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The Nintendo Switch Lite vs. the original Switch: What's changed?

A few corners were cut to make Nintendo's hybrid console fully portable.

We knew it was coming, but Nintendo's finally drawn the curtain back on a smaller, portable-only version of its successful Switch console. It'll be out in September, in plenty of time before the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield this November. But a lower price of $200 doesn't come without its sacrifices. What did Nintendo have to take out to get the price so low? Check out our table for the full skinny -- you might be surprised at what didn't get cut, and be sure to check out our full review when it drops some time closer to launch.

Switch Lite

Switch (2017)

Price

$200

$300

Dimensions

3.6 x 8.2 x 0.55 inches (91.1 x 208 x 13.9 mm)

4 x 9.4 x 0.55 inches (102 x 239 x 13.9 mm)

Weight

0.61 pounds (275 g)

0.88 pounds (398 g)

Display size

5.5 inches

6.2 inches

Output resolution

1,280 x 720

1,280 x 720 (handheld)
1,080 x 1,920 (docked)

SoC

Tegra X1*

Tegra X1

CPU

quad-core Cortex-A57 + quad-core Cortex-A53 @ 1.02 GHz*

quad-core Cortex-A57 + quad-core Cortex-A53 @ 1.02 GHz

RAM

4 GB*

4 GB

Internal storage

32 GB

32 GB

External storage

microSD

microSD

Games

Titles with handheld mode only

All titles

WiFi

802.11ac

802.11ac

Wired network

None

wired LAN adapter available separately

Video output

None

Dock uses HDMI to connect to TV

Battery life (max)

7 hours

6.5 hours

Controllers

non-detachable controls with cross d-pad

Joy-Cons with button d-pad, infrared sensors and rumble

* Unconfirmed at this time.