Nintendo has announced that the new Switch Lite will be available this September and will feature the core components of the original Switch, but with a lower price tag. The Switch Lite will focus more on “on the go” gamers like the current versions of the 2DS, 3DS, etc. Does this mean the Switch Lite is going to replace the DS Systems?
Currently, Nintendo states that the DS is going to be around for a while and that this is not a replacement for what they consider their mobile gaming systems. I find that hard to believe as it is completely geared toward mobile gaming. My guess is that Nintendo still has games lined up for the DS systems and are not ready to announce the death of these handhelds.
My prediction is that by the holiday season of 2020, we will need to say good-bye to the DS systems. The Switch will be its immediate replacement as most console owners will already have a version of the Switch by this time anyway. This negates the need to make games for a handheld that will be out of date.
As more and more households embrace the Switch, it will make the transition of moving away from the DS systems easier and met with less of an uproar. If everyone who has a DS also has a Switch, what is the big deal of moving the games from one system to the other? The only drawback would be that you would most likely need to re-purchase any games you want to port over. If you don’t want to do that, however, you could still break out your old handheld to play them.
In the end, business-wise it doesn’t make sense to continue production of two different handhelds with the upcoming of the Switch Lite. Nintendo will no doubt make the choice of closing production on the DS and DS systems, it is just a matter of time.
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