Nintendo positions Switch Lite as companion console in new marketing

Nintendo has kicked off its marketing campaign for Nintendo Switch Lite, in a pair of videos published on its UK and Japanese YouTube channels.

In the Western advert the platform holder promotes Lite as a companion device to the original Switch model, noting that the new hardware is “dedicated to handheld play”.

Meanwhile the Japanese video focuses on the new features of the Switch Lite, including its d-pad and portability.

Announced in July and due to launch on September 20 for $200/£200, Switch Lite is a smaller, lighter system than the original Switch console.

It can’t be connected to a TV but can play all Switch games that support handheld mode. It features integrated controls that don’t include HD rumble or an IR motion camera, and the directional buttons previously on the left Joy-Con have been replaced with a traditional d-pad.

Joy-Con controllers can be bought separately and used with the portable console to play games like 1-2 Switch and Super Mario Party in tabletop mode. However, unlike the flagship Switch, the portable console doesn’t include a built-in kickstand.

Nintendo’s official estimate for Switch Lite’s battery life is 3 to 7 hours, compared to the launch model’s 2.5 to 6.5 hours and the recently updated flagship Switch’s 4.5 to 9 hours.