Accessory Maker Bionik Gaming Is Releasing A Cable That Replicates The Nintendo Switch Dock

These people just need to give up...we all know this will end up bricking the Switch.

Just use your f*** dock there's nothing wrong with it.

i'll get it when there not a controversy of it bricking your switch (like most others that does.)

Depending on the price this could be a good alternative when traveling. Assuming it doesn’t brick the console of course...

My switch already comes with a device that displays it on the t.v.

I'll buy this when I decide that I'd like to pay people to brick my Switch.

Look at all those wires.

What is this, voice chat? Who would want this mess? This is sarcasm btw. Im fine with this.

3rd party dock?

Put it under lock!

...and burn it before it bricks your Switch.

Sorry but I'm not taking any chances with my Switch.

Pay someone money to brick my Switch...I'll buy that for a dollar!

Until it fries your console. No thanks.

@Painkiller_Mike Nice Robocop reference!

I just wish the official dock didn't cost $90. I would buy two of them for $60 each.

With all the people looking for alternatives, one might think Nintendo would release an alternative themselves at some point...

@Heavyarms55 I agree. Nintendo would be smart to release a version of this themselves.

@NESlover85 I almost picked up a second dock for $60. If I remember correctly Google was giving a $30 discount if you used Google Checkout and Walmart just happened to be one of the retailers that was accepting that discount. No idea why I didn't grab one. And Robocop is an amazing film. Have you ever seen the unrated version?

Bricktendo Switch

Grabbed a 2nd dock on sale for $50 a while back......seen some starting to drop in price again, of it gets below $40 I'll buy a 3rd

I have an HDMI extension cable that runs from my dock to my Swiitch and it's worked great. The reason is I don't have a place to put the dock on my the stand where it won't block the view of the TV, so this way I can put the dock behind the TV and still have easy access to grabbing the switch. Also, my dock came bent out of the box and I don't want to scratch up the switch screen.

I wish Nintendo would make a cable like this officially so it would be easy to hook the Swiitch up at hotels and such without dragging along the bulky dock.

@Rika_Yoshitake The dock is massive for traveling. It's one huge piece of plastic with very little electronics in it. Many of us want a smaller solution.

Even if it has been rigorously tested and is deemed as safe, a future Switch firmware update could change that. Unless it's an officially licensed by Nintendo product such as Hori's tabletop charging stand I wouldn't go near it.

More bricks than Tetris!

Been using my 3rd party dock with the official power cord for 7 months and have no issues

I'm loving the look of that Joycon/Pro-Controller charging stand!

Late to the show. Lots of these from other brands on Amazon and elsewhere I'm sure. Some even work as Samsung DEX Stations too.

Late to the show. Lots of these from other brands on Amazon and elsewhere I'm sure. Some even work as Samsung DEX Stations too.

I understand everyone’s scepticism. I also won’t be buying this as potential problems aren’t worth the risk.

@Dellic Here we have to believe all 3rd party items brick consoles because a handful of reports.

So we all have to reply.

“Pay someone to brick my console. Yes please”

Check the Terms and Conditions of the site - if you reply with anything but a variation of that you aren’t welcome.

Even if 10000s of people are using 3rd party docks and cables without issue.

@Rika_Yoshitake Yeah, there's nothing wrong with it... but I need another one.

I'm fine with this as long as it works as advertised

@Grant007 Fun fact — the Switch has a screen built right in, perfect for traveling!

@Dellic that’s is blasphemy

@Razieluigi Here's anothet fun fact! Every hotel I've ever been at comes with a TV and not every game is that great on a such a small screen. I would like to play on the provided TV while not carrying around such a huge piece of plastic (dock). The screen is fine while in the air but rest assured if there is a TV provided I'm going to use it to play Switch games on.

they all will kill your system.

BEWARE

I’ll certianly wait for a lot of testing and reviews but this is something I’d find handy, if the price is right.

On another note, Bionic’s logo is rad. Wonder who made it?

This is the one im gonna buy

They are only 3D renders... So I will not hold my breath for them as it seems a little too kickscammer for me. The charger is very important. A lot of people with heat-related damage have gotten it from using the wrong charger - using the chargers from their phones. Most of which will not even charge. Some turbo chargers though can damage the battery as in terms people can understand: the battery is charging too quick and so the inside is heating up beyond safety limits. Anyone that vapes knows this. I use mechanical mods and thus have to know ohm's law. This is because the resistance of the coil a person should build is in relation to the amp of the battery. Not the voltage. If you get it wrong and draw too much ampage, the battery will heat up. The same goes in reverse. Fill a battery with an ampage too high and it heats up, and can vent.

I've seen in certain shops in the UK (shall we say those ones that sell things like BB guns, stuff for stoners and all seem to sell foreign mountain dew) and some won't charge... Others were dangerous. One packaged saying it was for switch, said on the box it was 12v at 10A...

Scary stuff.

The problem with any 3rd party device that involves power to the switch is that it can brick it. Until that is resolved, I ignore all of these devices. After the Nyko stand bricking issues, Nintendo subtly mentioned that their dock handles the amount of power to the switch in a certain manner, making it seem like that could be the cause. This seemed to be to absolve Nyko of the claim that they release faulty products, since they do release some officially licensed accessories for the switch (that's speculation on my part). I don't think Nintendo would have commented at all, which gave accessory makers an indication of why their unofficial products would render Switch's unusable, if Nyko didn't make other accessories that were officially licensed (like controllers, IIRC).

@Stocksy I'm curious where your "10000s of people" using these devices without problems (so far) is from? Sounds like you are choosing to believe some sources over others, so if you could share an objective reason for that, it may help the rest of us to be able to do the same. If it's because of bias of some sort, then that doesn't help anyone, even yourself, obviously. Just because any number of people haven't had problems yet, doesn't mean they won't, & that could be for any number of reasons. The potential alone scares me away, because I don't want to lose the 250 hours I've put into Breath of the wild, or 40 hours into Hollow Knight, or have to replace my system, etc.

@Dellic Let's hope your luck continues for 5 more years (I have used every console I have bought for at least 5 years, & I never buy the slim or new versions, so that's why I'm saying 5+ years). How often do you use it? Several times a day, or only a couple times a week, or even less maybe? That may make a difference. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, so knowing it could possibly only take 1 wrong use to meet the conditions that have bricked other consoles doesn't bother you? Like another poster mentioned, it's possibly related to the amps & overheating internally, so with no fans of any significance, the switch can't cool itself before permanent damage is done. This means one intense play session where you didn't intend to play long, but got to a new boss in a game & you just want to beat it before bed (you're not going to get that far then turn off a game if there's no save point) may be that exact, unintentional circumstance that meets the conditions to brick it. Do you avoid long play sessions? I have played 14 hours straight on a few occasions in Zelda BotW (before I read about the warping/bending/melting of some docked Switch consoles in official dock, but now I feel comfortable that mine isn't from the batch that had those issues). Or, do you just not believe those reports (or are you maybe wealthy enough to buy new Switch & don't care about your saves, if it does brick)? I'm just genuinely curious as to why anyone takes this risk. Thanks in advance if you do actually take time to answer these questions.

When a company thinks 'TV 'lynx' is an intelligent pun you know the company in question is a joke.

Buyer beware.

I was going to address the brick problem but... “One of the common problems for Nintendo Switch owners is the fact the system is unable to hook up to televisions without the official dock on-hand”, I would never consider this a problem.

@R4z0rGr1nd3r before more people vote up your post:
do you have a source for that, especially this part? "The charger is very important. A lot of people with heat-related damage have gotten it from using the wrong charger - using the chargers from their phones. Most of which will not even charge. Some turbo chargers though can damage the battery as in terms people can understand: the battery is charging too quick and so the inside is heating up beyond safety limits. "

You mentioned: "Anyone that vapes knows this."
Maybe you "vaped" a little too much.
In fact, the battery decides with which Ampere it will get charged with.
This means, if you have a reliable charger (it doesn`t matter if it is a phone charger, switch charger or a power bank) which provides a steady 5V, then the charger can never "over-charge" your battery.
If a charger has 10A, then this is the MAXIMUM output, but the electronic of the device will/have to limit the charging ampere.
So if Nintendo did not completely mess up the electronics in the switch, you can never overcharge your device, even if you use a 1000A charger. The voltage needs to fit!

I don´t know why this is a common opinion on this site, but you can basically use any charger or power bank for your switch, as long as it provides a steady 5V (quality devices do that).
I guess, but never checked, that the 3rd party docks or HDMI adapters provide the wrong voltage (not ampere) to the switch and therefore causing the brick.

@twztid13 I do play my switch less than my other consoles but my play sessions usually go for a few hours at a time and I lay it screen side down for air flow and I check to see if it’s getting hot but it never seems to get hot.

It just seems as if I’m playing it while it’s charging and as for the expense I bought a 3 year warranty that covers any and all damage so I figure I might as well test it for myself and others.

@mazzel here some input: https://lifehacker.com/pay-attention-to-charger-amperage-to-juice-up-your-gadg-1492446246

All of these custom docks and alternative dock solutions seem to have the same thing in common: bricking consoles.

It's hilarious how Nintendo has tried extremely hard to create a narrative where consumers blindly believe that any 3rd party peripheral can and will brick their Switch... and made it work.

It is incredible how much they profit from this and I'm actually amazed their strategy worked.

Good job Nintendo!

@Grant007 You'll be playing on nothing if you brick your switch. Lol.

@Blizzia The dock which has been proven. Controllers and chargers are fine.

@Failrunner One dock /shrug

While I would definitely use the cable - even though I'm happy with my DIY mini dock - 35€ would be a bit much for just a cable.

Btw you can already charge a Switch and a Pro Controller simultaneously with the original Nintendo dock (which I'm using in mine). @Liam_Doolan

I would really like a cable like that, but the fact that it may brick my Switch kinda repulse me ...
Having a cable like that is so convenient especially if you play in a friend's house, you don't have to transport your whole dock with the big block to plug in ... Just a cable like that is really great to transport

@Dellic is the few hrs at a time several times a week, less, more? Honestly interested because I have friends that wanted to buy the Nyko stands as 2nd stand. I only have 1 TV, so it's less of a need for me, & more my curiosity (& in order to inform others). Thanks for sharing your experience, & at least including others in your thought process about that accessory since it is controversial, & you have the warranty (though depending on which one, it still may cost you a fee to replace, but nowhere close to $300).

@mazzel what if it's fully charged using the official Nintendo adapter before putting it on the 3rd party dock, will that matter? Does it actually need to charge while on that dock? If it doesn't charge/need to charge while on the questionable dock, that should rule out the issue, or actually prevent damage to the Switch in that case, theoretically. But, I guess the current has to go through the Switch regardless if it has to power it in any way, so nevermind I guess. Darn, thought I was on to something... All the "charge" talk misled my thoughts.

@Blizzia I never heard Nintendo mention it until well after I had read hundreds of commenters on various devices explaining how it bricked their Switch, & only then via a news site. I honestly don't think this was a good strategy, if that's what it was. Word of mouth is both best & worst advertising, & the latter is what made them so unpopular with people i know personally (by people who actually had the problem, because all it took was 1 person to spook tons of people).

@twztid13 well it depends if a new game is out or if I get a new game or something...for example when I got Splatoon 2 I was on it everyday all day for a few weeks but I honestly usually only play games for about 3 or 4 hours at a time tops so I can’t speak for anything longer than that but I’ve never felt any heat from the console unless it was in portable mode and my switch is mostly always on the 3rd party dock and it keeps the console and controllers fully charged.

@mazzel That is an ancient topic. That matters, as you can read in the 1st comment on that page. Heat is the issue causing the bricking, not how fast it charges. This wasn't a good topic for the issue at hand, as it used sources from Wired that don't apply to the battery type in Switch. Here, I'll paste the 1st comment instead of typing my interpretation:

"And the myth that charging your device at a faster rate will reduce the life of your device’s battery is false."

The citation used seems to deal with nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery composition, not the lithium ion batteries that we all use in 2014 to "juice up our gadgets." On contrary to the quoted claim, heat becomes a much larger issue when it comes to lithium ion based battery cells, which handle charge/discharge rates greater than NiMH batteries. As such, it would actually be very wise to not seek to charge your devices as fast as possible with as great an amperage as possible. The greater the charge/discharge rate on an Li-Ion the greater the heat generation, and greater heat generation actually does have a very noticeable effect on battery life and longevity. While the sentiment of the article is well and good, some of the sources used and the conclusions gained from them are flawed, check here for some really great (and relevant) Li-Ion battery advice, and not NiMH (which we don't use in... any of our gadgets). Batteryuniversity in general is a wealth of accurate information. Happy new year!

@twztid13 okay, from what I’m researching it’s more people using 3rd party power adapters but almost everyone who is using Nintendo’s official power adapter is fine..my dock by the way isn’t really a dock but just a little square that has an hdmi, usb c, usb, and power outlet

@Dellic cool, that's what I was wondering. The Splatoon 2 example is sufficient, as I was asking more for friends, who likely don't play longer than 3-4 hours a day. My 14 hour sessions were strictly because it was Zelda, so that wont happen again. Even if another zelda came out on Switch, I'd make sure to take breaks knowing what I do now. I've always had marathon sessions on other consoles, longer even, but when I was younger. On X1 is only other time this generation, & it was when I was playing Destiny 24/7. It always seemed ever since I started buying titles digitally that those didn't stress the systems as hard (mainly much less heat), but I've always put lots of stress on my consoles. I figured a brand new Switch could handle it at the time.

@Dellic right, i just called it a dock because I couldn't recall what it was actually called. That makes more sense if it's the adapters causing the issue & not specifically the 3rd party dock. Again, Nintendo made an ambiguous statement addressing the Nyko 3rd party dock bricking issue, and maybe even nyko did, IIRC, mentioning the power needed for the official dock was specific & may be where the issue lies. It was shortly after a system update caused several Switch's of people i knew to brick.

Pics of the bags would be nice, just sayin...

I like me some waterproof luggage.

@twztid13 I don't want to say yes or no, too dangerous by logic, while docked, there shouldn't be any power going to the battery after it is fully charged, but I have no detailed knowledge of the PCB in the switch...

@twztid13 Actually, I only choose that topic because the Ampere discussion here. I did not pay attention to the battery type, so if that confused someone, I´m sorry for that
But what they say about Ampere is still right. The device will steer the charging ampere and will limit it.

@Rika_Yoshitake Not unless you want to hook up your Switch on a friend's TV. Then it becomes a rather cumbersome brick and definitely not something that fit into your normal (or probably for that matter, any) carrying case. But yeah, for stationary use, I have no real issue with the Switch Dock, other than it being a space waster - as it really has no business being that big. I get how they ended up with that design, sure, the "switching" advertises well, but still ... it's really big for a glorified USB-Hub and HDMI-Out.

I only use my Switch in handheld mode but can see why a device like this would appeal to those who like to take theirs to friends' houses a lot. The original is a little cumbersome.

That said, I'm surprised the story didn't mention the previous issues with third-party docks. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that.

All i'am saying to all of you is to not buy 3rd party shiz for charging and docking.

If you plan to connect to a TV then bring your dock with you. No body has issue with other consoles doing this so why with the Switch? i dont get this form of hypocrisy.

What bothers me most with my Switch is the fact that many times, when I transition from handheld to docked or the other way around, the system doesn't recognize it well and I have to restart / take out and put in joy-cons, et cetera. Anybody else?

@Painkiller_Mike oh wow. I'll have to see if that Google discount is still available. And I didn't know there was an unrated version! I'll have to look into that as well.

Until it is proven not to brick the switch i am not going to risk it

Hopefully someone will produce a dock alternative that is officially licensed by Nintendo. Until then, I'm only using the OEM dock.

@Blizzia No.

@Failrunner Yes.