Nintendo opens up Switch Lite pre-orders

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Following months of rumors and speculation, Nintendo finally revealed the Switch Lite earlier this month. This new Switch model is meant to be used entirely as a portable device, removing the ability to connect to an external display. With the loss in functionality comes a drop in price, putting the Switch Lite at a $200 price point that may prove tempting for people who have held off on the Switch thus far.

If the Switch Lite sounds like your cup of tea, then here's some good news: it's up for pre-order beginning today. Video game deal hunter Wario64 broke the news on Twitter, and throughout the day, he's been adding different retailers to his existing thread as they send their pre-orders live.

Pre-orders for the Switch Lite are now available at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop. All of the consoles announced earlier this month are available to pre-order, including the three standard colors – gray, yellow, and turquoise – and the limited edition Pokemon Sword and Shield Switch Lite featuring version legendaries Zacian and Zamazenta.

The Switch Lite currently has a release date of September 20th, 2019, though the Zacian and Zamazenta edition won't be launching until November 8th – one week before Pokemon Sword and Shield release. It's worth keeping in mind that the Zacian and Zamazenta Switch Lite doesn't come with a copy of either Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield, so if you want to play one of the new Pokemon games on your Pokemon-themed Switch Lite, you'll have to buy it separately.

The fact that the Switch Lite can't be docked to connect to a TV or some other kind of external display is the biggest difference between it and the standard Switch, though there are some other significant differences between the two. For instance, the controllers are actually built into the Switch Lite rather than being removable like the are on the standard Switch. At $100 less expensive than the Switch proper, the Switch Lite could certainly provide Nintendo a huge boost heading into the holiday shopping season, so we'll look forward to seeing how it performs when it finally hits shelves.