One brave engineer revealed a hardware hack that allows the Nintendo Switch Lite to connect to the internet this week. The hack is surprisingly simple, especially when using a soldering iron and a screwdriver is considered simple. Robot and the creator have a history of making wireless charging superstars out of devices like this – Qi-standard wireless charging in full effect!
The outer shell of the Nintendo Switch Lite is relatively easy to open. All the user has to do now is solder a wireless charging adapter to the battery* once the insides have been accessed. The procedure isn’t for everyone – it’ll almost certainly void any warranty you have on the hardware in question – but it’s still cool!
*TECHNICALLY, it’s a little more complicated, as the USB-C charging pad accessory required a minor adjustment. The user must know which cords should be soldered to which pins to complete the process. Fortunately, Robotanv took care of it!
Again, we must understand why Nintendo didn’t include this feature from the beginning: First and foremost, there is the issue of cost. Getting one of these charging parts in each Nintendo Switch Lite wouldn’t cost more than a dollar or two per device, but Nintendo wanted to keep costs as low as possible. That goes double for the Nintendo Switch Lite, which is supposed to be so cheap that you won’t be able to resist it.
Nintendo also clarified that users would need to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch (non-Lite) to use the dock, which connects to your television. Nintendo will most likely allow future consoles to support both wireless charging and video signal transmission. However, for the time being, the ecosystem they’ve created is the one they want you to USE, complete with WIRES.
Source: slashgear
