Founded in 2013, C-FORCE is a consumer electronics brand focusing on innovation and quality. They combine the latest technologies with over a decade of hardware expertise to design and build solid, reliable consumer electronics and mobile tech accessories. They are a team of techies with a passion for the finer details and utility of great products. From self-development chipset to USB-C accessories to portable display, they are continuously developing and expanding their product portfolio to bring you practical, next-generation tech to complement and elevate your digital lifestyle.

The CF300S and CF008 offer sub-£40 solutions as an alternative to the £79.99 official Nintendo Dock Set, though, in an effort to minimise cost, they omit the power cable, HDMI cable and any cumbersome plastic that is deemed unnecessary. Upon opening the packaging I found that both of these docks were 4K rated, truly super-cute pocket-sized bundles of joy, with the CF003S a teeny 6 cm x 5 cm in stature with a 1 cm depth, and the svelte CF008 clocking in at an unbelievable 4.8 cm x 5.3cm x 1 cm. The CF003S resembles a card reader and sports a matte finish that doesn't pick up fingerprints unless you're super sweaty or greasy, while the CF008 has a sublime metallic finish, though it attracts fingerprints like no one's business. I cannot decide which of the two's outer styling I prefer, though the metallic finish and slight positive weight difference of the CF008 I definitely found more appealing in my hands.

The CF008:

The CF008 doesn't require an additional cable to connect to the Switch, so you simply connect the HDMI and power cables, plug it in like a dongle and away you go. The CF003S has a USB 3.1 slot that can also be used as removable media on other devices such as the latest MacBook Pro, iPad Pro or even any USB-C compatible devices such as Samsung phones. Plugging the device directly into the Switch makes a satisfying click and a solid connection when seated properly; just be careful not to bend or tilt the connector in the Switch’s socket as it could cause damage to the console port itself. Plugging it into my sleeping console, my TV recognised it and displayed it as a docked console perfectly with absolutely zero lag or crackles or colours appearing on my screen. Through playing for a few hours across a few days I didn't notice anything like ghosting, off colours, buzzing, or crackly sounds. Technically I barely even realised any difference between using my official dock or this dock, other than the obvious size and form differences. Absolutely superb!

The CF003S:

Plugging the CF003S into the Switch is a simple enough procedure, with the power and HDMI cables plugging into it directly and a connecting USB-C to USB-C cable going between the Switch and the dock. The dock also comes with an additional slot for USB 3.1 connectivity, or in my case, charging my pro controller through it. Just like the CF008, this USB 3.1 slot can also be used as removable media on other devices. The additional USB-C cable connector is very sturdy with a nice clicky fit that ensures it won't pop out or have a loose connection. Immediately the Switch realised it was in docked mode and started charging, with the battery indicator popping up on the top left side, and switching my TV's source to the HDMI socket meant it popped up perfectly without any lag or distortion. For all intents and purposes, the Switch thought it was docked and so did my TV. After a few days’ use, I can honestly say that I haven't noticed any ill effects of using this dock over the official one. It is brilliantly tiny and performs perfectly; exactly the same as the CF008 does. Flawless.

Summary:

Portability aside, these devices do exactly what is described and they do it well. I had no qualms with the setup, no issues with device connectivity or them being recognised, and they performed better than I honestly expected them to. I thought perhaps they would take a few seconds to be recognised on the TV, causing it to go black and white, or blue screening my TV for a short period; but no, it was a perfect experience from beginning to end. Thoroughly testing these for a matter of days, I can't find any fault with them whatsoever. They're excellent products.

C-Force claims that heat dissipation of the console in a standard official dock is less than optimal, and to combat that, their designs don't strangle the console or smother it in plastic. To some extent, I concur that this is definitely a better way to maintain airflow around your console in docked mode. However, I feel that this is more a happy side effect of the lack of bulk to their designs rather than a standpoint that they needed to press as a feature. The inability to stand your console up makes the footprint scale of the area needed to rest your Switch and its cables on rather large. As a day-to-day device I don't think I would swap out my official dock for one of these anytime soon, but it's not really this market that they are attempting to corner. Portability of the Nintendo Switch (and compatible USB-C devices) means that the average user travels with their console, taking it room to room, from one house to another, or even as far afield as taking it abroad on holiday with them for maximum entertainment in their leisure time. C-Force has thought more towards this aspect in making the dock small enough that it can fit in anyone's pocket, easily vanish into a bag or be stored in a protective case for your device; they're really THAT small.

Product links:

CF300S: https://cforcedesign.com/collections/cf008-mini-adapter-1/products/cf003-video-data-pd-multifunction-adapter ($49.99)

CF800: https://cforcedesign.com/collections/cf008-mini-adapter-1/products/cf008-video-data-pd-multifunction-adapter ($39.99)