We already reviewed the Nintendo Switch Lite when it launched in South Africa back in October 2019 but today we have something land on our desk for lovers of gold and the Legend of Zelda franchise. That is the Nintendo Switch Lite Hyrule Edition, a “gilded” version of the handheld that also gives you a bit extra in the box.
“This gold-coloured Nintendo Switch Lite Hyrule Edition is adorned with the Hylian Crest and inspired by The Legend of Zelda series. Players can enjoy access to a wide range of classic The Legend of Zelda titles from the NES, Super NES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Advance with the included 12-month (365-day) individual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership download code,” reads the official description of the console on the Nintendo Store.
Looking at the provided images on the Nintendo Store we can also see an the Royal Crest recreated on the back of the console (which is further broken up into a triangle pattern) and the front has a small Triforce under the right thumbstick.
But enough of marketing images, what does it look like in real life? Nintendo South Africa sent over the Hyrule Edition for us to unbox and take a quick look at, and you can share in that experience with the gallery below.
The gold main colour of the Hyrule Edition is very pleasing in real life. It has a great sheen to it that, while not metallic or intended to be a proximation of actual gold, walks the fine line between special and ostentatious.
The Royal Crest on the back and the Triforce on the front are both embedded into the finish of the console, so you don’t feel any bumps or textures when running your hands over them. We’re very happy about this as we can imagine that, if they were textured, they would be quite noticeable when you’re trying to play anything.
Now we have to talk about money and the value proposition that the Hyrule Edition offers shoppers. Sold directly by the Nintendo Store in South Africa, this console costs R5 199. To put that into perspective: a regular Nintendo Switch Lite is R 4 999 (in either Yellow, Turquoise, Coral or Blue).
While some may be happy to pay a R200 premium for the gold finish and Hylian details on the Hyrule Edition, remember that you also get that code for a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. The Nintendo Store values this membership at R629. Considering this the Hyrule Edition is actually good value for your money, if you want to directly compare the value of the console with the code at face value.
Would we be buying a Hyrule Edition? If we were in the market for a brand new Switch Lite it does seem like the best value option out there, regardless of your love of the gold colour and Zelda iconography. Now Nintendo South Africa does offer bundles with certain games and accessories which may be a better value for you if you were already planning on buying the included games or accessories, but the Hyrule Edition is still probably better for a more barebones purchase.
The strange thing about the Hyrule Edition is that we have to imagine its target market – hardcore Zelda fans – already own a Nintendo Switch. There’s no way they have been waiting this long to pick up the console to play the series they love so much, which makes this release a bit puzzling.
We have to imagine that said hardcore fans, and even more hardcore Nintendo collectors, may be picking this console up to leave in the box indefinitely as a collector’s item. We can’t really provide any comment on that kind of buyer as they have a skewed view of “value”, so we will stick to our recommendation mentioned earlier.
Lastly we have to go back to our review of the Switch Lite which, remember, was in October 2019. Back then the launch price of the console was R3 999. It’s interesting to see the increase in price here but then again that was pre-pandemic.
