The Nintendo Switch already has a lot going for it. Its hybrid nature makes it accessible to pretty much anyone, it boasts console-quality graphics even when in handheld mode, and it has the best third-party support of a Nintendo console in decades. For some, the quality of the Switch made the Switch Lite feel unnecessary, but after spending some time with the handheld, it's hard to say it isn't worth it. In fact, many may even consider it to be the best handheld ever made.

The Switch Lite stomps the competition as far as Nintendo is concerned. For starters, it's the most ergonomically sound device Nintendo has crafted to date, even more so than the standard Switch. This is thanks to the permanently-attached Joycons, which help make the console feel more sturdy overall. After two and a half years with a full-size Switch, users likely began experiencing Joycons that wouldn't quite slot on the whole way, which can be frustrating and damaging to the experience.

Nintendo has circumvented this with the Switch Lite, and the result feels amazing. Plus, the consoles matte finish feels better to hold than the slightly glossier counterpart. As a portable device, the Switch Lite outperforms the standard Switch in almost every way, not to mention the Switch's stellar third-party support.

Related: Is Link's Awakening Worth $60?

Those that do a Nintendo Switch comparison may be slightly put-off by the smaller screen size, but it really isn't that noticeable while playing games. After testing the console with Link's Awakening, Breath of The Wild, Super Mario Maker 2, and Skyrim, only Breath of The Wild had any issues as far as the UI or gameplay was concerned, and those even those didn't really have much of a negative impact on the experience overall. In fact, the Switch Lite boasts a display with better color-accuracy than the standard Switch, and that difference will be immediately noticeable. Plus, the smaller screen means everything is more condensed, making games look sharper.

The stiffest competition the Switch has is the 3DS, one of the best selling consoles of all time, but the dual-screen layout and stylus controls aren't for everyone. The Switch features a much more standard layout, which is a bit strange considering Nintendo's knack for gimmicks and odd controller designs. The Switch Lite isn't quite pocket-sized, but it fits into most bags and backpacks with ease, which keeps it a highly-portable console.

Plus, there's no risk of losing a stylus during a layover and ruining an entire flight - a problem that presented itself to many with the 3DS. Not to mention, if a version of a game runs on the standard Switch, it runs the same way on the Lite. On the 3Ds, games that did come to both home consoles and portable devices usually had to be modified for the handheld version.

There are other contenders for the number one spot, but it's hard to nail down any that could beat the Switch Lite in direct competition. The PS Vita, as much as it hurts to say, wouldn't stand a chance. The Vita is best remembered with a tall glass of wine and "Only Time" by Enya playing softly in the background. It was a joy of a portable, it felt amazing to hold and featured thumbsticks before it was cool, but it lacked software support.

Sure, it found life as a console for a dedicated niche of JRPG players, but it was never able to find a mainstream audience - even with games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Killzone Mercenary trying to sell console-quality experiences on the system half a decade before the Switch. PlayStation could make another portable console, but Sony has never been able to live up to Nintendo in that regard.

Nintendo has always excelled at designing handheld hardware, all the way back to the Game and Watch. And while there are many fans that have been anxiously awaiting any mention of the Gameboy, it's important to look past the nostalgia for many of those consoles, incredible as they may be. For its time, the Gameboy, and its subsequent iterations, was a revolutionary device. It put games into the hands of every man, woman, and child through universally enjoyable games like Tetris. The Gameboy has even been turned into a keychain. 

It's unlikely that the Switch Lite, or any handheld for that matter, will ever have the same cultural impact. But it doesn't take four AA batteries to run the Switch Lite, and it's also possible to see the console at night without the aid of a streetlight while driving back home from a road trip.

Nintendo has outdone itself with the Switch Lite. There are some early reports that the Switch Lite has Joycon drift, which is a cause for concern, but nothing's perfect. In awe of everything, the Switch Lite is primed to be the best handheld console ever made. With a massive backlog of stellar software already on the system, it may very well be. Time will tell how history remembers it, but it has launched in an incredibly strong position.

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