The Nintendo Switch Lite is designed almost exclusively for on-the-go play, without the ability to dock to a home TV screen like its original, older sibling can. And, the outside world can be a big, scary, dangerous place for a delicate games console.
So, to better protect the new mini Nintendo Switch, after the smaller console goes on sale next month the company will also be selling an official Flip Cover case (from November) to go with it. So far it's only been revealed on the Japanese Nintendo store – but it seems a dead cert to get a wider global release eventually, too.
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Snapping onto the back, the clamshell hard case has indentations for both control sticks, flipping back behind the console when you're ready to play. There's also a cut away for the charging port, letting you power up the console without removing the case.
Constant protection
In fact, as the Nintendo Switch Lite doesn't have the transforming, removable Joy-Con capabilities of the original Switch, you could conceivably leave the case attached at all times. It'll add a little extra bulk to the miniaturised machine, but it'll also add some piece of mind.
Remember that a large part of the Nintendo Switch Lite's target audience is younger players, perhaps those not as dextrous and capable of catching a falling console, and so the Flip Cover starts seeming like a must-have additional purchase.
You can pre-order it now for an import price of 3,758 yen (around £29 / $35) – but we'd be shocked if the case didn't eventually make its way to western Nintendo stores too. So we'd hold fire on that purchase for now as a result.
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