I’ve always found myself to be a gamer on a budget. I waited until the DS Lite came out before purchasing the cheaper end older clunky original model. I waited until the PS3 and the PS4 had slim cheaper models before taking the dive. But with the announcement of the Nintendo Switch Lite, I find myself conflicted.
That’s right. The Switch Lite has been announced for August. Along with a model that is more suitable for portability, comes a longer battery life. But something struck me as odd from Nintendo’s reveal. It didn’t mention the price or the longer battery life.
Will The Nintendo Switch Lite Be Any Good?
In fact, it seems the only things that it did mention, are what’s wrong with it. The focus of the reveal showed that the Switch Lite lacks the ability to dock into a TV. The Switch Lite is focused on a single player aspect. It lacks a rumble feature and the ability to share joycons.
Image from egadget.com
As much as I would is I would like to focus and all the negatives, it’s not black-and-white. It would be one thing for me to just say that the Switch Lite is a bad idea. As you may know from some of my other articles, I, myself, have cerebral palsy. Having CP complicated things when Nintendo decided to focus on a two controller set up, starting with the Wii. And if this Switch Lite is a way for me to finally enjoy a Nintendo system again, I’m all for it.
Image provided by Nintendo.com
Parents who own a Switch can give their toddler something to play with. Other people won’t have to buy more than one dock for a household. Collectors will have the hottest new system in town. That’s where I think Nintendo is banking its advertising dollars on.
What About Next Year?
We’ve seen this new version of the Switch coming for a while. Though, we thought it was going to be called the Switch Mini. The rumors of the Switch Mini were paired with rumors of a “Switch Pro” accompanying it. A version of the Switch that could fix controls and have better graphical fidelity is a very tempting offer. The kicker comes when you hear that Nintendo has no other plans for a different kind of Switch this year.
Let’s be real. We knew the Switch Lite was coming and we’ve known for a while. It stands to reason that a Pro Switch is in the works too. Will the Switch Lite be attractive to anyone who wants a more advanced Switch in the future. Probably not, but you never know.
But It’s Not So Simple
Things get even more complicated when you add the price of everything into at all. If you add accessories, games, and more, The price of any Switch goes up even more. Nintendo has always had a reputation for having really expensive games and having very few sales. Perhaps having the system all be one thing would lessen the price of a total package. There’s no way to know as of right now.
Image from Nintendo.com
The multiplayer aspect may only be available for those who can be around others with a Switch, but it’s still there. Games like Pokemon and Smash Bros are still an option. Unfortunately, the option is clearly limited in that sense. Maybe I’m just a dinosaur who should be happy that online functionality is still a thing. The new system itself looks beautiful and sleek.
I can only speak for myself. For some, a cheaper price and longer battery life will be a big draw. I know some people who play their Switch exclusively in bed. This would be perfect for them. The cheaper price could also be the reason why they finally are able to try a Nintendo Switch in the first place. In the end, I think I will wait and see how the reception of this Switch Lite becomes. I can finally decide if the system is for me.
