**The Nintendo Switch Lite: A Portable Powerhouse**

So if you're worried about sort of making sacrifices by going with the Switch Lite on the screen, I honestly think this is actually a better experience. I find that the bezels look a little bit smaller on the Switch Lite, mostly because, well, they are smaller, but they're also body-colored. However, something that I thought was going to be a bigger downgrade but actually isn't are the speakers. So on the standard Switch, you have two front-firing speakers which are facing directly toward you, whereas with the Switch Lite, they're kind of on the bottom, however they actually seem to be sort of oriented towards you. And it is actually very hard to cover these, honestly it actually doesn't really sound all that much worse than the bigger brother.

For $100 less, at this point, the Switch Lite is looking fairly straight forward, right? I mean you've got pretty much everything from the main Switch except for the JoyCons as well as the TV mode, but in exchange, $100. Not a bad discount. And something I think is really easy to overlook is that for $200, you are getting a fairly powerful console. There are so many excellent games that of course not only have been moved over from the Wii U, but are straight up, like, exclusives on the Switch such as Astral Chain. You've got tons and tons of multi-platform games such as like Fortnite and Minecraft. I mean this is a properly powerful little console. And when you put it side by side with something like the 3DS it is not even a comparison. This is so much better, the screen is a world better, man.

I just played the 3DS for the first time in like a year and I forgot how terrible it was. I mean, $200, especially when you put it in a vacuum, this seems like a really solid little game console. Terrible now compared to, like, a Switch? Well, okay, the 3DS never had a good screen. But the Switch is, this is a legitimately good screen. Like it's not quite as sharp as say, like, a new iPhone or Galaxy, or something, but it is a very good screen. When you look at its side by side with a 3DS, yeah, that's a difference.

Battery life on the Switch Lite is an advantage over the standard Switch, although only kind of. So if you caught a video we did last month on the brand new secret Redbox Switch, even though it looks the same on the outside, it actually has dramatically better battery life at around six hours. Whereas this guy is right in the middle at four, and the original Switch is only at three hours.

Is that the new PSP? I'll see myself out.

The Switch Lite also has an upgrade Nvidia Tegra processor, which while they don't run any faster, so you're not going to get better performance, what you do get is a much more efficient processor. So on the Redbox Switch, because it has a larger battery, you're getting those huge, huge battery gains, however because the Switch Lite is a smaller console it does have a slightly smaller battery. Still, though, if you were coming from an original Switch, you are going to get at least somewhat better battery life on the Lite.

In a world where the Switch Lite exists and the Redbox doesn't, I mean, you're getting something which is of course fully portable, but importantly, it does have better battery life. But as soon as you realize that for $100 more, the Redbox Switch not only has significantly better battery life, but it also does have all the other advantages of a full blown Switch, including the JoyCons and the docking and everything, it makes this a little bit of a harder sell. I mean, when you have a fully portable Switch that doesn't have as good a battery life as a normal Switch it kind of, I don't know, it doesn't make it irrelevant, but it makes it a little bit disappointing, I think.

But of course the real question here is is the Switch Lite worth it? Well if you already have a Switch, no, it is definitely not. The Redbox is better in pretty much every way, and the upcoming Switch Pro will likely be a much, much bigger upgrade. Really where the Switch Lite shines is that it is a full-fat experience as long as you're okay with dealing with a portable-only console. I think for a lot of people, that makes sense. Personally, I like playing the Switch in portable mode a lot. And the fact that this is smaller and so much cheaper I think it will mean it will be a huge, huge seller for Nintendo. It's just not quite for everyone.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austin.Is the Nintendo Switch Lite worth it?This is an all-new Switchwhich cuts the price down to $200,which is a fairly significant cutover the $300 current Switch.However, to get to that $200 price,they've had to make some sacrifices.Now in a lot of ways, the Switch Liteis actually more of a successor to the 3DSas well as the 2DS XL.Around the same price, thereare a lot of similarities,however, the Switch of courseis a much, much more powerful console.However, it's also portableonly, just like the 3DS is.For context, the SwitchLite is about the same priceas the new 3DS line, which is interestingbecause of course this is theirstandard portable console.Now when you put theSwitch Lite side by sidewith the standard Switch,one of the major advantagesis really that price.At $300, the Switch pretty muchdoesn't really get sales or price cuts,so by saving a full $100,I think it is going tobe a very compelling dealfor a lot of people,as long as you can put upwith some of the compromises.This is a Lite version in pretty muchevery sense of the word.Not only do you have thesmaller 5.5 inch screencompared to the 6.2 inchdisplay on the main Switch,but you also lose thebackwards compatibilitywith JoyCons.Is it backwards compatibility?The compatibility in the first place.So of course one of the majoradvantages with the Switchis you can slide up to do JoyCons,you can swap them outwith different colors,however when it comes to the Switch Lite,this is a fixed single unitwhich is nice for (mumbles)but it is not nice forbeing able to, I don't know,play in tabletop mode,because this doesn'thave a kickstand, either.- Or play with your friends.- Friends? Who has friends?Along with this, you are losinga couple of the functionsof the JoyCons, including HD Rumbleas well as the IR support.Although to give the SwitchLite a little bit of credit,it now does have a fullD pad as opposed to theweird four buttons thatnever really made senseunless you split the JoyCons apart.But you know what, I actuallygive this some real credit.Because it is now asingle unit body designas opposed to having the JoyCons,it actually feels a lot more sturdy.Now that certainly wasn't a huge issuewith the original Switch,but because the JoyCons were on rails,especially as the Switch got older,it did have a little bit of flex in it,whereas this actually doesfeel like a very solid unit.An absolute unit, as the kids would say.- S-as the kids would say?- As the kids would say.Look, I'm trying to say an absolute unitas I'm holding a turquoise,like, baby Switch right now.It's really hard to dothis with a straight face.(laughter)It's an absolute unit, guys. Oh, boy.The Switch Lite doesstill use a USBC port,however looks can be deceivingas this is only purely for power.So the Switch Litedoesn't come with a dock,of course it doesn'tcome with the JoyCons,and because of that, you haveno way of connecting thisto a TV even if you wereable to hook up somethinglike a third party dock.And that's kind of a bit of a shame,I mean I get that thisis a portable console.I mean, if you think aboutit like that it's not so bad.But compared to the standard Switch,you're losing a lot of functionality.And you just literally have to use thisas, like, the pocket Switch.Now even thought the SwitchLite doesn't come with JoyCons,you actually can still pair JoyConsthat are of course sold separately.Now because there's nokickstand, you kind of have tofind something to prop it up on,but normal JoyCons do work just fine.However what doesn'twork just fine are, say,the SNES controllers that youcan buy from Nintendo online,which are cool, except thatyou have to use it like this,or Nintendo Labo doesn't also work.Basically you should justuse it as a Switch Litein portable mode, not in JoyCon mode.Or alternatively, I'msure there's going to bea wonderful range of accessories that willgive you a kickstand,and all kinds of othergreat, fun things for your Switch Lite.But that's actuallysomething I kind of miss,because the kickstand onthe Switch is not very good,but it actually is properly usable.Whereas this, like, I like theform factor in handheld modebut when I actually want to set it down,I mean, it's annoying to tryto have to find somethingto prop it up on.It doesn't really feel likequite that same kind ofportable experience, evenwhen you do have a couple ofJoyCons, or something likea pro controller paired.Now at this point, youmight just be thinking thatthis is a worse Switch.However it's not quite that simple.So first of all, you do have colors.Yes, colors are a feature.So not only do you havethis blue turquoise color,but you also have a littlebit of a yellow color,and by a little bit I mean a lot bit.And there's also this specialedition gray Pokemon version.However beyond just the pure colors,what I like about thishardware is that it feelsnot only nice and small,I feel like this is a littlebit of a better form factorfor portable play, but more importantly,it feels more durable.I know I was kind of talkingabout the JoyCon stuff,but even beyond that,you have to consider thatthis is probably theSwitch to get for kids,or people who are upgrading their 3DSwho maybe aren't the mostcareful in the world.Now, yes, you stillhave the exposed screen,you're probably still goingto scratch it up and what not,but because this hasall this matte plasticand it feels relatively sturdy,I do think this will hold up betterthan the current Switch has.Now when you put theSwitch Lite side by sidewith it's bigger brother,the first thing I notice is thateven though this is a smaller screen,it is the exact same 720p resolution,which means thattechnically, this is actuallya little bit sharper witha 267 ppi versus 236.Now the sharpness isn'ta massive difference,although it does looka little bit crisper,but something else I noticedhere is that this seems to be,to my eye, slightly more color accurate.Whereas my original launch Switchis a little bit on the cooler side,the Switch Lite seems tobe a little bit warmer,and they are fairly close on brightness.So if you're worried aboutsort of making sacrificesby going with the SwitchLite on the screen,I honestly think this isactually a better experience.I find that the bezelslook a little bit smalleron the Switch Lite,mostly because, well, they are smaller,but they're also body-colored.However something that Ithought was going to bea bigger downgrade but actuallyisn't are the speakers.So on the standard Switch,you have two front-firing speakerswhich are facing directly toward you,whereas with the Switch Lite,they're kind of on the bottom,however they actually seemto be sort of orientedtoward you.And it is actually veryhard to cover these,honestly it actually doesn't really soundall that much worsethan the bigger brother.For $100 less, at thispoint, the Switch Liteis looking fairly straight forward, right?I mean you've got pretty mucheverything from the main Switchexcept for the JoyConsas well as the TV mode,but in exchange, $100.Not a bad discount.And something I think isreally easy to overlookis that for $200, you are gettinga fairly powerful console.There are so many excellentgames that of coursenot only have been movedover from the Wii U,but are straight up, like,exclusives on the Switchsuch as Astral Chain.You've got tons and tonsof multi-platform gamessuch as like Fortnite and Minecraft.I mean this is a properlypowerful little console.And when you put it side byside with something like the 3DSit is not even a comparison.This is so much better, thescreen is a world better, man.I just played the 3DS forthe first time in like a yearand I forgot how terrible it was.I mean, $200, especiallywhen you put it in a vacuum,this seems like a reallysolid little game console.- Terrible nowcompared to, like, a Switch?- Well, okay, the 3DSnever had a good screen.But the Switch is, this isa legitimately good screen.Like it's not quite as sharpas say, like, a new iPhoneor Galaxy, or something, butit is a very good screen.When you look at itside by side with a 3DS,yeah, that's a difference.(laughter)Now battery life on theSwitch Lite is an advantageover the standard Switch,although only kind of.So if you caught a video we did last monthon the brand new secret Redbox Switch,even though it looksthe same on the outside,it actually has dramaticallybetter battery lifeat around six hours.Whereas this guy is rightin the middle at four,and the original Switchis only at three hours.- Is that the new PSP?I'll see myself out.- John (mumbles), ladies and gentlemen.(laughter)Both the Switch Lite aswell as the Redbox Switchhave an upgrade Nvidia Tegra processor,which while they don't run any faster,so you're not going toget better performance,what you do get is a muchmore efficient processor.So on the Redbox Switch,because it has a larger battery,you're getting thosehuge, huge battery gains,however because the SwitchLite is a smaller consoleit does have a slightly smaller battery.Still, though, if you werecoming from an original Switch,you are going to get at leastsomewhat better battery lifeon the Lite.In a world where the Switch Lite existsand the Redbox doesn't,I mean, you're getting somethingwhich is of course fully portable,but importantly, it doeshave better battery life.But as soon as you realizethat for $100 more,the Redbox Switch not only hassignificantly better battery life,but it does have all the other advantagesof a full blown Switch,including the JoyCons andthe docking and everything,it makes this a littlebit of a harder sell.I mean, when you havea fully portable Switchthat doesn't have as good abattery life as a normal Switchit kind of, I don't know,it doesn't make it irrelevant,but it makes it a littlebit disappointing, I think.But of course the real question here isis the Switch Lite worth it?Well if you already have aSwitch, no, it is definitely not.The Redbox is better inpretty much every way,and the upcoming Switch Pro will likely bea much, much bigger upgrade.Really where the SwitchLite shines is thatit is a full-fat experienceas long as you're okaywith dealing with a portable-only console.I think for a lot ofpeople, that makes sense.Personally, I like playing the Switchin portable mode a lot.And the fact that this issmaller and so much cheaperI think it will mean itwill be a huge, huge sellerfor Nintendo.It's just not quite for everyone.(techno music)