The Nintendo Switch Lite’s color palette is getting bigger, and it’s heading under the sea this time. Joining the gray, turquoise, and yellow Switch Lite systems is a coral console. It will be here just in time to add a pop of color for spring.
The Nintendo Switch Lite coral version will be available on April 3 for the same $200 price as the other Switch Lite systems. It’s a slightly warmer shade than an everyday pink, which should keep it from seeming too flashy or gaudy in a collection. It’s otherwise identical to the earlier Switch Lite consoles, with better battery life than the 2017 Switch but worse than the updated 2019 Switch.
Several third-party companies have already made zip-up cases and accessories that match the first Switch Lite colors and will likely follow suit with the coral version. There are also snap-on clear cases available, so the system is protected while still being playable.
The Switch Lite only has one special-edition model so far with a Pokémon Sword and Shield console. However, it’s increasingly difficult to find and is often listed above the standard $200 price.
The Switch Lite bolstered Nintendo’s hardware sales last year, a trend that’s followed through early 2020. By the end of October, the console had sold nearly 2 million units, lifting its total Switch sales considerably compared to the previous quarter. At a $100 discount from the standard Switch system, it allows players to start building up a game collection more quickly, and it supports nearly every Nintendo Switch game. Only a select few like Ring Fit Adventure and the Super Mario Party require detachable Joy-Con controllers.
Nintendo said there would not be a new “Switch Pro” system launching in 2020 to compete with the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, but an Animal Crossing: New Horizons special- edition system goes on sale just before the game’s March 20 release date. However, the system, along with other Nintendo hardware faces production delays in Japan due to the coronavirus outbreak. Nintendo hasn’t said whether the coral Switch Lite is one of the affected products, and the issue is not expected to affect other markets around the world.
