Nintendo Switch Lite

According to The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo's goal with the Switch Lite was to produce a sub US$200 unit, aimed at casual gamers, to compete with gaming services that do not require a dedicated device. To achieve this, Nintendo aggressively negotiated on reduced prices from its component suppliers. Further, the Journal stated that Nintendo had gained Murata Manufacturing as a battery supplier in addition to TDK, to lower costs by causing competition between the two companies.[2]

The Switch Lite is a single, handheld-only unit, integrating the Joy-Con controllers into the main unit's hardware, and uses a smaller 5.5 in (14 cm) screen. [3] Because of the integrated Joy-Con, the Switch Lite is generally limited to games that can be played in handheld mode; while most games in the Nintendo Switch's library are compatible, some games, such as 1-2-Switch, require separate Joy-Con to be used.

The Switch Lite was announced on July 10, 2019, and launched worldwide on September 20, 2019 with an MSRP of US$199.99.[2] It launched with three colors: yellow, grey, and turquoise. The system was promoted alongside The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, a remake of the 1993 Game Boy game. A special Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield branded version of the Switch Lite, themed around the Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta, launched on November 8, 2019, a week before the game's release.[4] A coral color was released on March 20, 2020 in Japan, and on April 3 in the rest of the world.[5]

The Switch Lite normally only supports games that can be played in handheld mode, retaining features like the Switch's gyroscopic sensors, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC compatibility. Some tabletop games that require the HD Rumble or IR camera features, such as 1-2-Switch, requires players to use separate Joy-Con controllers with the Switch Lite. The system does not support any docking or connectivity to a television and is thus incompatible with games that require television mode. Players who attempt to purchase games that require television or tabletop mode via the eShop on the Switch Lite will be notified of the incompatibility. Though not included with the system, the Switch Lite does support external controllers otherwise compatible with standard Switch models, such as standalone Joy-Con controllers, though they cannot be docked to the system.[6][7] Some controllers, such as GameCube controllers, work with the system, but require extra adapters, as the normal GameCube to Switch adapter uses the USB ports on the full-size Switch's dock.[8][9]

The Switch Lite had sold about 1.95 million units worldwide by September 30, 2019, only 10 days after its launch.[10] By March 31, 2020, the Nintendo Switch Lite had sold 6.19 million units worldwide.[1] Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, said in the company's Q4 fiscal earnings report, ending December 21, 2019, that about 30% of the sales of the Switch Lite were from existing owners of the full-size Switch console, making the Lite a backup console for them. Furukawa also said that, for those purchasing their first Switch console, there was a higher percentage of women consumers that purchased the Lite compared to the full-size Switch console, and that Nintendo would increase production of the Lite for that market.[11] Nintendo also announced a brand new color, coral, which came to the market on March 20, 2020.[12]