Can my Nintendo Switch Lite connect to my TV?

Nintendo Switch Lite: Everything you need to know

The focus of the Switch Lite is different

When Nintendo first announced the Nintendo Switch one of its main selling points was versatility. The idea of having a console you can play on your TV and you can take with you is a powerful one, but, it turns out, most people weren't using that versatility.

Nintendo has been gathering data on how we use our Nintendo Switches, and the overwhelming consensus is that the Switch is more fun when you play it in handheld mode. I think we all knew that to be the case, but Nintendo has taken it to heart and made the Switch Lite solely handheld.

It just won't fit

Not only is the hardware different on the Switch Lite, which stops you playing it on the TV, the Switch Lite itself doesn't fit in the larger Switch's Dock. Because the Switch Lite has a smaller screen — 5.5 inches, down from 6.2 inches on the Switch — and the controllers are integrated, so the footprint just doesn't match.

If you can imagine the original Nintendo Switch with one Joy-Con missing, that's about the size of the Switch Lite, so even if it did have the right internals, it wouldn't fit in the Switch Dock as it is now.

Could I use cables to get the Switch Lite to show up on my TV without docking it?

So you want to know if you can bypass the Dock and simply use cables to connect the Switch Lite to your TV? We honestly don't know if this can work at present. Nintendo typically doesn't like people using their devices for anything other than what they were intended for, so the gaming company might have put preventatives in place to keep people from connecting the Switch Lite to a TV. Who knows, it might even brick your Switch Lite if you attempt it. Since we don't have our hands on a Switch Lite yet we haven't been able to see if there is some kind of safe workaround.

Undoubtedly, many people (including ourselves) will try to get the Switch Lite to work on a TV screen once the system releases. Just keep in mind that the original Switch was designed to have a resolution of up to 720p in handheld mode and resolution up to 1080p when docked. If you somehow are able to mirror the Switch Lite screen to a TV, it will still show in 720p, which will just look horrible on a large TV. Don't get us wrong. We're not discouraging it, it's just something to be aware of.

If we do find a successful way to mirror the Switch Lite screen to a TV, we'll be sure to write an article about it and tell you how to do it.

When can I have one?

The Nintendo Switch Lite is going to be available on September 20, 2019 for just $200. That's a $100 saving over the original Switch and on par with the Nintendo DS hardware it's surely replacing. Currently, you can preorder it at Amazon and it is available in three different colors; yellow, turquoise, and gray.

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