(Credit: PCMag)Price
The Nintendo Switch is $299.99 and comes with two Joy-Con controllers and a dock. The Switch Lite is $199.99 and ditches the dock and detachable Joy-Con (the controllers are built into the system). There's a reason for the 50% price increase between the regular Switch and the Switch Lite.
The original Switch is designed to easily jump between a home console and a gaming handheld. You plug it into its dock so it will display on your TV, or snap the Joy-Con to the system's sides and remove it from the dock so you can use it like a standalone portable game system. That's the "Switch" part.
The Switch Lite doesn't switch. It differs by only functioning as a gaming handheld, lacking TV output. Still, it's tough to beat the Switch Lite when it comes to budget gaming systems.
Winner: Nintendo Switch Lite
(Credit: PCMag)Joy-Con
The Nintendo Switch was built around the Joy-Con concept to enable its switchability. Joy-Cons are simple, wand-like controllers with an analog stick, four face buttons, and two triggers. They're packed full of motion sensors, too. You can use them wirelessly with the Switch or attached to the tablet's sides for handheld gaming functionality. The Switch comes with two Joy-Cons and a grip to use them like a conventional gamepad.
The Switch Lite is an all-in-one handheld with controls built into the device. You can still connect wireless controllers to it, but it's ultimately designed as a gaming portable for one user. So it's not ideal for Switch games like Nintendo Switch Sports that rely on motion controls with detached controllers.
The Switch Lite's permanent controls make the system more stable and solid-feeling than the Switch in portable mode, but the Joy-Con's history raises an unfortunate possibility. Users have found that, over time, the Joy-Con's analog stick can develop drift, slightly signaling a directional movement even when you aren't touching it. This is a known issue for Nintendo that prompted a Joy-Con replacement program. You don't have that option with the Switch Lite; you must repair the system.
Winner: Nintendo Switch
Power
The Switch and Switch Lite are effectively identical in terms of processing power. They have the same CPU/GPU combination and play the same games (except rare games that specifically require TV mode, like 1-2 Switch). Both systems display titles at 720p on their screens, with similar performance. The standard Switch outputs video to a TV at 1080p, but that feature is moot for the Switch Lite since it can't output video. All Switch models run at lower clock speeds when undocked to save power, so technically, the Switch Lite can never actually tap into its full power potential the way the original Switch can.
Winner: Nintendo Switch
Screen Size
The screens are nearly identical, though the Switch's screen is larger. The Switch features a 6.2-inch LCD, while the Switch Lite has a smaller 5.5-inch LCD. Both are touch screens with 720p resolution and are similarly bright and colorful. Of course, they're both outclassed by the gorgeous 7-inch screen of the Nintendo Switch OLED. However, you'll pay $349.99 for that premium system.
Winner: Nintendo Switch
Battery Life
The original Switch had a modest battery life, lasting 2.5 to 6.5 hours between charges, depending on the game. However, Nintendo released a revised Switch, model HAC-001(-01), with a bigger battery lasting 4.5 to 9 hours. Check the Switch model you're looking at to determine if you're getting the bigger battery. The Switch Lite sits between the two versions of the Switch, with a battery lasting 3 to 7 hours. There's no guesswork.
Winner: Nintendo Switch Lite
Portability
The Switch Lite is a single-piece gaming handheld, while the Switch becomes a handheld by snapping two Joy-Con controllers to the sides and removing the system from the dock. In this mode, the Switch measures 9.4 inches long and 4 inches high, while the Switch Light measures a slightly slimmer 8.2 inches long and 3.6 inches high (both are 0.55 inches deep). That makes the Switch Light easier to fit into a jacket pocket.
(Credit: PCMag)The Switch's design has a notable portability advantage and disadvantage compared with the Switch Lite. It's larger, and the Joy-Con can accidentally pop free when tossed around in a pocket or a bag. However, the system features a kickstand that lets you prop it up on a table and use it with the wireless Joy-Con as a tabletop game system. The Switch Lite lacks the kickstand. Overall, the Switch Lite's durable design with fewer points of failure makes it a more comfortable portable system, especially for kids.
Winner: Nintendo Switch Lite