"We whipped out a USB-C PD analyzer to test how Nintendo walled its garden this time around.
There’s always a reason why universal USB-C ports don’t “just work” like you’d expect. In the early days, it was incompetence or naiveté. Later, manufacturers often cheaped out. But in the case of Nintendo’s Switch 2, it appears to be intentional."
@intend0H Welcome to 2017. It's basically been like that since switch 1.😉 Yeah, Nintendo likes to dip their toes a the anti-consumer pool here and there. But they also made Zelda BOTW, TOTK, Mario Odyssey, Splatoon, and Animal Crossing.
It's always a delicate balance between maximising your profits/being anti-consumer and being consumer fair/friendly. On that scale Nintendo definitely swing more towards maximising their profits. It's amazing how much money Nintendo can make from their peripherals which are often simple devices really. Ultimately Nintendo are not your friend they are trying to extract as much money from you as possible so why would they allow third parties to make docks?
@BonzoBanana I don't disagree with Nintendo being greedy in general, but in this particular case I fail to see how it would make them a lot of profit, since the dock comes with console, and the vast majority of Switch owners never need to replace it.
@Eel Nintendo does sell Switch 2 docks on their own, and they're quite expensive: 120 dollars / 110 euros. So I guess the small percentage of Switch 2 users who do need to get their dock replaced still gives them a decent profit.
The Switch 1 docks are notably cheaper: 70 dollars for the OLED dock, 60 dollars for a regular dock, and they sell refurbished versions of both for even cheaper. Hopefully the price of the Switch 2 dock will come down later, 120 dollars is a bit ridiculous.
Woah yeah it's expensive. Thankfully its not one of those things that would need to be replaced very often...
I can imagine the main reason anyone would try and get a different dock, may be to get a smaller alternative. So I guess this will be far more nefarious once they begin selling the "dock lite".
You should just buy the Retroid DS if you want an extra dock, it's worth less. Nintendo is an economic trap, they can't fix prices, that's China's job.
This isn't your standard USBC port it does more then just give a charge to Switch 2. It functions as a video output to TV at 4K gaming Docked. Also it's a proprietary connection as well so because it is a USBC in name only. Those early days of Switch issue were hardware makers never fully tested it to insure it worked and bricked systems. So technically that wasn't Nintendo fault but the hardware maker whom should've system tested and confirm it worked and they are the one responsible to fix those Switch units.
@sethfranum Believe it or not, but 4K video over USB-C is a part of the standard that has been supported by most docks for some time. I can even get 4K@120 with VRR out of the one I use for my laptop, which is better than the Switch 2 can manage, and it also works with my phone and assorted other handhelds.
It just won't work with Nintendo devices. They're only departing from the standard to force people to buy their hardware, not to offer any additional features.
The Switch 1 docks are notably cheaper: 70 dollars for the OLED dock, 60 dollars for a regular dock, and they sell refurbished versions of both for even cheaper. Hopefully the price of the Switch 2 dock will come down later, 120 dollars is a bit ridiculous.
It's definitely a more complicated product though but 120 dollars still seems too much. I have two docks for my original Switch so I can use the same Switch in different rooms on TV. However one is the original dock of course and the other is just a third party cable which I think was less than 3 pounds from aliexpress. It works with Switch but is compatible with many other devices too and being a simple cable its easy to take with you too. It just gives you a hdmi output, a usb 3.0 socket and normal USB switch power socket connector.
Yeah, I picked up a cheap third-party dock for use with our second TV and for travel. It's funny and a bit sad that it works, but my far higher spec laptop one won't.
One thing to note is that they still recommend that you use an official Switch charger with it, as the console needs a specific power mode to run while docked, that a lot of cheap USB chargers can't supply, and even some of the ones that could will fail to negotiate. Ah well, at least they're a lot cheaper than a dock.
It just won't work with Nintendo devices. They're only departing from the standard to force people to buy their hardware, not to offer any additional features.
One does know this isn't your standard Switch 1 dock anymore and has it's own hardware to do Switch 2 output not Switch 1. So unless one can provide some proof that they are making one buy Nintendo OEM this is just speculation at this point. And as Switch 2 keep selling out there is no way to make extra OEM Dock is probably what's happening and most likely not til 2026 year will extra OEM Docks will show up.
@Matt_Barber Like who? That's their proprietary USBC connection for their purposes and the "Dock" to do their connections. They never said it's for other purpose then the Switch 2 connection with the board inside the Dock for video/audio output. I've not heard or seen anyone saying they even got one that outputs like the Dock.
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Topic: How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2’s USB-C port and broke third-party docking
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