Nintendo has officially announced and will be releasing a “dockless” Nintendo Switch in Japan. This cheaper model of the hybrid console does away with the dock that connects to your TV, effectively making this a handheld-only version of the system. However, that isn’t what Nintendo is marketing the Switch as. Instead, it is being touted as a “second Nintendo Switch set.”
Though it is entirely possible to purchase this portable-centric set for the console if you are only interested in using it in handheld mode, Nintendo is selling it as a cheaper alternative for homes that want to own a second Nintendo Switch. This dockless edition will exclude the dock as we already mentioned, an HDMI cord, Joy-Con grip, and AC adapter.
This edition will solely come with the Switch tablet, both Joy-Con’s, and the appropriate straps that go with the Joy-Con’s. You will actually be able to customize and select what colors you want your Joy-Con’s and straps to be. The current selection of colors available include the original base gray, red, and blue, but it also includes the new colors added since launch over a year ago.
Other colors that are available include yellow, green, and pink. The Joy-Con straps can also have their colors customized to match (or not) the Joy-Con colors. The removal of the dock and the other features allows this second Nintendo Switch set to be much cheaper. In Japan, the price will be 24,980 yen as opposed to 29,980 yen for the full set of the console. That reduced price amounts to around $227 USD, which is a significant difference.
Unfortunately for those of you interested in this for a second Nintendo Switch or because you don’t want to play on TV, it has yet to be announced for anywhere outside of Japan yet. However, we do suspect that it will be coming soon enough. We predict that it could be sold for $249.99 as opposed to $299.99 for the dock and other accessories.