Hardware Nintendo Switch Third-Party Dock Discussion

ThisIsDaAccount

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One of the biggest drawbacks of the switch is that it's official dock is both unconveniently large and expensive. I wanted to make this thread to discuss possible alternative docks as they come along.


What we have seen up to now:

First off, we hsve the Nyko Dock: This Dock was fairly hyped before its release. Nyko was a fairly trusted brand in market of third party accessories, and the dock they were making seemed to be pretty ok with its smaller size, cheaper price, and no substantial features lost compared to the original. When it first came out, the biggest complaints were that it was hard to remove the switch from the port and the plastic felt cheap, which is worth considering but in my opinion well worth it. Unfortunately, after a month went by, a more significant flaw was discovered: it may possibly kill your Switch. Several users of the Nyko Dock reported that their switch either stopped working or didn't charge anymore after its use. Needless to say, it seems not worth the risk.

Then, we have the as of now unreleased Sfans Dock, an attempt at crowdfunding a dock into existence. Unfortunately, like quite a few crowdfunded products, it seems to be plagued with problems. First off, no one got theirs yet, despite the product reaching well past it's goal, and the last update was around 2 months ago. On that note, that update revealed a decision by the sfans team to completely redesign their dock, much to the ire of the backers that had wanted the original form. As of now, nothing more has been said after this change, and backers are still waiting for their dock that should've arrived long ago. Only time will tell if this crowdfunded project can reach the height of other great projects (like, for example, Yooka-Laylee) or if it will completely flounder like it has as of now.

Finally, there are also various "generic" dongle-style adapters on amazon with barebones functionality. Most hug the $30 mark and come with nothing but a USB A port, a USB-C port for connecting the switch itself, and an hdmi port for the TV/monitor. Because there are so many, it's hard to place them all under one general description, and several users have reported different stories depending on the product; some have reportedly killed switches just like Nyko's, others seem to break easily themselves but not damage the console, while others seem to be O.K. but have little information on them. I'd personally be careful with those, make sure to check hoe many reviews there are and make sure not to buy if they have a low average. I also recommend checking the authenticity of the reviews with a site such as reviewmeta. As of now, I'm considering buying this one, since everything seems to be ok on it, but have yet to bite the bullet.

Please tell us your experiences with these docks, positive or otherwise, so that we might better understand these products.
 
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NewMaxx

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There's also the Insignia (Best Buy) dock. I purchased one and took it apart, etc. It comes with a power adapter rated at 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 15V/2.6A (the cord is a bit longer than with the official adapter). The interior chipset seems similar to the ones used in the generic docks/dongles - specifically the CF001 V1.1 - and it utilizes a Parade PS176 for DP/HDMI conversion. So it shares some of the problems they do, for example taking longer to switch to TV mode (seconds). It didn't seem to wake from sleep when I docked it while asleep but if I dock it awake and then sleep it comes back/forth just fine (another issue some generics have, I believe). It does allow for some ventilation with holes that go into the housing and out further holes in the rear of the dock. This unit, while overall smaller than the official dock, weighs more; this is due to a heavy metal plate bolted to the front inside the casing. The dock only has a single USB2.0 port which is a little different but this is rated at 1.0A. The reviews have been good and I've had no issues with it, but it is important to note that the connector is not spring-loaded so it has a different feel when inserting/removing the Switch (if you just line up the central notch on the back, it's easy).
 
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ThisIsDaAccount

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There's also the Insignia (Best Buy) dock. I purchased one and took it apart, etc. It comes with a power adapter rated at 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 15V/2.6A (the cord is a bit longer than with the official adapter). The interior chipset seems similar to the ones used in the generic docks/dongles - specifically the CF001 V1.1 - and it utilizes a Parade PS176 for DP/HDMI conversion. So it shares some of the problems they do, for example taking longer to switch to TV mode (seconds). It didn't seem to wake from sleep when I docked it while asleep but if I dock it awake and then sleep it comes back/forth just fine (another issue some generics have, I believe). It does allow for some ventilation with holes that go into the housing and out further holes in the rear of the dock. This unit, while overall smaller than the official dock, weighs more; this is due to a heavy metal plate bolted to the front inside the casing. The dock only has a single USB2.0 port which is a little different but this is rated at 1.0A.
Interesting. Have you been using it often? If so, have you had any problems and how long have you had it
 

NewMaxx

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Hey, sorry, I went back and edited in some more information as I remembered. I've only had it five days so I can't really say I'm an expert with it but I definitely, carefully took it apart and looked it over (I'm familiar with electronics). They didn't cut corners like a lot of generic models do (e.g. with solder, components, etc.) and the power adapter seems quite nice - it is larger than the original and quite solid. I have no experience with the Nyko dock so I can't compare it there. I haven't had any problems with it so far but I haven't had it long enough to say it's 100% reliable/safe. Certainly I will report back after a month of usage.
 
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pelago

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What about the dock (or docks if there are more than one) that require the user to take apart their official dock and transplant the motherboard? They should have no compatibility problems, but how is the build quality?
 

ThisIsDaAccount

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What about the dock (or docks if there are more than one) that require the user to take apart their official dock and transplant the motherboard? They should have no compatibility problems, but how is the build quality?
I didn't include those because they're not really docks, just 3D printed cases.
 

pelago

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I didn't include those because they're not really docks, just 3D printed cases.
Well some of them are professionally made injection molded cases, but I know what you mean. I'd still be interested in reading people's opinions on them, as I'm sure they vary in terms of mechanical fit etc., but have the advantage of perfectly working electronics.
 

Prizm

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Out of all those, it seems to me the original Nintendo dock is the still the best design overall. Those little adapters don't take into account the connected joycons, so the top joycon edges will always rub against the table when connected.
That first Nyko one that had the screen docking at an angle, I'd be worried about the USB C plug breaking when changing game cards, removing joycons, etc. Changing cards already feels a little flimsy on the official dock because the screen is rocking on that small USB plug.
 

praviace

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Hello together

Im new here, so sorry if i may make some mistakes. :D

My Question is: Is it technically possible and how realistic is it, that nintendo makes a "Power-Up Add-on" for the Official Switch dock? I must not be on PC/PS4 Pro or Xbox one X level, but I thought of somewhere between PS4 and PS4 Pro.

It would cost maybe 100-120 dollars or something. Just a idea in my mind, but im a noob in hardware, so how possible/realistic is it?

The Switch is on its beginning and for the future 3rd Party Games it would "damage" the normal PS4 and Xbox one on the market with this feature.
 

torrent_get

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Looks like the Cyber Gadget LAN dock has gone m.i.a. was supposed to be released December 2017.

It also not shown on Cyber Gadgets website.
 

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