Genki’s Covert Dock is the perfect dock for the Nintendo Switch – and other gadgets, too – TechCrunch

The Nintendo counter The ability to quickly switch from a portable to a home console is definitely one of the main selling points, but Nintendo’s official dock never really made sense given the switch’s portable properties. Fortunately, the third-party accessory maker Genki has that Concealed dock, a device no bigger than a USB charger for smartphones and easily connects your switch to any TV. It is also a USB charger for all of your devices.

The basics

The hidden dock has a USB Type-C connector that is designed for the Power Delivery 3.0 standard. This means that not only the switch, but also an iPhone, Android smartphones, the iPad Pro and even a MacBook can be charged (although the maximum power has been reached) 30 W, so that you cannot charge at full speed on large power-hungry devices ). It also includes a USB-A port that not only lets you charge, it also connects controllers, microphones, mice, Ethernet adapters, and more to devices that are connected via USB-C. Finally, there is an HDMI port that allows you to connect your switch (or other devices that support USB-C video output) to your TV or display.

The HDMI connection supports a maximum resolution of 1080p at up to 60 Hz, so that the 720p output of the switch can be processed without any problems. The Genki Covert Dock also has folding power tines for maximum mobility – and it is extremely compact and, despite all functions, smaller than a MacBook Air charger.

Credit: Genki

Genki also offers a range of global power supplies that can be slid onto the folded tines for ease of travel compatibility, adding to its versatility. A six-foot USB-C 3.1 charging cable is also included, so you have everything you need to use it right away. If you don’t have an HDMI cable connected, it can also power your switch while playing like any other standard USB-C charger.

At $ 74.99, the Genki Covert Dock is actually below the retail price of Nintendo’s official Dock dock set for Switch – and it’s a much more versatile device because it can act as a hub for a variety of devices that output the display support via USB -C. Combine this with the travel adapter set, and the concealed dock actually replaces two or three devices in your pocket, not just a switch dock.

performance

Genki’s concealed dock feels very sturdy and well built, not at all like many of the third-party dock alternatives you can find on Amazon. Inside, it uses gallium nitride technology to make it small in size while ensuring that good performance can be achieved without overheating.

It worked flawlessly, both for charging my switch (and other devices) and for connecting the switch to my TV. As soon as you connect an HDMI cable, the switch behaves exactly as when using the official dock, switches off the built-in display and outputs it to the TV in HD resolution.

Credit: Genki

The same goes for connecting an iPad Pro and a MacBook Pro. Both automatically recognize the HDMI connection and behave like any other display adapter.

Users of other third-party switch display docking solutions may be reluctant to trust another, as third-party hardware has often led to problems such as console bricking. But Genki has one A great and thorough explanation of why your dock shouldn’t encounter such problemsand it mainly relates to the proper implementation of the PD 3.0 specification. During tests on a current switch console over a couple of weeks, I definitely didn’t encounter any problems.

Bottom line

If you own a switch (unfortunately not the Switch Lite because it does not support video output), there is no question that you should own one Genki covered dock. It’s the dock that the console should come with, as it respects the portability of the switch and provides a way to connect to a TV that doesn’t take up more space than the switch’s USB charger itself.

Even if you don’t have a switch, the Genki Covert Dock may be something you need – it’s a great way to power an iPad while you are presenting during a meeting, for example, and also a fantastic travel charger, even if you do do not use the display functions. Genki has packed a lot of versatility into a unique and well-built device, and at a price that is very reasonable considering how many other potential devices and dongles it replaces.