YouTube: KOUZEXA YouTuber has rebuilt a Nintendo Switch Lite inside a Wii U GamePad, creating a handheld that looks like an untouched Wii U controller but runs real Switch hardware.
Modder Kouzex shared the project in a new video on his channel. He said the idea came after seeing people online wishing the Wii U GamePad’s ergonomics could be paired with Switch portability.
When someone questioned whether putting Switch hardware inside a GamePad was even possible, he took it on as a challenge.
To keep the build meaningful, he set five rules before starting. Every GamePad button had to work, the device still had to look unmodified, it needed to run actual Switch hardware, not emulation, and it needed to be durable enough for travel… all while being better than the existing Switch Lite.
Modder rebuilds a Switch Lite inside Wii U GamePad shell
Kouzex used a Switch Lite for the project because its integrated controls simplified wiring and removed the need to power Joy-Cons. The build required dismantling both systems, trimming internal components, mounting everything inside the GamePad, and rewiring each button.
Once the hardware was in place, he upgraded the Switch Lite screen to an OLED panel to meet his rule that the mod had to be better than the base handheld.
He said the final result looked “barely modified” and described it as a sleeper build. “Literally every button on the Gamepad corresponds to a button on the Switch,” he explained, noting that only the TV button was remapped to capture.
According to Kouzex, the system has two main drawbacks. There’s no cartridge slot, which he says isn’t essential because digital games can be installed. And the system runs about five degrees warmer than a stock Switch Lite, something he plans to investigate.
