Opinion: The Nintendo Switch Lite will kill off the Nintendo 3DS

By: Nik S

Does anyone remember the Gameboy? For anyone who wasn't around in the late 80s and early 90s, it was Nintendo's venture into a fully-fledged portable console. Sure it wasn't the first handheld gaming device, as Tiger (as well as Nintendo) both had portable games with very simplistic mechanics with a pre-printed overlay on the screen. The Gameboy, however, could change out its games instead of having to go out and get a whole new handheld! 

Much like regular home consoles, as technology grows new generations of home entertainment get made so too did the Gameboy get upgraded versions. The Gameboy got a pocket version, which essentially was a slimmer version that made the console easier to travel with. As time went on it got color, graphics upgrade, two screens, and finally 3D screens. It seemed that nothing was going to stop this portable handheld, as it seemed to beat every competitor thrown at it like the Gamegear and PSP/Vita.

When the Nintendo Switch, a hybrid console of both home and handheld gaming, was announced back in 2016 people started to worry. "Will the Nintendo Switch kill off the 3DS?" was a headline many saw after the announcement. Nintendo did eventually reply and said that the 3DS wasn't going anywhere.

Though that didn't seem to last for too long, because now we have the Nintendo Switch Lite. For those unaware, the Switch Lite is a strictly handheld version of the Switch. The Lite is not compatible with the television dock and can only play games available in the handheld mode (which is a vast majority of the library). At first glance, it just seems Nintendo is hopping on their own Switch bandwagon and giving the people what they want. One thing people overlook is that it seems like they're trying to do away with their other handheld that's out on the market.

Let's do some comparing, shall we?

Consoles|    Switch Lite    |     2/3DS

             
Battery:       3-7 hours          3-5 hours
Screen:        5.5"                   3.5" or 4.9"
Resolution:  1280x720         800x240
Touchscreen:   yes                    yes
Weight:        .61 lbs               .51 lbs

The Switch Lite will also have a new processor, which doesn't seem to be the Nvidia Tegra, but will be more powerful than the 3DS'.

If there are any fanboys/girls of the 3DS still out there, this might be the time to start worrying about new games. It's possible that Nintendo just wants to keep up with the demand of the Switch by introducing a cheaper model that doesn't need additional controllers. Though if anyone has been keeping an eye on the 3DS, they'll have surely noticed the rapid slowdown of games released in the past two years. Developers seem to have been turning away from Nintendo's 3DS/2DS consoles and have been favoring the Switch. With the Switch Lite being able to take games like Skyrim or Breath of the Wild on the go, it's no wonder the 3DS hasn't been getting any love. Any big titles for the 3DS came out earlier this year and really just flew under the radar.

Personally, I expect Nintendo to make an announcement sometime in the near future about how they're ceasing production on 3DS and 2DS consoles. Only time will tell.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.