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Engadget Picks $230 Switch Lite as Cheapest New Mainstream Console in 2026Thermaltake CAPO X dual-system case passes first cooling review, with upper PC about 5°C warmerEngadget Flags Common Home Network Setup MistakesEngadget: AirTag Battery Life Can Fall Short of Apple's One-Year EstimateEV batteries rely on thermal management, but parked features can still drain chargeTechRadar Publishes Oct. 25 Answers for Connections, Strands and Quordle
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Engadget Picks $230 Switch Lite as Cheapest New Mainstream Console in 2026

Engadget says $230 Switch Lite is cheapest new mainstream console in 2026; game prices may favor pricier handheld PCs.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-25 10:18

Engadget said gaming has become more expensive over the past couple of years. The PlayStation 5 Pro, which debuted in 2024 at $700, now has a sticker price of $900, and resellers such as GameStop are charging upward of $1,400, according to the report. It added that Sony and Microsoft consoles can be ignored by buyers seeking the lowest upfront price: the disc-less PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is $600, and the all-digital Xbox Series S is $500. The report excluded niche consoles such as the Playdate and Analogue 3D, as well as generic Android devices.

The Nintendo Switch 2 also starts at $500, Engadget said, but buyers can at least purchase some used Switch games on physical cartridges rather than relying entirely on the Nintendo eShop. It added that bundles with Mario Kart World or Nintendo Switch Sports Resort cost more but include a game.

The Switch Lite is a variation of the original 2017 Switch, according to Engadget, so it cannot play Switch 2 exclusives and cannot dock to a TV. The report said that if buyers accept those limits, the system has a large catalog including first-party titles such as Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, as well as third-party and indie games such as Hades, Portal and Undertale.

Game costs can change the comparison. Engadget said disc-less Sony and Microsoft consoles limit buyers to discounts in the companies' online stores, with major releases usually priced at $60 or $70 and Grand Theft Auto VI at $80. Game Pass or PlayStation Plus can provide savings for frequent players, but the subscriptions cost $10 to $23 a month.

Handheld PCs carry higher upfront prices, Engadget said. The Steam Deck OLED starts at $789, and the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X costs $1,000; the report said buyers are unlikely to find anything worth buying below $600 unless it is used. These devices also lack card or disc games, except for retro ROMs copied to an SD card, according to the report.

Engadget said handheld PCs beat conventional consoles on downloadable game prices. PC storefronts such as GOG and Steam offer decades of content, frequently reduced to a few dollars, and new releases tend to receive discounts within a few months. Nintendo games, by contrast, barely budge in price even after a decade, the report said, meaning a large collection of major releases could erode the Switch Lite's price advantage.

The report also pointed to free games such as Overwatch, Rocket League, The Finals, Fall Guys and Genshin Impact, though it noted free-to-play monetization. It said handheld PCs can run productivity apps when users leave their game launchers, which a Switch or PS5 cannot do. Engadget's comparison therefore separates the lowest purchase price, held by the Switch Lite, from the lowest long-term cost for players who buy many games.