You cannot use the new Nintendo Switch Lite on a television, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pair external controllers with it. Connecting a giant standard gamepad with the smaller portable, however, seems almost silly. That’s where the 8BitDo Lite comes in.
The 8BitDo peripheral company is launching preorders for the 8BitDo Lite today for $25. It begins shipping October 30. This is a more basic take on the Switch gamepad that shaves off the analog sticks. The Lite (I’ll use that to refer to the controller and not the Switch Lite in this story) also has a slim profile for easy travel.
Yo, where are the 8BitDo Lite’s analog sticks?
8BitDo has offered similar devices previously. Its non-Pro SN30 pad, for example, also doesn’t have analog sticks, but you can use it to play a lot of classic 2D games on Nintendo’s console. But while the Lite doesn’t have an analog stick, it is fully compatible with all games on Switch. It just uses D-pads in place of analog control.
Of course, you can also use the 8BitDo Lite with the original Switch or other devices running Windows, Android, or MacOS.
While the Lite works with everything on the Switch, it should excel at 2D games. 8BitDo has made some of the best D-pads you can use on the Switch. I have played a ton of Super Mario Maker 2 with the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+. And I have loved that experience thanks to the accuracy of the inputs and the comfort of the overall gamepad.
Still, the Lite’s portability isn’t going to solve many of the issues with using an external controller with the Switch Lite. Nintendo’s handheld doesn’t have a stand, for example. So you’ll have to hunch over it on a table or lean it against something.
