I haven't used my Switch much in the last couple of years, but with that new Zelda and Advance Wars coming out this spring there's finally exclusive content coming to the platform I'm looking forward to. However Switch games look crummy on a 4K TV, especially compared to modern Xbox and PlayStation games, so I often find it hard to spend time on Nintendo games at home when I have huge backlogs of great games on those more contemporary platforms.

This has led me to an abnormal plan. What if I bought a Switch Lite and tried to play those games as handheld exclusives? I haven't really played handheld games at home since the PSP, but with spring and summer coming up maybe I'd find the time to play handheld stuff while camping, traveling and so on.

I'd still like to keep my regular Switch for the TV stuff, but since a used Switch Lite can now be bought used for around 100 euros I don't mind the extra expense. I guess the other plan would be to upgrade to a Swith OLED, but the full-size Switch tends to be a bit too large for me to comfortably throw in whatever bag I'm traveling with. I know that this might be the worst time to invest in new Switch hardware with the next console likely coming out next year, but I don't want to wait a full year to play that Zelda.

OK long preamble, but what I'd like to hear is any and all experiences from you duders on the Switch Lite.

• Is the lack of rumble a distraction?
• Does the console feel considerably smaller than the regular Switch while traveling?
• Does the smaller screen help the 720p resolution look a bit better?
• Are cloud saves somewhat of a standard now, so that I could switch between playing on my two Switches?

I'm confused, why don't you just pull the Switch out of the dock and use it in handheld mode when you want to play something on it? That's kinda the point of the console.

I'm pretty sure the Switch Lite is only slightly smaller as the bezels aren't as big on the screen unit, and the joycons don't detach, but it's still largely the same components. Maybe saving a centimetre on either side.

I know this isn't your exact use case, but I regret buying the Switch Lite for my son instead of a full-on Switch that can be docked. Honestly, I would just get a carrying case for your existing Switch and use that on the go. It really isn't THAT much bigger than the Lite.

This. The whole purpose of the Switch is it can be hooked up to a tv or played handheld. Why would the OP buy another Switch just to do what his current one already does?

To me, it's your choice if you want to buy it to play with it or keep it for your video game collection, oh if you ask me which mode I prefer the most for the Switch? I say docked mode because I usually prefer prefer home consoles more than handheld consoles, the same goes I still prefer desktop computers more than laptops.

@ginormous76: Totally fair questions, but like I said in the post, the regular Switch is just too big to carry around most of the times. It never felt like a natural handheld for me. A smaller and cheaper Switch Lite seems like something I could easily throw in a bag for the weekend or even just a longer bus ride.

I get that you want the smaller Switch to throw in a bag, but without really knowing what travel bag you’re talking about, I feel like the size/volume difference between like Steamdeck/Switch/Switch Lite is negligible. They’re all big as hell and feel like you might break the fuck out of them in a travel bag unless you buy a nice padded travel case. So I’m also in the camp that suggests you simply use your existing Switch as a handheld.

The DS and 3DS are probably the last traditionally lightweight, very compact handheld systems (aside from all the 3rd party retro handhelds and the Playdate). Sorta sad to see that era go. Now we’re all just carrying around big tablets/mini PCs with buttons grafted to the side.

I don't think a Switch Lite is so much smaller than a regular Switch that its portability will change how you use it. I mean, they're small, but if you've got a bag you can throw the Switch Lite in, you've got a bag you can throw the regular-ass Switch in, and you get to keep the ability to plug it into your TV to boot.

For my part, I bought a pair of aftermarket Joycons that were much, much more comfortable for me to hold, and that made playing the Switch portably much more viable for me. However, I still play it far more often in its dock, in the living room, on a 55" 4K TV. This has never been much of a problem for me. Does your TV have some kind of upscaler option that isn't turned on?

You could try plugging the dock into a computer monitor if you have one hanging around. Even if it's a 4K monitor, the smaller screen size will mean that the low resolution is less noticeable.

If you're feeling a little more tech-savvy and you've got a PC for the job, you could always look into modding your current Switch, dumping your games, and playing them on an emulator.

In any case, buying a Switch Lite with the hope that playing games on it will be more palatable for you when you already have something almost equivalent just doesn't sound like it will work out well to me. Maybe it will in the short term because the Switch Lite will be a shiny new thing?

One last thing to bear in mind - I have had several experiences on the Switch portable where the text just feels uncomfortable to read. It's never impossible to read, but sometimes it's too small and sometimes it's too blurry and sometimes it's an ungodly combination of both. For me personally, that is a major reason why I wouldn't buy a Switch Lite, which has an even smaller screen.

As others have said, the Switch light is still pretty big. I'd wait a bit and see if they make a Switch Xtra-Lite or something. That often happens in the final year of a Nintendo handheld's lifespan.

@judaspete: Oh lord, if they make a Switch Micro, that would be the best. I just want the ridiculous picture of Vinny Caravella holding it in the palm of his hand.