Today, theNintendo Switch Litewas revealed, ending months of speculation and anticipation from many on what the company’s next iteration of its handheld / home console would entail. While the more compact version of the Switch comes with its limitations, there is one notable change fans are excited about: a proper directional-pad. Even though the new system’s button layout is a welcomed change, people shouldn’t get their hopes up for it to be adapted elsewhere.
Speaking with CNET,Nintendoof America President Doug Bowser commented on the possibility of standard Switch Joy-Con controls having a traditional d-pad in the future. Bowser said there aren’t any plans to bring a new version of the Joy-Con controller to retail, as it would hamper their functionality.
“There are no plans, or nothing to announce, in terms of future variations of Joy-Con.”
For the Nintendo Switch Lite, the move to a traditional d-pad makes sense, given the system is built as one whole unit without any detachable controllers. For regular Switch models, standard Joy-Cons are designed with input direction buttons due to their use as a single controller for multiplayer games, such asSuper Mario PartyorMario Kart 8 Deluxe. It seems to be an even trade-off, as the Nintendo Switch Lite will be limited in regards to motion control abilities and multiplayer.
It looks like those looking to pick up the Nintendo Switch Lite this Fall will have to do so with some compromises, however not all the details from the reveal were negative. As expected, the Nintendo Switch Lite comes with a smaller screen (5.5 inches instead of 6.2), will not come with a docking system, and cannot be connected to a TV. It’s been confirmed however thatsave files can be transferredto a new Switch Lite system, meaning early adopters won’t have to start all their games from the beginning. Also, the cheaper price point ($199) isn’t that bad of a deal either.
In addition to the three standard colors available at launch, there will be aZacian and Zamazenta Edition Nintendo Switch Litereleasing forPokémon SwordandPokémon Shieldin November. While the Nintendo Switch Lite will likely be a huge selling point to complement the next generation ofPokémon,fans of older Nintendo systems (both handheld and console) will surely welcome the button design of the new Switch model with open arms.
