Nintendo Switch 2 sales are surging, surpassing the original Nintendo Switch in initial sales and becoming the fastest-selling console of all time. We may be some years away, but the gaming world fully expects a Nintendo Switch 2 Lite.
The Nintendo Switch Lite is a popular console, remaining the preferred way to play Switch games for many handheld enthusiasts. Nintendo is riding on the crest of the wave with the extremely successful Switch 2, but the company could already be hard at work on a Lite model.
Nintendo Switch 2 Lite: What to Expect from the Lite Version?
Smaller Screen but Better Pixel Density
The Switch Lite has a far smaller screen than the original Switch and the Nintendo Switch OLED. The Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD display with a 720p resolution. The original Switch also has a 720p screen, though its size is 6.2 inches, making games slightly sharper on the Lite’s shrunken screen.
The Nintendo Switch OLED arrived in 2021, blowing both screens out of the water. Nothing compares to OLED when it comes to vivid colours, pure blacks, and stunning contrast, and the Switch OLED model has a dazzling display.
Fans were desperate for the Nintendo Switch 2 to have an OLED screen at launch, but Nintendo opted for a cheaper LCD display. Don’t get me wrong, the LCD on the Switch 2 looks beautiful, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the OLED model.
The Nintendo Switch 2 screen is a 7.9-inch LCD with HDR and VRR technologies. Nintendo also bumped up the resolution to 1080p and made it 120 fps compatible. Apart from it not being OLED, the screen on the Switch 2 is excellent.
The Lite is also likely to be 1080p, while a 120 fps screen would also be great. We could see HDR and VRR, too, just like its bigger brother. Getting full HD on a smaller display would make games look slightly crisper than on the Switch 2’s 7.9-inch screen.
Nintendo might make the Switch Lite 2’s screen marginally bigger than the original’s, maybe even pushing it to around 6.2 inches to match the Switch 1’s display.
An OLED Lite is probably a step too far, but we are likely to see a Nintendo Switch 2 OLED version down the line. Seeing games like Donkey Kong Bananza and the upcoming blockbuster hit Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sparkle on an OLED Nintendo Switch 2 would be special.
Handheld Only & No Detachable Joy-Con
The Switch Lite is solely a handheld device, dedicated to portable gameplay. In some way, it is a direct successor to the Nintendo 3DS. Some gamers love the handheld-only aspect, while others would love to be able to dock their Switch Lite to their TVs.
With the Lite being an on-the-go console only, it lacks the ability to detach the Joy-Con. The handheld device has built-in controls, much more like a traditional portable. Because of this, there is no HD Rumble or separate motion sensors.
HD Rumble 2 on the Switch Lite 2 makes sense – Sony managed to put its impressive DualSense controller haptics into the PlayStation Portal, so this is certainly a possibility for the Lite 2.
The Joy-Con controllers are unlikely to be detachable again, but connecting official Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con and gamepads, such as the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller 2, will no doubt work.
Same Components at Switch 2?
The Switch Lite is pretty much a shrunken-down version of the original Switch. It plays the same games (mostly) and offers the same performance as the Switch in handheld mode. It may lack TV out, HD Rumble, and detachable Joy-Con, but the gaming experience is virtually identical.
The Lite version has many matching components, such as the same CPU, RAM, and 720p screen. There is 32GB internal storage in both, but the Switch has a larger battery, meaning more game time.
Seeing a handheld with the Switch 2’s impressive specs would be incredible, but the Lite 2 could be some years away. Nintendo surprised many by making the Lite a smaller version of the Switch with no graphical or performance compromises, and it would be great to see them do the same with a Nintendo Switch 2 Lite in the future.
Can Nintendo Improve the Battery Life?
Battery life took a hit with the original Lite, using a 3,570 milliampere-hour (mAh) battery compared to the Switch’s 4,310. Although the Switch 2 Lite is likely to have a smaller battery, we are expecting a significant improvement in this area.
The Switch 2 offers battery life of 2 to 6.5 hours – obviously that depends on how demanding the game is. The battery life is shorter than the Switch OLED’s due to its brighter screen and bigger games.
The Switch 2’s battery is one of its weaker points, and the Lite 2 is also likely to struggle in this department because of the more powerful and demanding Nintendo Switch 2 games. It will be interesting to see how Nintendo tackles battery-life performance in the next handheld-only console.
Could We See Handheld-Only Games?
Games only playable on the Switch Lite would have been fascinating. Having the ability to play any Switch game is superb, but one or two Lite-only titles would have made the portable stand out even more.
Could we see any Switch Lite 2 exclusive titles? The Nintendo 3DS has an incredible library of exclusive games, including Kirby: Planet Robobot, Mario Kart 7, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
With the Switch Lite 2 potentially being dedicated to handheld gamers, it would be nice to have some exclusive titles that can only be played portably.
