Handheld gaming · Model guide · Maker specs
Nintendo Switch Lite
Get Nintendo Switch Lite if you only play handheld: it's the cheapest, lightest Switch, with a 5.5-inch 720p screen and built-in controls.
Product images
Nintendo Switch Lite, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get Nintendo Switch Lite if you only play handheld: it's the cheapest, lightest Switch, with a 5.5-inch 720p screen and built-in controls. Nintendo rates its 3570mAh battery for 3 to 7 hours, and the Nintendo Store listed it at $199.99 in September 2026. It has no TV output and it's last-generation hardware, so skip it if you want TV play, detachable Joy-Con or Switch 2.
Who it is for
- Handheld-only players. The Lite is a one-piece console with the controls built in, and it's the cheapest way into the Switch library.
- Households adding a second, cheaper Switch for travel; with the controls built in, there are no Joy-Con to lose.
- Anyone who finds Switch OLED too big to carry. The Lite has a 5.5-inch screen and weighs about 275 grams, against 7 inches and about 420 grams for OLED with its Joy-Con.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants to play on a TV. The USB-C port only charges and there's no dock or HDMI output; Switch OLED and the original Switch both dock at 1080p.
- Players who want detachable Joy-Con or tabletop play. The controls are built in, and there's no kickstand.
- Switch 2 shoppers. The Lite is last-generation, handheld-only hardware.
- Long-session players. Nintendo rates the Lite for 3 to 7 hours, against 4.5 to 9 for Switch OLED and the original Switch.
What sets it apart
- Built for handheld play, with a +Control Pad, two clickable sticks, A, B, X and Y, and L, R, ZL and ZR fixed to the console.
- The lightest Switch, at about 275 grams (0.61 lb), with a 5.5-inch 1280 × 720 touchscreen.
- NFC in the console itself rather than in a detachable controller.
Caveats
- It plays only Switch games that support handheld mode, so check that before you buy a game.
- Nintendo doesn't list HD Rumble for the Lite; on the other Switch models, rumble lives in the Joy-Con.
Key specs
In the same order on every handheld page, so you can compare models.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| GPU | Part of the NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Power draw (TDP) | No TDP figure; about 4W playing a game, 3W watching video and 2W on the HOME menu | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Storage | 32GB, with about 6.2GB reserved for the system (Nintendo UK); game-card slot for Switch game cards | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US); Nintendo UK Switch Lite page |
| Expandable storage | microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC up to 2TB; microSDXC needs a system update | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Display size | 5.5-inch | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Display type | LCD, capacitive touch | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Display resolution | 1280 × 720 | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| HDR and color | None listed; HDR10 is a Switch 2 feature | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Controls | Built in: two clickable sticks, A, B, X and Y, L, R, ZL and ZR, plus and minus, +Control Pad, HOME, Capture, POWER and volume | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Trackpads | None | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Motion sensors | Accelerometer and gyroscope | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Haptics | No HD Rumble listed for the console; other Switch models put it in the Joy-Con | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Rear or grip buttons | No rear buttons; ZL and ZR are built in | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Battery capacity | 3570mAh lithium-ion, not user-replaceable | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Battery life | About 3.0 to 7.0 hours; about 4 hours of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Charging | USB-C, for charging only; about 3 hours in sleep mode. The Nintendo Store includes an AC adapter. | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US); Nintendo Store Switch Lite page |
| Operating system | Nintendo Switch system software | Nintendo hardware pages |
| Games and store | Nintendo eShop and Switch game cards, for games that support handheld mode. No Steam or Windows store. | Nintendo Switch Lite page (US) |
| Weight | About 0.61 lb (US); about 275 g (Nintendo UK) | Nintendo US and UK Switch Lite pages |
| Dimensions | About 3.6 × 8.2 × 0.55 in (1.12 in deep at the sticks). Nintendo UK: 91.1 × 208 × 13.9 mm, 28.4 mm at the thickest point. | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US); Nintendo UK Switch Lite page |
| Design | One-piece handheld: no detachable Joy-Con, no dock and no kickstand | Nintendo Switch Lite page and tech specs (US) |
| Finishes | Several colors, including Yellow, Turquoise, Coral and Blue, plus later special editions | Nintendo Store Switch Lite pages |
| Ports | USB-C (charging only); 3.5mm CTIA headset jack; game-card slot; microSD slot | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.1; NFC in the console | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Speakers and audio | Stereo speakers; no HDMI audio, since there's no TV mode | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| TV output | None; the USB-C port only charges, and there's no HDMI or dock | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| US price | $199.99 regular price on the Nintendo Store's color pages, September 2026 | Nintendo Store Switch Lite pages |
| Price band | Budget handheld (about $200) | Based on the $199.99 regular price |
| Announced | 10 July 2019; US colors on sale from 20 September 2019 | Nintendo Store Switch Lite pages; Nintendo Switch family pages |
| Availability | Still sold alongside Switch OLED and the original Switch (September 2026) | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
Nintendo Switch Lite extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Model number | HDH-001 | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Handheld only | No TV mode and no tabletop mode; games must support handheld mode | Nintendo Switch Lite page (US) |
| NFC | Built into the console, not a detachable Joy-Con | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Power use | About 4W playing, 3W for video, 2W on the HOME menu, 0.03W in sleep, under 0.01W off; about 3 kWh a year at two hours of play a day | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Operating conditions | 41–95°F, 20–80% humidity | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
Handheld only, and that’s the point
Switch Lite is a single unit. The screen, sticks and buttons don’t come apart, the USB-C port only charges, and there’s no dock, HDMI output or kickstand. It plays Switch games that support handheld mode, from game cards or the Nintendo eShop.
That makes it the simplest Switch, and the first one to rule out if anyone in the house wants to play on the TV. It’s also last-generation hardware. Switch 2 is Nintendo’s current console, with HDR10 on its screen, and the Nintendo Switch 2 guide covers it.
Against Switch OLED and the original Switch
| Spec | Nintendo Switch Lite | Nintendo Switch OLED | Nintendo Switch HAC-001(-01) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 5.5-inch 720p LCD | 7.0-inch 720p OLED | 6.2-inch 720p LCD |
| Storage | 32GB | 64GB | 32GB |
| Battery | 3570mAh, 3 to 7 hours | 4310mAh, 4.5 to 9 hours | 4310mAh, 4.5 to 9 hours |
| TV mode | None | 1080p through the dock | 1080p through the dock |
| Weight | About 275 g | About 420 g with Joy-Con | About 0.88 lb with Joy-Con |
The Lite gives up TV play, detachable controllers and some battery life for a smaller, lighter console. Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite goes through that trade in detail, and Nintendo Switch OLED and Nintendo Switch (HAC-001-01) have their own guides.
Screen, controls and battery
The 5.5-inch LCD touchscreen runs at 1280 × 720, as Switch OLED and the original Switch do on bigger screens. The controls are fixed in place, including a +Control Pad, and there’s an accelerometer and gyroscope for motion controls.
Battery life runs from about 3 to 7 hours on the 3570mAh cell, and Nintendo puts The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at about 4 hours. Charging over USB-C takes about 3 hours in sleep mode, and the Nintendo Store lists an AC adapter with it.
Price
The Nintendo Store’s Switch Lite color pages showed a regular price of $199.99 on 19 September 2026, and special editions are priced differently. Nintendo’s August 2025 pricing update said Lite prices could change, so check nintendo.com before you buy. Nintendo announced the Lite on 10 July 2019, and US colors have been on sale since 20 September 2019.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Nintendo — Switch family tech specs (US), including Switch Lite HDH-001 — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo — Switch Lite (US) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo Store — Switch Lite in Coral, $199.99 regular price — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo UK — Switch Lite hardware page, weight and size in metric — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo — Switch family pricing update (2025-08) — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Can Switch Lite play on a TV?
No. Its USB-C port only charges, and there's no dock or HDMI output. Switch OLED and the original Switch both connect to a TV through a 1080p dock.
Does Switch Lite have Joy-Con?
No. The sticks, buttons and +Control Pad are built into the console, so it doesn't split into two controllers or stand up on a table.
Is Switch Lite a smaller Switch 2?
No. It's last-generation, handheld-only hardware from 2019; Switch 2 is Nintendo's current console.
Can I add storage to Switch Lite?
Yes. On top of the 32GB built in, it takes microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC cards up to 2TB, though microSDXC cards need a system update first.
Does Switch Lite have motion controls?
Yes. It has an accelerometer and a gyroscope built into the console.
Official product page: Nintendo Switch Lite. Tech specs: Nintendo Switch Lite specs.