Skip to main content

The Nintendo Switch Lite is now available for pre-order

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Nintendo Switch Lite system isn’t scheduled to release until September 20, but you can make sure you get the system you want on launch day by pre-ordering it in advance. Pre-orders are currently available at multiple retailers, but we don’t know how long they’ll be in stock.

On Amazon, you can currently pre-order the Nintendo Switch Lite in all four of its available styles — gray, turquoise, yellow, and the Zacian and Zamazenta Pokémon edition. Aside from the color and visual design differences, the four consoles are otherwise identical and are all priced at $200.

If you prefer to shop at another retailer, you can also find the Switch Lite available for pre-order at Target and Best Buy, as well as GameStop. Regardless of your choice, it should be obtainable at the same price, and retailers with brick-and-mortar locations should also allow you to pick it up in the store on launch day.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Zacian and Zamazenta Pokémon console is being released to celebrate the upcoming games Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. They will be the first full-fledged Pokémon role-playing games on the Switch. The simpler adventure games Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! were released in 2018, and blended elements of Pokémon Yellow with those from Pokémon Go.

The Nintendo Switch Lite launches just a few months before Black Friday, but don’t count on its price being slashed during the holiday shopping event. Nintendo is notoriously stingy with its console sales, so you are risking very little by purchasing the system at launch.

Just prior to the launch of Switch Lite, Nintendo is also releasing an updated version of the original Switch system. It isn’t more powerful and doesn’t include any unique features, but its battery life has been improved to a maximum of nine hours. The system that launched in 2017 could only manage around six hours. For those who want to dock their system, this is the preferable purchase, but younger kids will appreciate the smaller size of the Switch Lite. On top of that, its fixed controls mean that the directional pad has replaced the buttons found on the standard left Joy-Con.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Grounded and Pentiment are the first Xbox games to come to Nintendo Switch
Characters in Grounded game.

During Wednesday's Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, we learned about two of the Xbox Game Studios titles that are going multiplatform. The games in question are Obsidian Entertainment's Grounded and Pentiment, and the latter will launch tomorrow on Nintendo Switch.

Earlier this year, various leaks and rumors suggested that first-party Xbox exclusives like Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment could make their way over to competing platforms. Microsoft finally addressed the rumors on February 15, confirming that it planned to bring four of its first-party games to non-Xbox platforms over the course of 2024. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wouldn't say what any of the specific games were at the time, though, stating that "the teams that are building those games have announced plans that are not too far away." It's now clear that Spencer was partially referring to this Nintendo Direct, as two of the games showed up here.

Read more
All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Two squads of heroes clash in an Overwatch 2 trailer.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most AAA multiplayer games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.

Read more
Can you play the Nintendo Switch Lite on a TV?
nintendo new switch lite model fcc joy con drift blue

The Nintendo Switch Lite is the smaller, more affordable sibling of the standard Nintendo Switch. This makes it a great option for frugal shoppers, as it's capable of playing all the same games yet carries a much friendlier price tag. However, the Switch Lite doesn't share all the same features as the standard Switch. A big difference is that it won't fit in a traditional Switch dock. That means you'll need to pick up a third-party model if you want somewhere to store and charge your handheld while it's not in use.

But can you play the Nintendo Switch Lite on a TV while it's docked? And is it possible to play Switch Lite on a TV using an HDMI cable or other workaround? Here's everything you need to know about the device.
Can you play the Nintendo Switch Lite on a TV?

Read more