I have one connected to my Television, but it’s a hassle for games to unhook for games I want to play on the monitor for better latency like rhythm games.
I had heard of some third party ones potentially damaging switches back in the day, and wondered if they have improved since then.
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My understanding after limited research is that it is still a thing to be concerned about, as the Switch is a bit unorthodox in its USB C power standards. Just FYI, Nintendo has refurb docks for a decent price. Even have the white OLED dock in stock if you want/need Ethernet.
The switch docks can also use an usb-ethernet adapter to provide an ethernet connection to the non OLED docks.
Do you know using an official switch power adapter helps mitigate that risk? I’ve seen some compact ones here that just look perfect for travel.
It’s not about the adapter, but how the switch manages power in docked mode. So any power adapter is fine, but when docked is when you are concerned. Also, there are several dock cases out there that you can transplant the chip inside the official dock into if you really want a smaller one.
It helps mitigate that risk to a degree, yes, but why take the risk at all? There aren’t any really good alternatives out there, that I know of, and the official dock does it’s job just fine.
I recommend going with an official refurbished unit. Saves money vs new, and you also don’t need to worry about bricking your Switch.
I even got a limited edition one refurbished off Nintendo’s site for the same price as a regular refurbished one.
Exactly what I did. Highly recommended.
I would check out the Genki Covert Dock. It is a game changer when bringing the switch outside the house, but absolutely could be plugged in most of the time at home.
Its a wonderful grab and go dock, and they extensively tested switch compatibility - have had zero issues with mine.
@NightOwl This is the one.
Very compact which is perfect for travel or not taking up space on my desk.
Another vouch for this. I kickstarted it and have been super happy with it.
Well this looks super cool
Came here to say this! It’s great as a second unit and is always in my backpack or luggage when traveling
Saving
30W GaN sounds like a sure way to brick your switch when powered off.
Well it’s a good thing the max draw of a switch is 18W, and this device has a specific 9V power profile for the switch. The 30W is there to support devices with a faster power delivery spec (such as the Steam Deck).
Genki themselves have been the ones to identify the shoddy implementation of USB-C PD by Nintendo: https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/ckaiiv/an_engineers_pov_on_the_3rd_party_dock_switch/
And while Genki addressed the specific issue of power switching and cross signaling with that one specific chip, they didn’t address the USB-C protocol errors the Switch reportedly has. Having a charger physically able to output more than 18W has a residual risk of frying the switch, since the switch is not guaranteed to negotiate PD correctly.
I know this is an emotional topic coming down to either “I never had my switch bricked!” vs. “My switch was bricked by wisps!” and I don’t really care what you put into your switch. But if one would want to be safe, only the original charger/dock is guaranteed to work as expected.
Mine is called FastSnail HDMI Type C Adapter for Nintendo Switch. It’s small and has never failed me over many years.
I use a 3rd party one without any issues for my PC.
https://www.amazon.com/Station-Nintendo-Portable-Replacement-Official/dp/B09Z1NNPNT
I do have an official adapter for power though. I’ve seen too many folks kill there’s with 3rd party ones.
I liked my Skull jumpgate when I had it, I regret selling it when I sold my old switch
It doesn’t work with switch oled… forces it to out put at 480p
Update your firmware. Mine works fine.
Oh dang that’s good to know!
I like my genki covert deck personally I backed it in the UK got the global one and have taken it throughout the UK and to the US and it worked flawlessly.
We’ve had success with this one, the kids love it and it travels great, we’ve used it all over the world and regularly at home. We are US based but bought it on vacation in the UK.
Oh wow that looks perfect with how compact it is.
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+1 mines similar to this one. I just eave it in my bag for travels, plus my travel 3 usb-c with PD ugreen power brick.
If you buy 3rd party and your switch refuses to turn on after using, try holding the power button for 20s
Absolutely in love with the Skull & Go Jumpgate. The Core Drive lets me dock my phone to my TV, too. Also, come on, it’s called a Jumpgate with ejectable Core Drive. How can you not want it based on name alone lol
My only complaint is that it isn’t hdmi-cec compliant.
Also I’ve seen reports of this one bricking switches… haven’t had issues with mine though
No complaints with the jump gate except that one time at a hotel where it overheated my Switch. Been using it for a while now with no issues on an OG Switch.
I also habe an OG switch and mine does overheat, when I have an USB-LAN adapter connected. Is this just a normal dock, or does it have some other features?
No special features besides removable usb-c hub. I did replace the fan and thermal paste on my Switch last year, which may help if you’re overheating.
Not if this got fixed, but if you have a LAN adapter connected, the switch won’t be put into sleep mode and will be on 24/7. The display is off, the dock will not have the green light for “it’s on”,… I had my official adapter from the Wii U and just switched the Wii U to the Switch when it came out. Since I mostly play docked I didn’t realize that until I took my switch out when I went on holidays. Then it still took me a while to realize it’s always hot, even if I hadn’t played for days.
