Oh dear. It seems DBrand's Switch 2 'Killswitch' accessory has been having a little bit of a rough PR week, and things aren't about to get any better.
First off, and as reported by our pals at VGC, messages from gamers on DBrand's Reddit forum have started to note that the uniquely fitted case is causing issues with Joy-Con coming loose and/or not sitting in their magnetic places properly, which is well demonstrated in the clip below. DBrand has offered an explanation to do with with air and cushions and all-sorts of things but regardless, in practice, it's not really good enough, is it?
However, we've now been made aware of another apparent, and rather notable, problem with the design of this particular accessory. As flagged up, once again, on u/DBrand, it appears that the Killswitch, which isn't cheap starting at $59.99 and going up from there for bells and whistles versions, is also a bit of a pain when it comes to docking.
As explained at length by user u/BaturalNoobs (that was close!), the dock has a whole bunch of problems, beyond how badly it seems to fail at being easy to remove from its own dock adapter in the video below. As they explain:
"The Nintendo Dock is seamless because you can easily use it one-handed. The Dock Adapter clearly comes off when trying to use it with one hand (which I had to because I needed to include videos with my refund request). When trying to dock the Switch, you also have to hold the Dock Adapter with one hand, then use your other hand to try and line up the circle mark on the case with the line mark on the Dock Adapter (and good luck seeing those black marks on black plastic if your lighting isn't great or you'll need a flashlight). If you're slightly off when docking you risk scratching the bottom of your Switch 2."
Yes, that does not look ideal, and what's worse the Killswitch is specifically designed to sit outside of the Switch 2, using the vanilla dock as a display of sorts, and - in the words of Dbrand themselves, "We're not interested in making a flimsy case with absurdly large cutouts on the bottom - which is why we've made a custom Dock Adapter, with full USB4 passthrough." It's the whole point of the thing.
Unfortunately, the post on Reddit then goes on to point out that even the full passthrough aspect of this description may be a little off:
"The Dock Adapter also does not maintain the "full functionality" of the Nintendo Dock. My TV shows a "No Signal" message when I try to use the Dock Adapter. I've tried several times, watched dbrand.com/how, read advice here, but nothing works. The amount of fiddling required with the Dock Adapter and its male USB-C connector is unacceptable."
It certainly seems like an issue that's well worth being aware of in full, should you be considering picking up this case/dock adapter for your Switch 2, and alongside the Spigen case we reported on last week, makes for a couple of products that may be worth holding off on for now. Oh, and with Switch 2 cases in mind, make sure to check out our ever-expanding list of the best currently available Switch 2 cases right over here.
We've reached out to DBrand via their website thos morning for any comments or updates on the Killswitch's apparent issues, and we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we hear anything.
Do you own the Dbrand Killswitch? Had issues with it, or any other Switch 2 accessories? Make sure to let us know!