The main appeal of the Nintendo Switch is that you can play it both on your TV and on the go. However, some people don´t care about anything but mobile gaming, so Nintendo released the Switch Lite for them, a cheaper mobile console.
Unlike the normal Switch, the Lite doesn´t come with a dock to connect to the TV, it only has a charging cable. However, what if you already have another Nintendo Switch, and a spare dock?
Can the Nintendo Switch Lite be docked?
The Switch Lite cannot be docked, It will not fit into the official Nintendo dock. Furthermore, even if you happen to own a third-party alternative that´s roomier, the Lite will not connect to it, as it lacks the hardware to do so.
It is currently impossible to connect your Lite to a TV, even with third-party accessories. We will see if it can at least connect to the OLED Switch´s dock to take advantage of its LAN port.
Why can´t the Lite connect to a dock?
Because it doesn´t need to, so Nintendo removed the hardware that was supposed to connect to the dock to cheapen the Lite´s cost. The dock fulfills three functions: charging the console, charging the Joy-Con, and connecting the Switch to a TV.
The Lite comes with a charger cable and doesn´t have Joy-Con, it doesn't need the dock for anything energy-related, and using it for the TV is opposite to it´s intended purpose as a mobile-only alternative.
Without that piece of hardware, any connection to the dock is impossible. Even workarounds that work with the normal Switch, like trying to connect it to a computer or using a multiport hub will not work on this model of the console. It lacks the capability, and no third-party accessory can (as of yet) grant it.
What about third-party accessories?
But wait, you might be saying, I´ve seen pictures of the Lite hooked to dock, so there must be a way! Unfortunately no. You might have seen the Lite connected to one of these playstands:
These gadgets will help you prop up the Lite and connect it to a gamepad, like the Pro Controller, but they do nothing else. They aren´t a dock by any means, and they will neither recharge your console nor let you play on the TV.
There are some stands that do recharge your controller, but they can´t connect the Lite to anything else. In a pinch, you can charge it up with your phone´s cable.
And that´s it. If you want to know more about what the Lite can´t and can do, check out the article here to learn if the Lite has motion controls and how to play games on it that require the Joy-Con. Or our other article here to learn how to connect a keyboard to a Lite.
And remember, while dock might not work with the Lite, regular third-party controllers and other accessories do.