Nintendo Switch Lite - Blue

Update (Feb. 12, 2020):I originally gave this product 5 stars because the excitement of a brand-new handheld Nintendo console had not yet worn off. Now that I’ve been using it for a few months, there are a few things I take issue with.The first issue I’ve noticed is that the eShop is PAINFULLY slow compared to other devices. I understand that the Switch is behind other consoles in general, but I think there’s an issue when it can run Minecraft (a CPU-intensive game) better than it can run the eShop. I know that in my original review I said that the eShop lag wasn’t too bad, but it can be at times. I really don’t see the reason for this. I mean, it’s not a smooth experience at all. The icons take a while to load sometimes and if I scroll too fast I have to wait for it to catch up. It’s the same thing when I switch between the menus, too. And no, it’s not my WiFi.Now, the other issue I have is the home screen. On the 3DS, you could customize the icons however you wanted, you could put things in folders, and you could even have really cool themes! With the Switch, you don’t get any of this. You get a dark mode and a light mode. That’s it.Now, if you don’t care about these features that’s fine, but I personally like having the option to personalize my devices. Also, it’s painful having to scroll through the games you have installed on your switch because the icons are so large and you can’t make them stay where you want them. It’s just really clunky and annoying.Another thing is if you’re looking to you’re looking to use your Switch for anything other than playing games, you’re out of luck. There is no internet browser and no streaming apps. There is a YouTube app, but it’s kind of bare-bones and you can’t look at comments on videos.So, for these reasons I had to knock off a star from my review. The only reason I didn’t remove more stars is because I still believe the Switch is a great system with a lot of potential. I still believe that Nintendo should continue with this idea and I hope that they take people’s criticism into consideration.Oh, and this isn’t really the SL’s fault, but the screen is pretty small so certain games can be hard to play on it because it can be hard to see certain parts of the UI. Just something to look out for.Also, I know some people have already been experiencing JoyCon drift with this console, but I personally haven’t had a problem with it yet.Original Review (Oct. 2019)I really, REALLY love this system.I don’t own the original Nintendo Switch, and I got the Lite because of the lower price point and the lovely colors. I also wanted to play a lot of the games that are on the Switch, but not the 3DS. I was going to wait for the Zacian and Zamazenta edition to come out, but I decided I liked the turquoise edition better and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.Now that I have it, I must say that I am very pleased with its performance. It runs faster than I expected from a system that is so small. I haven’t noticed any severe lag (although it does lag a little bit if I go through the eShop categories too fast).Speaking of size, the Switch Lite is perfect. It’s just big enough that I can see the screen just fine, but not too big that it’s uncomfortable to hold. Keep in mind that I am someone with fairly small hands, so a person with larger hands may find the buttons and joysticks to be too close/cramped for their liking.The screen resolution is one of the highlights of this system. Compared to my 3DS XL, the screen is fantastic. Seriously, I didn’t realize how bad the 3DS screen is until I compared it with this system. All the games look amazing, especially Super Mario Bros. U. Mario Kart 8 also looks great.Another thing I like a lot is the form factor. I like that everything I need to see is just on one screen and that the buttons right there beside it. It’s not that I don’t like the clam-shell design of the DS line, it’s just that this form factor feels more comfortable to me. Of course, the form factor does come with its downsides. For example, it’s going to be a lot easier to scratch the screen and the buttons. But that can be remedied if you just get a screen protector and a case to put it in.Another thing I like is that it comes with a charger. It seems like a no-brainer to put something to charge the device in with the packaging of the device itself, but guess what? When I got my 3DS, I had to buy the charger separately. Just another way for Nintendo to get money out of me, I guess. Luckily they did not make the same mistake with the Switch Lite. I also like that the cable on the charger is so long. It makes it easier for me to charge it and play it at the same time because I can get comfortable without worrying about holding my Switch in an awkward position.Although there are a ton of positives about the Switch Lite, I do have one complaint. My screen came with a stuck pixel. That really annoys me, but because it’s kind of a light green/white I can’t really see it when I’m playing games unless I’m specifically looking for it on the screen. I can only really see it when I’m in the eShop. It does suck though that an otherwise perfect system would have a flaw that can really be annoying at times. And anyway, Nintendo has said that it’s a common issue with the screens so I don’t expect that they would do much about it anyway.I was pretty disappointed when I figured out that the DS line of systems is pretty much dead now, but after buying the Switch Lite I’m kind of excited for the future of Nintendo handheld systems. I hope that they come out with more colors for the Lite and I also hope they expand upon this system like they did with the DS line.Overall, I think this system is a drastic improvement upon the DS line, but beware of stuck pixels and the fact that Nintendo does not seem to care about them.

I really love this gadget. At forty-something, I’m a little embarrassed about how much I love it. A holiday gift card inspired the purchase; I have to admit, using it to get this was one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a long time. There are things in the modern, online Nintendo Switch universe that I wish were more clear. Maybe all those things were a little more clearly spelled out, for early adopters, but I feel like I’m stumbling in the dark a bit. A few days after I purchased a physical copy of Luigi’s Mansion, I tried to claim points for it. It returned a message saying the offer had expired, but I had only owned it a few days. Another annoyance for people in the US with limited incomes is the transaction fees on digital purchases (if your credit card company charges fees on foreign transactions). Those little fees can add up. At times, battery life seems to go quickly. I’m going to try a few tablet tricks, like turning down screen brightness and disabling WI-FI. Maybe this shows my age, but I miss the official, printed player’s guides. I only found two (Animal Crossing and Legend of Zelda Breath of Wild), and they were expensive. I liked those guides, because they were a road map, but the good ones didn’t spoil all the game play surprises. I’m not really into the YouTube walk-through idea. Even if I was, my ISP has a data cap. Overall, I’m crazy about my new friend, my Nintendo Switch Lite. Although, it would have been excellent to have the option to buy a purple one. Lol