Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming

Can you play Switch Sports on a Nintendo Switch Lite?

By

The massive success that the Nintendo Wii became was largely due to a single game: Wii Sports. This game, which came bundled with the console itself, helped introduce the concept of motion controls to the largest audience possible by pairing it with activities that most (if not all) people were already familiar with. If you knew how to bowl in real life, you could do it in the game. Over a decade later, Nintendo Switch Sports has released on the Nintendo Switch to continue that tradition of easy-to-pick-up, motion-controlled sports fun for the entire family. This new version brings a host of new sports, features, and ways to play that can create a whole new wave of fun memories like Wii Sports did all those years ago.

Being a primarily motion-controlled game, Nintendo Switch Sports naturally needs the use of Joy-Cons to play. However, there are multiple versions of the Nintendo Switch on the market, with many people opting to pick up the cheaper, handheld-only Lite version. This edition has the Joy-Cons attached to the console itself, leading to some games not being playable on the portable-only version of Nintendo’s hit system. But what about Nintendo Switch Sports? If you’re wondering whether or not you can still enjoy this sports package on your Nintendo Switch lite, here’s the answer.

Recommended Videos

See more

Can you play Switch Sports on a Nintendo Switch Lite?

Two sportsmates play badminton in Nintendo Switch Sports.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Yes, you can play Nintendo Switch Sports on your Switch Lite, but there are some catches. In order to play Nintendo Switch Sports on your Switch Lite, you must have at least one pair of traditional Joy-Cons that are not attached to the system. The ones connected to the screen obviously can’t be swung or moved around as needed, so you have to have a separate pair that you connect to your Switch Lite. Having a Pro Controller won’t cut it, either. If you don’t have an extra pair of regular Joy-Cons, you will need to purchase some with Nintendo Switch Sports to play it.

You also need to be aware that, unless you’re playing specifically on TV Mode, which of course requires you to have a standard Switch in its dock, then you won’t be able to play many multiplayer modes. This is for safety reasons, we assume, since playing a game of, say, tennis with someone else would require you both to stand dangerously close together while swinging your Joy-Cons around. This applies to games like tennis, badminton, volleyball, and chambara. However, there are sports like soccer and bowling that have turn-based local multiplayer modes, which you can still do on your Switch Lite. You can still play online games with the Switch Lite, which would allow you to play any sport in multiplayer in Nintendo Switch Sports.

The other downsides are ones that just come with the limitations of playing a game on the smaller device, though it would technically also apply if you tried to play Nintendo Switch Sports in tabletop mode with a regular Switch. Most notably is that the screen size is quite small and hard to see for most games, plus it might be difficult to find a proper and stable place to set up your Switch Lite to play.

So, while you can play most of Nintendo Switch Sports on your Nintendo Switch Lite, you will have to invest in extra Joy-Cons and possibly miss out on the most fun part of the game: Simultaneous local multiplayer. If it’s your only option, it’s better than nothing, but it’s not the best way to experience this motion-controlled hit title.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
Best gaming console deals: cheapest prices on PS5, Xbox S and X and Switch
father and son playing video games

If you've always wanted to pick up a gaming console but have been putting it off for prices to get a bit better, now is the perfect time to pick something up. With many great Xbox Series S and X deals, PlayStation 5 deals, and Nintendo Switch deals to pick from, you can grab something for a relatively cheap price. To that end, we've gone out and collected some of our favorite deals below, including both new and refurbished options where available.
Xbox Series S 1TB -- starting at $330, was $380

The Xbox Series S is the less powerful but cheaper option out of the newest generation Xbox line. When comparing the Xbox Series S versus the Xbox Series X, the Series S takes a hit in all the component categories. That means it's not quite as fast. But if you're not hung up on getting the optimal performance out of your system, you'll actually notice very few differences. The two biggest ones are the Series S's inability to play in 8K, and its lack of a disc drive. Most people don't even have 8K TVs, so that shouldn't be an issue. If you're alright with downloading all of your games straight to the console's memory (and you have a separate DVD or Blu-Ray player), the Series S will work fine. It's quite a bit smaller anyway, and easier to fit on a shelf.

Read more
Nintendo confirms that Switch 2 and a June Direct are coming
A Nintendo Switch Red and Blue system.

Nintendo has finally confirmed two important things that people were speculating about. First off, we learned that another Nintendo Direct showcase will be taking place this June. More importantly, Nintendo finally confirmed that it is working on a Nintendo Switch successor and said we'd learn more about it within this fiscal year.

This all came from a statement by President Shuntaro Furukawa on Nintendo's corporate X (formerly Twitter) account. "We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015," the post confirms. "We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation."

Read more
How to transfer data from Nintendo Switch to Switch OLED
Pokémon on Nintendo Switch OLED.

If you've picked up a new Nintendo Switch OLED, you already know that it's a substantial upgrade from the previous iterations of the console. What you may not know, however, is how to transfer your data from your old Switch to your new Switch OLED.

Unfortunately, the transfer process isn't as straightforward as you might expect, so it can be confusing to get things going. However, we've got all the details on how to migrate your user data from one Switch to another, even if you don't have access to your previous system and best Switch games. Here's how to transfer your data from your Switch to the Switch OLED.
How to transfer data from Switch to Switch OLED
Step 1

Read more