

The turquoise color was quite popular with other folks at the hands-on event, but it might be my least favorite.

The Switch Lite did feel noticeably lighter than the original Switch, and a bit sturdier without the detachable Joy-Cons. The software and games seemed identical to the original Switch.

I brought my own Switch for comparison with the Switch Lite. At first glance, the difference in screen size felt negligible.

The Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch screen from corner to corner, while the original Switch has a 6.2-inch screen. The Switch Lite has a smaller screen than the smallest iPhone XS, which is 5.8 inches across.

The Switch Lite owes its slimmer design to smaller controls, which became more clear when I took the Joy-Cons off the original Switch.

The Joy-Cons on the original Switch have built-in motion controls and are meant to serve as solo controllers, so it makes sense that they required extra space.

Without Joy-Cons, the Switch Lite doesn't have motion controls or HD rumble support, but it's much easier to hold in one hand.

The Switch Lite also has a traditional directional pad on the left, instead of the four direction buttons like on the Joy-Con. The Switch Lite has slightly smaller buttons overall, too.

The Switch Lite doesn't have a stand like the original Switch, so it will be tough to play games with a friend or use a different controller.

The Switch Lite offers three to seven hours of battery life, which is 30 more minutes than the original Switch released in March 2017. But the full Switch consoles released in August or later now have a battery of 4.5 to nine hours.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website