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Have you ever been to your friend’s house and watched them playing the Nintendo Switch Lite and wondered if it was able to work on a TV like the original Switch? Maybe you are considering purchasing a Nintendo Switch Lite and you want to know if it is only digital.
Most people today do not want a device that is fully digital but there are some people that actually prefer a device that is fully digital so they do not have to carry around games. This leads many people to wonder if the Switch Lite is digital only.
The Switch Lite can play both digital and physical games just like the original Switch. Both the original Nintendo Switch and the Switch Lite can download games as well as play them off the Switch cartridges.
The Switch games can be downloaded onto your Nintendo Switch Lite via the Nintendo eShop or the physical cartridges can be purchased and played on the Switch Lite as well. Since the Switch Lite is designed for portable gaming most people will prefer to download most of their Switch games onto a MicroSD card (since the Switch consoles don’t have a ton of internal storage) rather than having to hold onto the physical copy.
However, if you are not a fan of digital purchases or don’t have an internet connection at home you can play physical Switch games on your Switch Lite console without any issue. So both a physical copy of a game and a digital one will work exactly the same on your Switch Lite as they will on the normal Switch or Switch OLED.
One thing to keep in mind when downloading games to your Switch or Switch Lite is how much space they take up. For example below are how many GB some of the most popular games will require to download on your Switch console.
- Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 14.4 GB
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 7.4 GB
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 10.2 GB
- Fortnite: 17.9 GB
- Mario Party Superstars: 2.9 GB
- Luigi’s Mansion: 7.4 GB
- Pokemon Shield: 12.4 GB
As you can see, although the Switch or Switch Lite can download all of the games the 32GB of internal storage that a standard Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite has is not near enough to download all of your favorite games.
That is why I mentioned you need to get an SD card to add to your regular Switch if you intend on downloading the games rather than filling your shelves with physical Switch cartridges.
The main thing that the Switch Lite cannot do that the original Switch can is be connected to a TV since it doesn’t have a dock. The Switch Lite is designed to only be played on the go which is why it is cheaper and slightly smaller than the original Switch console.
The Switch Lite console can only be played in handheld mode and doesn’t have an external output built into the console. You can play it in tabletop mode but you cannot connect the Switch Lite to a TV.
If you want to know more about the Nintendo Switch Lite, you will want to keep reading this article. We will go over details about what makes the Switch Lite good to buy, as well as why the Switch Lite might not be for you.
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Is Switch Lite Worth Buying?
When you go to purchase a gaming system it is very important to know exactly what you are looking for and what you are going to use the device for. If you are planning on using the device when you were on the go all the time or specifically on trips you will definitely want a device that has the ability to be digital only.
If you are planning on using the device at your house though and having a bunch of people over and trying to connect to one giant screen, then you will not want a device that does not have this capability.
You can connect many different sets of Joy-Cons to your Switch Lite so technically multiple people can play on it. However, being that you can’t put it on a bigger screen being able to connect a bunch of players and Joy-Con controllers still doesn’t make local multiplayer gaming on the Switch Lite very feasible.
Depending upon what you are going to use the device for, will depend upon if a Nintendo Switch Lite is good for you.
If you are going to take your Switch Lite on the go or really only play it when in the car or on trips then the Switch Lite is a great choice. It has virtually all of the same capabilities that a normal Switch does (although it has a slightly shorter battery life).
You can access Nintendo Switch Online with the Switch Lite, download and play all of the same games etc. The only thing you can’t do with the Switch Lite is play it on a TV.
So if you rarely play games on a TV then the Switch Lite is certainly worth buying. However, if you like to see the games in greater detail then getting a Switch instead of a Switch Lite is a better option.
Because of the advancement of technology, most games today are played online and do not need a physical cartridge or disk to play them. This is where the Nintendo Switch Lite comes in handy as you can play all of your favorite games online.
As it was mentioned above the Nintendo Switch Lite does not allow you to connect your device to the TV to be used as a home console, but instead is only able to be played on its own screen.
Can I Hook The Switch Lite To A TV?
Many people love the invention of the Nintendo Switch as it can switch between being a handheld device and an at-home console. The original Switch can be placed in the docking station that would charge it as well as allow you to play games on your tv just like a normal home console would.
The crazy thing is that you would also lift the Switch right out of the docking station and take your Switch on the go with you while you continued to play.
This led many people to wonder if the Switch Lite would be able to hook up to the TV in the same way the original Switch was able to.
Unfortunately, the Switch Lite does not hook up to the TV at all. The Switch can be docked and connected to a TV while the Switch Lite console is designed to only be played on the go.
Because the Switch Lite cannot be hooked to a TV, many people preferred playing the original Switch. The good news is that you can play any of the games from the original Switch on the Switch Lite as it has a cartridge slot on the device.
Many people want to hook the Switch Lite to the TV as it was extremely convenient to have basically two consoles in one Switch. Sadly though, Nintendo did not make that possible. If you want a device that you can use on the go and at home with your TV, you will need to purchase the original Nintendo Switch.
Can I Watch Netflix, Hulu, Or Disney Plus On My Switch Lite?
Because you will always have your Switch Lite with you when you are on the go, and the screen is bigger than your phone, most people may want to consider using the Switch Lite to watch movies or TV shows on their devices.
The problem with this is that Nintendo did not allow the device to be used as a TV or a streaming service. So at this time, you cannot download the Netflix app, and use the device to watch shows.
Sadly Netflix is not the only app that you can’t download. There are many streaming services apps that you cannot download on the Switch Lite and the biggest is probably Disney Plus. So is there a good side to owning a Switch Lite?
Well actually even though you cannot download these apps, there are a few apps that Nintendo does allow you to download to watch stuff. You can download the Youtube app and watch things on your Switch Lite. The other streaming service that you can download to watch tv shows and movies is Hulu.
Nintendo has partnered with Hulu to make it easy for you to watch anything you want on the Switch Lite. All you need to do is simply download the Hulu app, and then you can watch your favorite show while you are on the go and on a bigger screen than your phone.
Conclusion
Many people love the Nintendo Switch Lite but before they go and purchase it they want to know if it is only digital. If you are getting ready to purchase a Nintendo Switch Lite you should know the device is digital, and the device does not allow you to connect it to a TV. The good news is that it does have a cartridge slot and will play any Switch cartridge games.
Because Nintendo knew that most people prefer to have digital games, they made the Switch Lite able to download games and be fully digital. They also gave it the option to have a cartridge though as some people still preferred to use actual games rather than downloading games onto the device to be played.
Most people would rather have the device be fully digital so they do not have to carry around the games with them or worry about them being damaged or lost while they are going from one place to another. All you need to do is simply download the game you want to play on your device and then you will always have it anytime you have your device with you.
If you are looking for a handheld device that is super fun to play, you will not go wrong with the Nintendo Switch Lite. If you are wanting something that can hook up to your tv though, Nintendo has thought of you, and you will want to purchase the original Nintendo Switch. Nintendo loves every single one of its customers and they do its best to give the users the best experience no matter which device they are playing on.