The short version
- Reports this week say Nintendo could release a cheaper Switch 2 Lite for about $299 (roughly ₹28,400), with a 7.1-inch screen instead of the Switch 2's 7.9-inch one.
- An earlier, separate claim links a Lite model to Samsung's newer 8LPU+ chip process, which would make the same processor cheaper and more power-efficient.
- This is a rumour, and a weak one. The screen and price trace back to a single article citing a YouTube video, with no named leaker. Nintendo hasn't announced anything.
- The regular Switch 2 now costs $499.99 in the US after a $50 rise on September 1. Nintendo doesn't sell it officially in India.
Where the rumour came from
This one is worth tracing step by step, because each outlet added a little more:
| Date | Who | What they said |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 21-22 | Nintendo Patents Watch | Samsung's new 8LPU+ process could suit a future "Switch 2 Lite" chip. Later added that the post was "clearly a speculation post" |
| Oct 22 | Notebookcheck | Reported the 8LPU+ link and listed fan theories about screen and Joy-Con |
| Oct 27 | Notebookcheck (opinion) | Argued Nintendo should make a $299 Lite. Not a leak |
| Oct 30 | GameGPU | First to claim a 7.1-inch screen and $299 price, citing a YouTube video |
| Nov 2 | Instant Gaming | Repeated the GameGPU claims, adding "take with a grain of salt" |
So the chip process idea started as a blogger's educated guess based on public Samsung data. The $299 figure first appeared in an opinion piece arguing what Nintendo should do, and the specific screen size comes from an unnamed video. None of this comes from a source with a known track record on Nintendo hardware.
What's being claimed
According to the GameGPU report and the coverage that followed:
- Screen: 7.1 inches, down from 7.9, still 1080p. No word on whether it's LCD or OLED.
- Chip: the same Nvidia-designed processor as the Switch 2, but made on Samsung's 8LPU+ process, said to cut power use by about 15%.
- TV play: likely handheld only, like the original Switch Lite. This is the outlets' inference, not a specific claim.
- Price: about $299, which GameGPU says is roughly €80 to €100 less than the bigger model in Europe.
- Timing: "next year", so 2027.
Some outlets also mention a removable battery for Europe, where new rules on replaceable batteries start in 2027. That detail has no source attached.
Image: Nintendo
What 8LPU+ actually means
The Switch 2's chip, the T239, is made by Samsung on its 8nm process family. A process is the factory recipe for building the chip: smaller and more refined processes generally fit transistors closer together and waste less power.
Samsung presented 8LPU+ figures at the IEDM conference: about 12% more performance, 15% lower power and 8% smaller area than the version before it. A "die shrink" like this is how Nintendo made its earlier consoles cheaper and longer-lasting. The 2019 Switch refresh moved to a newer Nvidia chip that gave the same games noticeably better battery life.
For a Lite model, that would mean the same games at the same speed, with a smaller battery or longer play time. It wouldn't make the Switch 2 Lite any more powerful. Our semi-custom chip explainer covers why consoles get their own processors in the first place.
Switch 2 vs the rumoured Lite
Image: Zerocade
| Switch Lite (2019) | Switch 2 | Switch 2 Lite (rumoured) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 5.5-inch, 720p | 7.9-inch 1080p LCD, HDR, up to 120fps | 7.1-inch, 1080p |
| TV output | No | Yes, up to 4K | Likely no |
| Storage | 32GB | 256GB | Unknown |
| US price | $199.99 at launch | $499.99 (was $449.99) | About $299 |
| In rupees | about ₹19,000 | about ₹47,500 | about ₹28,400 |
Rupee figures are plain conversions of US prices without Indian taxes or import costs.
Why a Lite model makes sense on paper
Nintendo has done this before. The Switch Lite arrived in September 2019, about two and a half years after the original Switch, at $199.99. It dropped TV output and detachable Joy-Con to hit a lower price, and gave families a cheaper way into the same game library.
The Switch 2 is moving the other way on price. Nintendo raised it from $449.99 to $499.99 in the US on September 1, 2026, at a time when the memory shortage is pushing up costs across consoles and PCs. A cheaper, handheld-only model would give Nintendo something to sell to families for whom $500 is too much. The original Switch Lite is also due to leave European shops from February 2027, according to Notebookcheck, which would leave a gap at the bottom of the range.
None of that proves a Switch 2 Lite exists. It just explains why people expect one.
What it means for India
Nintendo doesn't officially sell the Switch 2 or run an eShop in India, so Indian players buy imported consoles and prepaid cards, usually paying above the converted US price once shipping and duty are added. If a $299 Lite does happen, it would be the first Switch 2 that lands somewhere near the price of a mid-range phone here.
Image: Nintendo
How much to trust it
Not much yet. The chip process link is reasonable speculation from public data, but the screen size and price come from a single unnamed source, and the most specific claims have been passed between outlets without anyone adding new evidence. Nintendo usually reveals new hardware with very little notice, so the first real sign may simply be an announcement. Until then, treat the $299 and 7.1-inch figures as a guess, and don't hold off buying a Switch 2 because of them.
