Skip to main content
If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

The Switch Mini Is Officially the Portable-Focused Switch Lite, Has Multiple Compromises Over Original Switch

The Switch Lite is releasing in September, costs $200, and comes in three colors, but it's missing some key features of the original Nintendo Switch.

This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.

Nintendo has announced the Switch Lite. The new portable-focused Switch is smaller and cheaper than the original, but it misses out on the ability to connect to a TV and doesn't include detachable Joy-Con controllers.

Priced at just $199.99, the Switch Lite releases on September 20. It'll be available in three color variants (yellow, gray, and turquoise), and due to be built as a handheld it won't offer the docking and TV connectivity of the original Switch.

The Switch Lite is finally official | Nintendo.
"Adding Nintendo Switch Lite to the lineup gives gamers more color and price point options," says Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser. "Now consumers can choose the system that best suits how they like to play their favorite Nintendo Switch games."

Watch on YouTube

With integrated controls, rather than the detachable Joy-Cons of the original Switch, plus a 5.5-inch screen (down from 6.2 inches offered by the original), the Switch Lite is smaller than the base Switch. The in-built controllers also don't feature the rumble found in the Joy-Cons, but they do offer a d-pad instead of the directional buttons.

The original Switch launched in March 2017 alongside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Rumors of a more powerful 'Switch Pro' persist, although Nintendo is yet to make an announcement on that front. For more on the newest addition to the Switch family, check out our complete guide to the Switch Lite.

Read this next