The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular video game systems of all time, with current estimates holding that the hybrid video game system has sold somewhere around at least 92 million systems. Indeed, the system has proven to be so popular that the Switch has spawned an offshoot: The Switch Lite. This Nintendo product has slightly less effective specs, but also comes at a cheaper price and with more flexibility than its predecessor system does.
Switch Lite vs Switch: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Switch Lite | Switch | |
| What it is | Portable Video Game System | Hybrid Portable & Console Video Game System |
| Primary use | Playing Nintendo Switch Games | Hybrid Portable & Console Video Game System |
| Name | Nintendo Switch Lite | Nintendo Switch |
| Conceived | Late 2010s | 2010s |
| Initial release | 2019 | 2017 |
| Technical committee | n/a | n/a |
| Influential developers | Nintendo | Saturo Iwata, Tatshumi Kimishima, Genyo Takeda, Shiegeru Miyamoto |
| Open format | No | No |
| Technologies influenced | n/a | Switch Lite |
Switch Lite vs. Switch: 6 Must-Know Facts
- At the moment, the Nintendo Switch is the 4th most popular Nintendo system ever sold.
- The system itself first became necessary out of a desire to appeal to all players, including those who played games more casually and those who were looking for a more intense experience.
- Both systems have the ability to allow players to play older Nintendo games and connect to the Nintendo network. Both also have social networking options and support playing games against friends, provided the game supports that kind of style of play.
- Six games, thus far, have sold more than twenty million copies on the device.
- Both devices are available in multiple colors and sold in a variety of prepackaged formats.
- At the end of 2019, 30% of the owners of the Lite were estimated to be owners of the base system. In other words, people were buying second systems for their homes.
Switch Lite vs. Switch: Summary
The Switch, which first premiered in 2017, was considered revolutionary for its time, as it was the first major “hybrid system.” The system could be played portably or played attached to a dock that could be hooked up to any television set. It came with a 6.2-inch screen, detachable controllers, and third-party support, meaning that a variety of accessories could be hooked up to the device and used regardless of if the system was docked or undocked. The game also can be balanced on a table using a built-in latch. It can also be hooked in with another nearby system to allow for networked play. At the moment, the price of the base model is $300.
It is also worth noting that an OLED model – otherwise known as a higher-end Switch – premiered in October 2021. The OLED model came with a variety of improvements, including stronger audio, a wired LAN port, multiple bundles, and more. The OLED model has performed well in sales thus far.
The Lite had a variety of different specs than those of the base system. It comes with a smaller screen and its controllers don’t detach, thus limiting the games that can be played on the system. However, it does come with many of the same features as the base system, including Bluetooth capacity, Wi-Fi, and NFC.
Switch Lite vs. Switch: Which is Better?
It depends on how you define “better,” as there are unquestioned differences across a variety of metrics, including size, battery life, cost, specs, and more.
To be sure, the regular Switch comes with more options. It has more accessories, can be played on a television or portably, can be played with purchased hardware games (as opposed to the Lite, which can only use video game ones). The regular system also has a larger size, detachable controllers, and a larger screen. All of this makes playing the base Switch system a more enjoyable experience than the Lite.
However, the Lite does come with certain advantages. As a smaller system, it is more portable. Furthermore, there is a serious cost difference: The Lite costs a mere $199, while the base system costs at least $100 more, depending on the specific package purchased, and what accessories come with the device. Last, the Lite has a bigger battery size. As such, there is unquestionably a consumer demand to play the Lite.