Around this time last year, product developer Genki fired up a Kickstarter campaign for a fairly ambitious Switch Dock/AC Adapter that could fit in the palm of your hand: the Genki Covert Dock. The makers felt that the large and bulky dock like the one that comes with the Switch was unnecessary and so they set out to create something more on-the-go friendly--to make the Switch just that much more portable--and we think the finished product would make Nintendo proud and maybe even a bit jealous.
The Genki Covert Dock is an all-in-one Switch dock and AC adapter that’s designed for those who like to take their Switch on-the-go. When we first pulled it out of the box, we were honestly shocked by just how small it is! With the included USB-C Cord attached, the Covert Dock is actually 22% smaller and weighs about an ounce less than an official Switch AC adapter from Nintendo. When standing it up next to a standard Switch dock, it almost makes you wonder why Nintendo didn’t go this route themselves. It truly is a marvelous piece of tech.
The Covert Dock features an HDMI, USB-C and USB-A port on one side and foldable prongs on the other that allows it to be connected to a wall for power. The device also comes with additional adapters inside the box that allow it to be used in different regions.
When most people hear talk of a dock that isn’t Nintendo branded, they tend to feel a bit wary with all the damage certain docks had caused in the past. But Genki understands this and has made sure that the Covert Dock is compliant with Nintendo Switch standards and power delivery to prevent your Switch from turning into a fancy paperweight with two Joy-Con attached to its sides.
As far as third-party accessories go, we feel the overall build quality of the Covert Dock rivals Nintendo's own standards. It has a nice heft to it, feels durable enough to be tossed in your bag without worry, and is extremely secure when plugged into the wall. Even one end of the included USB-C cable has a right angle, which makes playing and charging your Switch in handheld mode a bit comfier. And yes, this can be used as just a standard AC adapter if you need it as well.
The USB-A port functions just like it would on a standard dock. You can use to connect a Bluetooth adapter, ethernet port, or simply charge another device. The Covert Dock is also compatible with other devices that can output through USB-C, like certain mobile phones and laptops.
A very minor complaint, but since the Switch doesn’t have any sort of LED power indicator built-in, it would be nice if the Convert Dock has some sort of light (similar to the Standard Switch dock) to know that everything is plugged in properly and is powered. Obviously, if you have it all plugged in and your Switch is not connecting to the screen when you turn it on, you have an issue, but a little LED indicator light would have been a nice touch.
We also feel a little weird about having our Switch simply lying out while it’s connected to the TV, versus having it safely secured in the standard dock. But if you keep it out of arm's reach of children and pets, it shouldn’t really be an issue.
If you find yourself dragging your Switch dock over to your friends and families, are a frequent flyer, or are just in the market for an additional dock that won't fry your Switch, then why honestly purchase anything else? The Genki Covert Dock is a top of the line product that will probably have you retiring your standard Switch dock and AC adapter for many reasons. It's an ingenious, high-quality piece of hardware that seems unlikely on paper, but Genki absolutely nailed it.
The Genki Covert Dock is available now for $74.99 over on Genki's website.
Comments 63
It's nice I guess but I am using a "dock" made for the Samsung galaxy that works about the same and has a USB input for internet as well. That plus a stand works nice. It's not pretty but it was a lot cheaper I think.
Here it is
Like I said, not pretty but that plus an AC adapter with a cheap stand is all I need. You could use the USB input for ethernet over USB or plug in a controller. I believe you could even go overboard and plug in a USB hub for extra devices but I never tried it.
It also has and hdmi out so you can plug it into your TV.
Not as elegant as what they show here but does what I need at a third of the price. I'm using my old WiiU gamepad stand to prop up my Switch but any stand will work.
The price for me is why not, there are a lot of adapters that work very well for the switch and keep it small like this for 20-30 dollars.
@Kalmaro I thought adaptors like that didn't work with the Switch?
Edit: Well crap. Just looked into it and I guess that'll be my next pickup.
Yikes, 75$ is very steep.
Sorry, I'm confused. Is this the covert dock, or is this a different product? I can't find the convert dock on Amazon SG, but covert dock is a thing.
This thing isn't called the "Convert Dock", it's the "Covert Dock".
I use my psvita charger and just connect a usb 3 cable to it, makes it longer so I can play it in bed without moving my room around.
@Indielink Just pay attention that they must have a power delivery input.
@Indielink yeah, you still need power to it but you can just use a regular power adapter and your USB c cable or use a power bank, one of those portable chargers. Up to you.
Be sure to use some kind of stand when using this, though, to let the heat exit the system properly. You don't want the system to get too hot.
@Silly_G The dock itself doesn't have a fan, but it does have holes to let the warm air through. The Switch system itself does include a fan, though. That said, I'm completely with you, the heat management is an issue with this portable dock.
Nice article & video Zion. It's an attractive option since US stores do not appear to sell new official Nintendo Switch docks anymore (store.nintendo.com currently does, though). Thanks for doing the research!
I purchased this from the Kickstarter and love this product. I use it for my switch and my iPad and it works perfectly. One recommendation is that you check you have a long enough hdmi cable cuz some people might not have their tv/monitor close enough to their electrical socket.
I bought a portable monitor and use the usb-a on the dock to power it, so I’m running both switch and monitor all from one plug
@Silly_G there is no fan whatsoever in the original dock
@KoopaTheGamer Heat is only really an issue with the Switch GPU overclocked to 921mhz. You'll be fine if you haven't modded your Switch, just make sure to set it face down when docked so there's adequate ventilation. The dock does NOT help with thermal performance in the slightest, there are no heatsinks in there. The holes are just there to let heat out somewhere because otherwise the lower half of the console might get rather toasty.
@RupeeClock That really grinded my gears...
Bit of a tough sell for me, being that the pins don't fit in my plug sockets
@okimoki do your plugs not fall under this statement?
“ The device also comes with additional adapters inside the box that allow it to be used in different regions.”
I mean no sass, I know very little about the plugs in other countries, but the article does address that it comes with different interchangeable prongs.
Seems pretty cool.
A new 3'rd party dock solution, a new way to brick your Switch.
Does it play YouTube sound as a lot of third party docks struggle to output audio on switch YouTube ...
Dont use 3rd party adapters.
They'll fry your switch.
Happened with docks aswell as some 3rd party adapters.
They dont play Nice with eachother as switch has a costum usb-c frequency.
Any other will fry it.
Nintendolife crew, please dont promote this, especially cause you have reported that switches will fry if used by most 3rd party adapters.
So stupid
@JayJ @superguy123 nope. They did very intense research to avoid this. The log on the kickstarter page was very detailed about this problematic
@Duc @KoopaTheGamer : Aagh. I stand corrected. There is a little duct-like thing in the dock that I thought was a fan.
@Grahamthecracker Ah, you're right
@Braok Yes, but if you keep the Switch on a table or floor, the holes on the back of the Switch can't transfer the heat out. That's why you should use something like a stand to keep those holes open.
Wrong price, right product.
@JayJ @superguy123 I've been using this since it came out without issue. The person who created this did so specifically in response to the 3rd party bricking problem (and was actually the one who identified why it was happening), and this adapter is completely up to spec.
The dock isn't the most convenient thing to travel with, but a slightly more streamlined solution is not worth that price and the risk of a bricking (no matter much they assure it won't happen). It'd be a hard sell anyway during a time where travel is at a minimum.
Very expensive, specially if you consider the standard dock is already overpriced. For about $30 it would've been a must-have for me.
@superguy123 I’ve used this adapter with zero issues since I got it a few months ago. Very convenient.
Running the switch in docked mode while obscuring the cooling intakes on the back is a really bad idea. There's a reason the official dock is designed the way it is.
I have this. It does not brick the switch. It actually works really well. My problem was the dock was too tall to fit down on a component shelf. This makes everything fit better. I’ve had a few problems where it won’t charge the switch but unplugging it and plugging it back in seems to reset it. This has happened twice in about 7 months so far.
Uhhhhmm. Serious question.
I just charge my Switch trough an USB outlet with the cable that came with the Pro-Controller.
Should I not do that anymore?
@Yanina
That's safe.
The Switch is a device that uses Power Delivery in USB-C form factor, otherwise known as USB-PD. It charges the device much faster than normal, and also allows for video+audio output all from a single connector.
For fast charging to work, both the device and the charger must be Power Delivery compliant.
If you plug a USB-PD charger into a non-PD device, I believe it will fall back to normal slow charging.
If you plug a regular non-USB-PD charger into a PD device, it will just charge it slowly.
The device and charger have to negotiate the PD charge in order to use fast charging, otherwise it uses standard slow charging to be safe.
I have a device called a GPD Win 2, it's also got a USB-PD port.
It too can be safely charged using the official Nintendo Switch charger, and works with the Genki Covert Dock.
I've only use the Covert Dock a couple of times now, but it's been an excellent way to connect my Nintendo Switch or my GPD Win 2 to a TV set.
Like others have mentioned though, the dock is surprisingly expensive, and other solutions for USB-PD connection to displays exist as more supported devices emerge on the market.
@RupeeClock you are my MVP. Thanks for this!
@KoopaTheGamer Again, this is why you should leave it face-down. The screen will get hot but it's not like it doesn't in the dock anyway (you might notice it gets so toasty you can see the pixel grid clearly for 30 seconds after undocking).
Think I'll stick to the replacement shell option.
Laying a switch down flat on the back or front means it's not dissipating the heat ideally.
If you buy cheap you get cheap. I supported this ok KS for a Quality product not some cheap to buy and expensive Switch to fix problem of which you will pay to fix not Nintendo since you caused the issue yourself.
@superguy123 I can't speak for the product advertised but mine has never presented a problem and has been built for stuff like this.
Holy smokes $75.
It's rather expensive but it does seem quite nice. I'd kinda like to get one, but I don't really think I have any need for it. I certainly don't see myself replacing my standard dock with it.
Neat. I personally always use my switch portable because of preference but I can see this being a good alternative if you’re still worried about the dock scratching your screen
@Duc There are vents at the backside of the Switch, which draw in air through holes in the dock. If you place the Switch on it's back you block the air intake, and your Switch WILL overheat.
Also third party docks brick your Switch. I would not use this.
@sanderev I know there are air vents on the back of the switch as well as on the original dock. In case you’re not aware, the official dock actually block half of the air vent (the right side where the logic board is located IIRC)! The fix for this Covert dock is also quite simple, flip the switch over or just use a grip case to levitate it from the ground (skull&co or satisfye, those are game changer).
TBH, when is the last time you heard about a 3rd party dock bricking the system? I’m using this Covert dock and it functioning just fine. Nyco cuts cost and decided to use low quality hardware which leads to the infamous bricking incident
About the 3rd party bricking problem - I think this was primarily an issue with the first wave of docks due to lack of understanding about spec incompatibility. However the manufacturers were quick to identify and fix it, and by the time I purchased my own in end '18 the problem had all but been eliminated completely.
This product looks nifty but also has a pricetag to match. If anyone wants a cheaper solution just look up Amazon and choose something with enough positive user reviews, you'll probably be safe.
Think I'll just get another official one as it keeps the console safe and there's not much price difference.
I have noticed when I take the console out of the official dock after playing for a while it comes out quite warm. Have heard this isn't so bad with the newer model which has improved battery life.
@Duc it's not about the quality, the Switch uses a non-standard fast charging method. Which works like USB-C PD, but is not compatible with USB-C PD. This can result in the Switch getting a higher voltage (20V instead of 15V) from the charger, which would destroy the charging port.
This is a normal PD charger so it WILL brick your Switch.
You can use a normal 5V charger with the Switch, but that wouldn't give it enough power to play and charge at the same time. For that you will need the 15V Switch exclusive charger. A dock that uses the Switch charger is safe, any and all other docks will brick your system.
And even if this charger correctly communicates with the Switch (like the official charger) a firmware update could change this communication. Which would brick your system as well.
So once more: ONLY use official chargers with the Switch.
How to tell if a charger is official? It will have an "Original Nintendo Seal of Quality" on it's packaging.
@sanderev
Output of Covert Dock is:
5V 2A; 9V 2.44A; 15V 1.66A
So it seems, it is impossible to burn the Switch with 20V, as it just does not deliver that voltage
@Duc
The official dock doesn't block either air intake; have a look closely and you will see a channel on the top of the USB/HDMI ports.
Ventilation is very important in docked mode as the clock speed is higher and the switch relies on the internal fan being able to run faster when attached to mains power.
Without this the system will either fry or more likely hit a thermal limit and go into some kind of limp mode. I wouldn't want to risk banking on the latter happening though...
I backed this on Kickstarter, it works great and ideal for taking away on holiday or in the mobile home. Definitely worth the price!!
People still labeling every 3rd party dock as a device that fries the switch. Jeez people, do some research before coming out with this rubbish.
I was a backer for this. It took forever to get, thanks to covid, but yeah, it's pretty great, and has a finished, solid feel to it worthy of a Nintendo product. My only complaint is that the HDMI cable runs a little short for some situations. I travel for work. On one (and only one) occasion I had to bring the hotel TV down from its mount to make things work. Otherwise it is well worth it to not have to bring the regular dock!
Switch and Switch Lite should have signal output through USB C.
Saw this back on Kickstarter when it first showed up but I have the Skull & Co dock that works great. Nor as small as this but it's very compact and allows my Switch to be docked on display, it stuck laying flat.
May get this for travel down the road but no rush for me since the one I have is still nice and portable.
@sanderev I completely get you having concern over this, and your advice is generally good. I would advise most of my friends and family to stick to official accessories. However in this particular case you're overstating things. I backed this on KS and it's safe (or at least as safe as an official accessory), this article (https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/08/heres-why-nintendo-switch-consoles-keep-frying/) outlines the Switch 3rd-party dock bricking problem, the reddit post which it links to was written by the engineer of this product. They knew the problem before making this product. A firmware update won't cause this to brick your Switch unless it was also going to cause the official dock/adapter to brick your Switch.
Got it a few weeks ago and love it. The best part is that now I don’t need an extra charger/adapter for my Macbook. It works perfectly well with my computer and allows me to easily hook up to a screen. Then, I unplug the USB-C, plug it into the Switch and in 2 seconds I go from having a work screen to a Switch screen. Perfect!
It's lovely and small, but the price is BIG, $75?
No thank you
like a ton of ppl replied.
so i'll will reply without tagging.
anyways thanks for bringing it to my attention, didnt know it was this thoroughly researched.
hope the dock works out for you guys and wont brick your switch
personally not gonna risk it, mostly HH player anyways
Hm nah, I'd still rather wait for the Dongii with built in BT audio.
@Kalmaro Nice alternative. You're right, it's not elegant, but if it works, it works Also, if you already have that product on hand or don't really travel a lot, it's certainly more practical/economical.
I also got the covert dock in kickstarter. I supported the campaign because:
Unfortunately, with the pandemic, travelling is down to 0 and there's really no chance to maximize the covert dock.
Claiming that it won’t brick your Switch versus guaranteeing it with some sort of warranty are two different things. I won’t use anything that doesn’t have the Nintendo Seal of approval. It’s too expensive too mess around with.
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