*Okay, I know I’ll get FOMO next month and end up buying aSwitch 2; I won’t fool myself about that.
But I honestly can’t wait to see if we get a Nintendo Switch Lite 2 down the line, as not only will more people be able to get a hold of a Switch 2,or even afford one, but the Lite just feels more ‘Nintendo’.
There’s something of a novelty in being able to carry around a Switch in your pocket, as opposed to a case or bag, and play Breath of the Wild, Overwatch 2, or The Witcher 3 on a device with a screen equal in size to a phone. It’s fun, it’s more convenient, and the Switch 2’s most impressive features could translate incredibly well to a smaller, compact version.
The Switch Lite Gave Me A New Wave Of Excitement
The Nintendo Switch is one of my favourite consoles; not only because of how novel it is as an idea, but because it was the first console I bought myself, on launch day, with my own money. I’ll always treasure the memory of opening it up and playing Zelda all day, but the Switch Lite also has a special place in my heart.
I bought a Switch Lite when they came around, secondary to my main Switch, purely because… why not? It looked fun and I wanted to see what it was all about. To my surprise, I preferred it for handheld gaming over the standard Switch, and only ever used my original while docked with the Lite dedicated to portable play. It felt like having a modern Game Boy with me, something so insignificant that could play incredibly impressive games.
I only stopped using it so much when the improved battery life models of the Switch came along, and following that, the OLED. Between the much improved battery and impressive screen upgrades, the Lite felt noticeably outshone, and ended up just storing my original Animal Crossing: New Horizons island while I started a new one on the OLED.
The Switch 2’s Most Impressive Tech Could Shine In A Lite 2
The Switch 2 has many hardware upgrades over the Switch.Despite not including OLED technology as standard, the overall build is bigger, the Joy-Con have improved, andmouse functionality might be a game changer for many titles. However, these are things that would be cut out entirely with a Lite 2, if the design follows on from the first.
Instead, I think about the HDR screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and how this could present more powerful games on a smaller device. We have powerful handhelds like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, with the Switch 2 soon to join the ranks, and we have games on mobile that are impressive, if still somewhat lacking, as phones have better tech year after year.
The Switch Lite 2 could not only offer the best visual experience from the base Switch 2, but also decrease the cost of the console while offering what is probably the highest quality, most compact gaming experience available, with triple-A development leading its catalogue. The number of impressive ports already that never would have been possible on the first Switch is vast, so a Nintendo Switch Lite 2 that is built to offer this same library of games would be a perfect option for Nintendo’s market.
All I want for Christmas is Elden Ring or Cyberpunk 2077 in my pocket.
