Since the first batch of orders came in, the Steam Deck has been a hit. Offering the handheld PC gaming dream for the price of a Switch, Valve did what no other company could and (eventually) delivered on an experience previously reserved for the big-budget enthusiasts able to throw money to the likes of GPD and AYA. With decks now in hand, the focus shifts to getting the experience possible, and a natural starting point is a dock.

With the announcement of Steam Decks being readily available also came the release of Valve’s official docking station. Coming in at £80, it gives you three USB 3.1 ports, a gigabit ethernet port, and two outputs in a HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 port. It’s got everything you’d need, but to Valve’s credit, it isn’t your only option. The Steam Deck plays nicely with third party docks, with the company going so far as to assure you of such on the official site. If you don’t need two outputs, or if you’re just wanting something a bit cheaper, there’s options out there, and one of those options is what I have with me today.

Ivoler is a brand I have never heard of, but I can say they got their dock right. In all honesty, there isn’t much to get wrong. Taking a number of design cues from the official product, you have a relatively familiar look that features a cradle for the console, with a non-detachable cable coming from the back of the dock to act as the point of connection to the Deck. You have much of the same offerings as the official dock, with three USBs, a gigabit ethernet port, and a HDMI 2.0 port. It should be noted the USB ports are USB 3.0, and not 3.1, which is a slight downgrade, but not a killer. The HDMI output is capable of 4K at 60Hz, but I’d be surprised if you were really wanting that kind of performance out of the Deck. It’s nice to have the option if you happen to be using it as a secondary PC and wanting to watch things in high quality though.

The choice of material for this specific variant is aluminium, and feels incredibly sturdy and really quite premium. Aesthetically it looks great on a desk, and even if you’re not always using the Deck docked, it’s great to have a place where the handheld can just sit on the desk without it being in the way. For this premium finish, you’re looking at paying £50, which is a fairly decent saving on the official product. If you’re looking for something more budget, ivoler also offer a plastic dock that lacks an ethernet port, and a HDMI 1.4 port (capable of 4K/30 at max) at a much more budget £30.

Functionally the dock does what it says on the tin. You pop your Steam Deck in place, plug it in, and then either leave it to charge or play away on an external monitor. It’s compact to the point where you can realistically include this in a portable setup if you want to play on a bigger screen on the go. I have a portable gaming monitor and this goes perfectly with it when I’m popping into my parents’ house. There’s very little to fault here, but I would have liked to see a detachable cable connecting to the Deck in oppose to the one that’s built into the dock. Having such an integral part being non-replaceable just seems like a waste when it could’ve been a smaller USB C to USB C.

At £50 I wouldn’t necessarily call this a budget pick, but it’s a nice middle ground between the official offering and ivoler’s cheaper variant. It’s a clean design that I’m happy to have sat on my desk, and if you’re in the market for a dock, I can tell you this one works great.