One of the big selling points of the Nintendo Switch is its ability to “switch” from its docked mode to its portable/tabletop mode and back again. People loved the fact that they could play their games at home, remove the Switch unit from the dock and play on the go, and then go to their friends’ house and continue to play over there. They also loved the fact that they could play on their main TV, take the Switch unit off the dock and continue to play in the comfort of their bed. Or even if they’re on a road trip, with a portable battery they can play for hours.
But for as great as the Switch’s portability is, eventually you’ll want to play on a bigger screen and place it back on the dock. Here in lies the problem that most users run into: they forgot to bring their dock and power cable. No problem, just go out and buy another dock right? Well unless you have another $80 or so for a new one. With this fact in mind, third party accessory makers started to produce their own affordable, cheaper docks. Then for some odd reason Switches started to short out and brick when people were using third party docks. Whether this was intentional on Nintendo’s part to get customers to buy official docks or just some freak accident, this had customers put off on ever docking their Switch on a third party dock, for fear of their system getting bricked. But it seems that IOGEAR may have a solution in the form of the Dock Pro 60 USB-C 4K Station with Game+ Mode.
IOGEAR Dock Pro 60 USB-C 4K Station with Game+ Mode
Manufacture: IOGEAR
Make/model: Dock Pro 60 USB-C 4K Station with Game+ Mode
Specs: weight- 0.16kg, L- 9.2cm, H- 1.2cm, D- 6.9cm, cord length- 51cm, 1 x USB-C 3.1, 1 x HDMI 1.4b up to 4K@30Hz resolution, 1 x USB-A 2.0, 1 x USB-A 3.0, 1 x USB-C power delivery
Contents: Dock Pro 60 USB-C 4K Station, quick start guide, USB-Type C power pass through cable
Warranty- 1 year limited warranty
Price- $79.95 on iogear.com
Third party docks for the Nintendo Switch were a god send for those who wanted to take their system and play with it on another TV away from home, be it a hotel, a friends house or even the down stairs TV. They were portable and most of all cheap and affordable. But, as I mentioned earlier, Nintendo sent out a firmware update last year (5.0 firmware update) that inadvertently caused consoles to brick when using third party docks. While it was speculated on faulty design on Nintendo’s part, there have been several users saying that they have been using third party docks for months, way before the firmware update was applied. This is all speculation, regardless this had put off many gamers from buying third party docks, not wanting to take a chance even with officially licensed third party docks and definitely not wanting to spend $80 on the official dock. Enter IOGEAR and the Dock Pro 60 USB-C 4K Station
This is the Dock Pro 60 USB-C 4K Station is a portable multi device docking station that, as explained on the packaging and website, “connects, charges, adds ports and expands viewing to a 4K Ultra HD display”. Say if you have a device that supports USB-C, such as a laptop, smartphone, or in this case the Nintendo Switch, and you want to connect to a larger screen, this will help you do that. It even has two USB-A ports in front to connect other accessories. Now unlike other Switch docks that have your directly connect to the dock, IOGEAR’s Dock Pro has you connect the Switch to the Dock Pro with the included USB-C double ended cable. Here’s what they look like connected to each other:
As you can see, the Switch isn’t directly docked into the Dock Pro, rather it is connected through the provided double ended USB-C cable as a pass through. That cable is what sends the video signal to the connected HDMI cable and and also draws power from the power adapter, which is also connected to the Dock Pro, which you can see here.
Do note that if you’re thinking of using a portable chargers, like the myCharge RAZORXTREME-PD portable charger for example, yea that won’t work. I tried it and it needs a constant direct power source. Now after everything is all connected and set up, here’s what it looks like:
And here it is in action:
While there was a bit of a hiccup waiting for it to boot up (that’s on me and the set up I used for the quick demo and not the Dock Pro itself), the Dock Pro works great. The monitor used is Emerson 720p HD LCD monitor from around 2011-2012 and even with an older HD TV, the video looks crisp and there is no lag in between button presses. The Dock Pro does output up to 4K at 30Hz, so if you have a new 4K you are good to go.
There are only two downsides to the Dock Pro. The first is that you don’t have some type of stand for the Switch, you’ll have to leave it laying down next to the Dock Pro. The other is the price. I know I said that the official Switch Docks are pretty pricey at $80, but the Dock Pro isn’t that far off in price either, coming in a $79.95.
If you happen to take your Switch everywhere and want to play on bigger screens, don’t want to lug around your home dock and are still distrustful of third party docks but want to buy a second dock for your home, the IOGEAR Dock Pro 60 USB-C 4K Station is a premium choice. It’s small which makes it very portable, doesn’t connect directly to your Switch so you won’t have to worry about it bricking and it has two ports if you want to plug in extra controllers. Pair it with a decent stand and you will have a great portable set up. $79.95 might be a steep price for families and casual gamers, but after spending time with it, it worth adding it into your portable gear set up.
