Device hub · Handheld gaming · Desk research
Nintendo Switch Lite
Switch Lite is the cheap, light, handheld-only Switch: 5.5-inch 720p, 32GB, 3570mAh, 3–7 hours, no dock.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedNintendo Switch Lite
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not a Nintendo asset). View official product image
Nintendo product images and trademarks are protected. Use the official tech-spec page.
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedNumeric rows were pulled from Nintendo’s US/UK Lite sheets, accessed 2026-09-19.
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not a Nintendo asset). View official product image
Do not copy Nintendo box art into public/.
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
Switch Lite is the cheap, light, handheld-only Switch: 5.5-inch 720p, 32GB, 3570mAh, 3–7 hours, no dock. Buy it for Nintendo software in a unibody. Skip it if you need TV mode, Joy-Con, OLED’s 7-inch panel, or Switch 2.
Who it is for
- Players who only want handheld Nintendo Switch games and do not need a TV dock.
- Households buying a second, cheaper Switch for travel — $199.99 regular price on nintendo.com colorways.
- Desk-research writers comparing Lite’s 5.5-inch 32GB / 3570mAh sheet to OLED’s 7-inch 64GB / 4310mAh without mixing Switch 2 rows.
- People who want NFC on the console body (Lite wireless row) rather than Joy-Con [R] only.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants TV / tabletop play. USB-C is charging only; there is no HDMI dock path.
- Buyers who want detachable Joy-Con, HD Rumble as a Joy-Con row, or OLED’s 7-inch panel.
- People who need published RAM, TDP, or nits. Nintendo does not print those.
- Switch 2 shoppers. Lite is last-gen handheld-only hardware.
Key differentiators
- Handheld-only unibody: integrated +Control Pad, sticks, ABXY, L/R/ZL/ZR. No detachable Joy-Con.
- 5.5-inch 720p LCD and ~275g / 0.61 lb — the lightest first-party Switch family sheet.
- 3570mAh; 3.0–7.0 hours; ~4 hours BotW example; ~3-hour sleep charge.
- USB-C charging only. `dock_output` is None — keep that row so OLED/Switch 2 can stay 1080p/4K.
Caveats
- Compatible with Switch games that support Handheld mode. Do not invent a TV-mode compatibility matrix.
- RAM, process, brightness, and HDR are unpublished. Keep those handhelds-v1 keys.
- August 2025 US pricing update said Lite prices may change; we quote $199.99 regular price as printed on Store colorways on access day.
- GadgetShowdown has not lab-tested Switch Lite. Hour ranges are Nintendo’s.
Handheld-category specs
Same rows on every handheld page (Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Legion Go, Switch).
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| SoC / APU | NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US)Nintendo does not publish core counts or clocks on the consumer spec sheet. |
| GPU | Included in Nintendo’s combined CPU/GPU cell: NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| TDP / APU power (OEM) | Not published | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| RAM | Not published | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Storage | 32GB internal (portion reserved for system). Game-card slot for Nintendo Switch game cards. UK sheet: ~6.2GB reserved. | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US / UK) |
| Expandable storage | microSD / microSDHC / microSDXC up to 2TB. microSDXC requires 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) |
| Refresh rate | Not published | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Peak brightness (OEM) | Not published | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| HDR / color (OEM) | Not published | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Controls | Integrated: Left/Right sticks (clickable), ABXY, L/R/ZL/ZR, +/−, +Control Pad, HOME, Capture, Power, Volume | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Trackpads | None | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Gyro / motion | Accelerometer and gyroscope | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Haptics | Not published | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Rear / grip buttons | ZL / ZR (integrated). Not Deck-style rear grips. | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Battery capacity | 3570mAh lithium-ion (non-user-removable) | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Battery life (OEM) | Approximately 3.0–7.0 hours; about 4 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Charging (OEM) | USB-C charging only; approximately 3 hours in sleep mode. AC adapter included per Nintendo Store listing. | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US); Nintendo Store Lite page |
| Operating system | Nintendo Switch system software | Nintendo hardware pages |
| Store / ecosystem | Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch game cards that support Handheld mode. Not Steam / Windows. | Nintendo Lite product page |
| Weight | Approx. 0.61 lb (US). UK sheet: approx. 275 g. | Nintendo US and UK Lite spec pages |
| Dimensions | Approx. 3.6 × 8.2 × 0.55 in (1.12 in stick-to-ZL/ZR). UK: 91.1 × 208 × 13.9 mm (28.4 mm at thickest). | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US / UK) |
| Chassis / form | Unibody handheld. No detachable Joy-Con, no dock, no tabletop kickstand path. | Nintendo Lite product / tech specs |
| Finishes | Multiple colorways (Yellow, Turquoise, Coral, Blue, and later special editions). Confirm the live nintendo.com SKU. | Nintendo Store Lite pages |
| Cooling | Not published | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Ports | USB-C (charging only); 3.5mm CTIA headset jack; game-card slot; microSD slot | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Wireless (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.1; NFC on the Lite console wireless row | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Speakers / audio | Stereo speakers. No HDMI audio path (no TV mode). | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Dock / TV output | None. USB-C is charging only. Lite has no TV mode / HDMI dock row. | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| US MSRP (launch) | $199.99 regular price on Nintendo Store colorways (accessed 2026-09-19) | Nintendo Store Lite colorway pagesNintendo’s August 2025 pricing update said original Switch family prices may change. Re-check nintendo.com. |
| Price band | Budget console handheld (~$200) | Derived from $199.99 regular price |
| Announced | 10 July 2019 (Nintendo announcement window); US colorways from 20 September 2019 on Store dates we saw | Nintendo Store Lite listings / family pages |
| Availability | Still listed on Nintendo’s live Switch family tech-spec page (accessed 2026-09-19) | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
Nintendo Switch Lite extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other handhelds keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Model number | HDH-001 | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Handheld-only | No TV mode. No tabletop mode. Games must support Handheld mode. | Nintendo Lite product page |
| NFC | Listed on the Lite console wireless row (not only on a detachable Joy-Con [R]) | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Energy consumption | Game ~4W; video ~3W; HOME ~2W; sleep 0.03W; off <0.01W; estimated annual ~3 kWh | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
| Operating environment | 41–95°F / 20–80% humidity (US) | Nintendo Switch tech specs (US) |
Overview
Nintendo Switch Lite is the handheld-only Switch. Official rows that matter for handhelds-v1: 5.5-inch 720p LCD, custom Tegra, 32GB, 3570mAh / 3–7 hours, integrated controls, no TV output.
We have not bench-tested this console.
Nintendo’s sheet is thinner than Valve or ASUS. RAM, TDP, nits, and HDR stay Not published.
Display
5.5-inch LCD, 1280×720, capacitive touch. No published refresh, nits, or HDR.
SoC, RAM, and storage
| Nintendo’s words | Switch Lite |
|---|---|
| CPU/GPU | NVIDIA Custom Tegra |
| RAM | Not published |
| Storage | 32GB + microSD up to 2TB + game-card slot |
| TDP | Not published (≈4W playing, per the energy table) |
Controls
Integrated unibody: two clickable sticks, ABXY, +Control Pad, L/R/ZL/ZR, +/−, HOME, Capture. Accelerometer / gyroscope. NFC on the console wireless row.
Do not write Joy-Con IR or HD Rumble as Lite console cells.
Battery and charging
3570mAh. 3.0–7.0 hours; ~4 hours BotW. ~3 hours in sleep. USB-C charging only.
Nintendo’s live energy table (HDH-001, accessed 2026-09-19) — handheld & tabletop only:
| Mode | Playing a game | Watching a video | Main menu | Sleep | Power off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handheld | Approx. 4W | Approx. 3W | Approx. 2W | Approx. 0.03W | Less than 0.01W |
Estimated annual energy consumption: approx. 3 kWh (Nintendo’s two-hours-per-day footnote). There is no TV-mode wattage row because Lite has no dock.
OS and dock
Nintendo system software + eShop / game cards. No dock.
How this page compares on a desk (not a vs-page)
| Desk fact (OEM) | Lite | OLED | Switch (HAC-001-01) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panel | 5.5” 720p LCD | 7.0” 720p OLED | 6.2” 720p LCD |
| Storage | 32GB | 64GB | 32GB |
| Battery | 3570mAh / 3–7h | 4310mAh / 4.5–9h | 4310mAh / 4.5–9h |
| TV mode | None | 1080p dock | 1080p dock |
| Weight | ~275g | ~420g with Joy-Con | ~0.88 lb with Joy-Con |
Price, SKUs, and what not to invent
$199.99 regular price on Nintendo Store colorways, accessed 19 September 2026. Special editions vary. Re-check.
Sources
- Nintendo — Switch family technical specs (US), Lite HDH-001 — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo — Switch Lite product page (US) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo Store — Switch Lite Coral (regular price $199.99) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo UK — Switch Lite hardware page (275g / mm) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Nintendo — Switch family pricing update (2025-08) — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Can Lite play on a TV?
Not as an OEM path. USB-C is charging only. There is no dock / HDMI row.
Is this Switch OLED or Switch 2?
No. OLED is `/handhelds/nintendo-switch-oled/`. Switch 2 is `/handhelds/nintendo-switch-2/`. Original LCD is `/handhelds/nintendo-switch/`.
How much RAM does it have?
Nintendo does not publish RAM. Keep the handhelds-v1 key as Not published.
What is the battery claim?
3570mAh; about 3–7 hours; about 4 hours in Breath of the Wild; about 3 hours to charge in sleep.
Does it have Joy-Con?
No. Controls are integrated. HD Rumble is a Joy-Con family row, not a Lite console cell.
Official product page: Nintendo Switch Lite. Tech specs: Nintendo Switch Lite specs.