This Tiny Nintendo Switch Dock Has Just Obliterated Its Kickstarter Goal

Looks cool. Also....
FIRST! 😁

Unless they work directly with Nintendo, I won't be buying it.
Still waiting for a Nintendo licensed mini dock for travel because I am NOT risking my Switch on any of those gadgets.

And it fries your Switch. Since Nintendo blocks all third party docks.

PEOPLE DO NOT BUY THIS!

I've been using this for 2 years with no issues (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D6GXHKV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). It's about 20 bucks

@The_Mysteron Congratz for being first! I remember the times how we practiced hard to get you where you are today.

The days of browsing all articles on different websites just to be the first person to place a comment are over now.

You are the champion, son.

Do not let anybody tell you that you can’t amount to anything in this lifetime.

On-topic: I have been following this company/kickstarter. Their (hardware) engineer explained on Reddit how Switches are bricked and what caused it. He also gave advice on what the best third party docks alternatives there are for the Nintendo Switch.

He also did not once mentioned Genki the company who is working on this small dock now.
That kinda is a nice gesture since he could have advertised for this/his company.

I think that the days of every switch brinking in a 3rd party dock are over.

If anybody is intrested in his article I can send you a link.

@sanderev this is simply false.

I'm bricking it

@sanderev I have a third party dock i’ve been using already for over 2 years on a monthly basis. No problems. I do however use the original Nintendo USB-C adapter.

@KoekiieWoekiie https://www.techradar.com/news/heres-why-nintendo-switch-third-party-docks-could-brick-your-console

Using third party docks WILL brick your Switch.

@sanderev

Here is also some info on third party docks bricking your Switch.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/ckaiiv/an_engineers_pov_on_the_3rd_party_dock_switch/

This link got even featured on Ars Technica.

@PsychoMikey The official adapter makes a connection to the Switch. So using a different dock (which most likely has the same internals) wouldn't affect your Switch.

However third party docks with their own power bricks (like the Nyko, and this kickstarter one) WILL brick your Switch.

@sanderev

I just looked at the article. They also link to that reddit post.

Also the article says could not will which is very important.

By using high quality materials among other things your switch will not brick.

@KoekiieWoekiie The materials don't really matter. The official adapter makes a connection to the Switch and then negotiates the desired voltage with the charger. (This is similar to the official USB-C standard, but not compliant) They communicate over a data line with a Nintendo chip in the charger.

This data line is not present on the third party charger. So there is no communication and the Switch will get the full voltage when it expects a smaller voltage. And yes that will fry the chip in the Switch.

Thing is, the plug connection is for US therefore not ready for 240V, therefore brickage incoming.
Also saw this advertised on my Facebook page and clicked ignore, will never trust anything on Facebook

@sanderev @KoekiieWoekiie you realize that the author (vectordriver, andrew geng) of that reddit post is the engineer of this dock?

No euro plug model - no buy.

@oji they have an EU plug but it's $10 more

Wow! Nintendolife promoting the use of third party docks, if you have any issues give them a call.

No. No. No. Unless this dock is completely different to all the other third-party docks, it'll kill your console. Steer clear. Well clear.

No UK plug option

Speaking of bricked systems, ArsTechnica did an interesting article as to why third party stuff kills Switches :

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/08/heres-why-nintendo-switch-consoles-keep-frying/

@manu0, they don't, only quite big adapters for different plugs, but it loses all the idea of a tiny charger/dock. That's the reason why I didn't buy a Skull & Co. charger before.

@RupeeClock I can see the "Global Adapter Kit" which slides on. But looking at it, it doesnt have a fuse, it just a direct conversion, might as well just jam the thing into a plug socket without the "adapter".
It's not just about the output, the input conversion from 240V to the different voltages out will create double the heat, plugged directly into your wall socket, and could fuse the thing to your wall and blow out your electrics.

No thank you.

Brick
Brick brick brick...

This comments section is sponsored by Jewsons the builders merchants

Yawn at the comments. So many people use 3rd party docks fine.

@RupeeClock Yeah I was looking through it and just thought "Man they are memeing it up". Then I remembered I bought their Bluetooth adapter and they have a sticker of a boy who looked a lot like "Ness".

The last kickstarter dock bricked the system... just saying.

Don't know till you try although nobody wants to try to brick there system but I have faith tin this one it looks goods.

AHA says on there website that they're using the custom usb-c that is in the switch its directly on there website just scroll down so there probably isn't going to be of the bricking on this one.

Hopefully.

@The_Mysteron Hmm, looks like I was sleeping on the job.

@Rhaoulos 100% agree, I wish they had picked a standard and not kept it proprietary. That is some real apple level bullpoo.

So will using a power bank brick a switch?

I'm too scared to use third party stuff

@sanderev Except... that they clearly state they are aware of the voltage issue, and communication and handle it properly in the design.

Especially since this dock is literally designed by the person who figured out why 3rd party docks were bricking the Switch?

Seriously, don't spread panic, read the actual kickstarter page.

@link3710 Nyko also promised that it would work.
In the end, it didn't.

I handle one rule: I ALWAYS ONLY buy "Licensed by Nintendo" accessoires.
Because then it's tested by NINTENDO so that it would work with THEIR hardware.

But if you want a fancy expensive brick, then please go buy one.
But DO NOT blame Nintendo if your Switch breaks.

@Rhaoulos Buy an official dock and move the guts into a portable case. Best of both worlds.

Too bad Nintendo implemented USB C so poorly.
If we had decent consumer protection laws they would be forced to fit it with a free adapter.

@StevenG Nintendo implemented USB-C correctly. The standard has been poorly designed allowing manufacturers to change the specification. And every manufacturer does that. Apple, Nintendo, Microsoft, Samsung, Raspberry Pi, etc.

@sanderev Nintendo doesn't "block" 3rd party Docks or chargers. A lot of USB-C cables on the market that technically fit are 9V, but the Switch is 6V rated, so if they overlooked this like a small handful of 3rd party docks and chargers did, it can fry your switch.

Just check the voltage rating is +-6V and it'll be fine.

Just want to chime in (few others have already mentioned it) to say that Andrew Geng is the engineer behind this product and he’s also the same guy who wrote the incredibly detailed reddit post about 3rd party docks bricking Switches that was a source for a bunch of tech articles in the last week. They’re well aware of the potential problems and they’re well aware that plenty of their target market are skeptical. I’m skeptical of 3rd party accessories but I trust these guys. Do your own research but don’t write this off as “just another 3rd party dock”. This looks awesome to me.

Regardless of whether it'll brick your Switch or not, 300k raised in just over 1 day is seriously impressive for something like this.

@OorWullie Or it shows the sad state of business in general.

Rooftop parties? Lmao

The one thing that bugs me hard: Don't you need to carry a bulky HDMI cable with you anyway? I mean, most outlets are placed 30-40cm above the floor and will require you to have 3 meter HDMI cable going from the dock in the outlet, to your TV.

I find a better solution is to buy a 5$ shell for your original dock, making it super small and taking that with you. If you're creative, you could make everything fit in a small pouch, plugged in and ready, just waiting for you to power it and connect to the tv.

@KoekiieWoekiie obivously he couldn't mention it in the reddit post as their own dock was only revealed hours ago

I'd just take the official switch dock with me if I'm going to do some TV play on whatever trip I'm on. Not like it's going to do anything at my house while I'm gone, and it saves money.

Looks cool but the fear of bricking prevented me from getting interested in this.

Definitely a cool idea but I’m not risking my switch. I don’t trust any dock other than Nintendo’s. If you’ve want a small dock that is guaranteed to not brick your system you should buy an official dock and perform a shell replacement.

It looks great and they seem to have figured the voltage issues out.

@sanderev Chill dude! You made your point clear, no please let everyone else decide if they want ro buy it or not! You can save the world tomorrow!

@aesz thanks for the heads up!

I forgot to say that it may be worth the price just to use as a cell phone and laptop charger / streaming device. Then if no one has any issues with there switch being used with it then I could implement using the switch with it when I want. Probably as a secondary dock in my own house though or when I go on vacation. Most of my friends are not gamers really but when we have couples night they do enjoy the jack box party games that we can all play using our phones so a smaller portable dock would be nice when we go to someone’s house for that purpose too.

If I was someone inside Nintendo, I'd be inviting this guy's on board and paying a lot of money for the idea.

@sanderev No, the pin positions are out of spec.

The original dock is already portable. Why bother buying a third party one that might brick my system? The risk/reward doesn't add up.

Nope! Just nope...

I remember reading that the Nintendo dock does more than just power your switch and connect it to your TV. It also has a chip that overclocks the switch so it can run processes faster. I doubt this new dock can do that, otherwise they would say so. This is more than just ensuring the voltage is correct. As others have said, the only safe way to reduce the footprint of your dock is to remove the internal parts and put it into a smaller shell.

@sanderev So I've used this USB C adaptor that plugs into my switch. An HDMI cable plugs into it, and my regular Switch AC adaptor plugs into it also. It has worked fine numerous times (although recently I've just been using my dock and taking it with me to friends houses). Are you saying it could have fried my Switch? Or was it safe because I had the AC adaptor that came with my Switch plugged into it?

The only 3rd party dock that I know that won't brick ur switch is the skull & co jumpgate dock

@mandlecreed After reading the article, it seems that they were unable to provide the specs for the actual device inside the switch, and got a similar model. I don't know how accurate that is, but it also seems that they were blaming the Nyko model, exclusively. Either way, I'm playing it safe, as these things are bloody expensive and I do NOT want to brick my Switch and have to recreate my 60+ Mario Maker levels....

Not gonna lie. This is the first Kickstarter project I’ve ever seriously considered. If it lives up to that video, it’s a homerun.

In before it bricks the Switch.

Anyone compare this to the JumpGate yet???? Wasn't this one more versatile?

I actually hype about this.

Any particular unlicensed 3rd party dock may work for now, but you're potentially just one firmware update away from bricking your Switch.

For the price I'll just stick with a Nintendo dock.

Wouldn't touch with a Barge pole...

@HexagonSun Absolutely correct.

@60frames-please The main rules of engagement are as follows:

1.) Don't use the Nyko dock. It blasts the CC pin (pairing & negotiation pin) so hard on first connect that it's a miracle anyone's Switch has survived it. It's a massive defect with the Nyko dock specifically.

2.) If you're using an A-to-C cable, make sure it has a 56k Ohm resistor. A 10k cable can damage the charger, making it misbehave and turning it into a one-round revolver. Click. Click. Boom.

3.) Make sure the dock uses NON-EMULATED (looking at you, Nyko) USB Power Delivery. A recent reverse-engineering breakdown showed that while Nathan K's report that the Switch doesn't implement PD correctly, the way it consistently behaves is still well within its own safety margins.

4.) Nintendo made their dock's plug smaller for a loose grab-and-go feel when removing the Switch from its dock. Normal USB-C plugs click into place nice and snug as you've probably noticed, yet that is absent in the dock. "Ninny" also didn't release specs, as usual, so copy cats don't have a size spec to conform to. If their tooling is bad, they might space things poorly or have frayed copper, potentially causing a short circuit. Whether this is a significant concern or not is up in the air right now, but you might wanna take a peek inside the plug if you can.

@ELRinley All of that is very interesting. I also don't know much about some of it. I'm probably just going to never use this dongle I bought again. Even if I'm riding my bicycle instead of driving I can easily fit the normal Switch dock in my backpack. Plus, I've found that even though I liked how smooth and sleek the aluminum dongle is, I end up with my Switch laying on a table where it's more prone to damage than if sitting in it's dock. It's funny because I've come full circle and now the size of the dock doesn't bother me. Now I just want a new Pro Switch model, or to get the new mariko Switch and hack it so I can overclock and hopefully get smoother frame rates on games running at less than 60fps.

@60frames-please Yeah, and like... as much as people complain about the price, it's very nearly sold at cost. People especially get upset when they find out that a very tiny percentage of its total volume is electronics, but... it's still by far the most expensive part. Most USB-C hubs like this cost $50-70 USD, so there's the lion's share of your Switch dock pricetag already!

Add a $20 charger, and up to $20 combined for the shell and HDMI cable and you're actually looking at a reasonable price for the kit.

Also, for funsies, let's consider that the Switch Lite's $200 price compared to the original $300 involves cutting out $80 Joy-Cons (replacing them with integrated controllers likely dropping the price to $20-30) and $70-80 dock computer, shell and HDMI cable package.

@ELRinley Yeah, removing the dock from the package cuts a lot of cost. Nintendo should sell the regular Switch without a dock just to get the price down. Some people could just share a dock with relatives or friends anyways. The lower price point would make it easier for people to rationalize getting the system intitially.

I have been following this project, these people know about the dock troubles and have solved it. I will definitely be buying this one.

@60frames-please Honestly that's would've almost been a better idea than a whole new console. GRANTED the smaller size certainly makes it more attractive for on-the-go play... especially for games that fill it better (Breath of the Wild loses a lot in handheld mode due to the particulars of its visual scaling. I'd go so far as to suggest different default FOV and camera position settings between modes on any games like it).