The BEST Steam Deck Dock...
That you can also use with the Nintendo Switch interchangeably!
If you are anything like me (and you have a Steam Deck as well as a Nintendo Switch) you may have been searching the web for a dock that can be shared between the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch. After the fiasco that was the Nyko Switch Dock (which bricked a few Nintendo Switch units back in the day), I wanted to make sure I was getting a dock that was safe for use with both the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck.
When you search for docks that are compatible with the Nintendo Switch AND THE Steam Deck mostly you’ll get extremely generic USB-C to HDMI hubs, which I personally don’t really trust.
For those that don’t know, the Steam Deck uses a pretty universal USB-C to HDMI output protocol for playing on the big screen, whereas the Nintendo Switch uses USB-C, but it is anything but a standard protocol.
The Steam Deck is USB-C PD Compliant, and the included charger is a 45W Charger. The Nintendo Switch uses a non-standard USB-C charging specification and therefore its a little dicey using third party chargers and docks.
Due to this issue, it is extremely difficult to find a dock that will universally work with the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch. Luckily, through the use of the Steam Deck Subreddit, I stumbled upon a Dock where the manufacturer had confirmed their dock was compatible with both the Nintendo Switch (what it was originally designed for) and the Steam Deck (after they tested it for compliance).
The Dock in question is the Genki Covert Dock:
The Dock is equipped with One USB-A Port, One HDMI Port, One USB-C Port, as well as foldable prongs for the wall plug side. The Covert Dock includes the Dock, a USB-C 3.1 Cable (1.8m) as well as the Global Travel Adapters.
The dimensions of the Dock are 2.36” x 1.73” x 1.3” (60mm x 44mm x 33mm), with a total weight of 3.5oz (100g). The Power Output of the Dock is limited to 30W at 5V / 9V / 15V. The Output Resolution is limited to 1080p 60hz. It supports USB 3.1 and HDMI 1.4. The internal chip is made with Gallium Nitride, which is what they claim allowed them to make the Dock 10x smaller than the official Nintendo Switch Dock.
I opted to go with the Genki Covert Dock Field Kit:
This came with the “Covert Dock Global” package, an additional portable stand (which was actually really great quality and support the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch easily), and a Genki Branded HDMI Cable.
Other than being able to used by both the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck, one of the main advantages of this dock is the USB-A port, which allows for a variety of use-cases like plugging in a wired controller or connecting removable storage (although I was not able to make that work).
I tested a bunch of wired controllers with the Steam Deck and a lot of them worked with no hassle whatsoever. I tested most of those same controllers with the Switch, and almost none of them worked, but I expected that.
Here is a list of the wired controllers I tested and my own results:
Steam Controller:
Steam Deck ✔️ Nintendo Switch ❌
Xbox 360 Wired Controller:
Steam Deck ✔️ Nintendo Switch ❌
Xbox One Wired Controller:
Steam Deck ✔️ Nintendo Switch ❌
Hyperkin Duke Controller:
Steam Deck ✔️ Nintendo Switch ❌
DualShock 3:
Steam Deck ✔️ Nintendo Switch ❌
DualShock 4:
Steam Deck ✔️ Nintendo Switch ❌
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller:
Steam Deck ✔️ Nintendo Switch ✔️
Wii U Pro Controller:
Steam Deck ❌ Nintendo Switch ❌
Official GameCube Controller Hub:
Steam Deck ❌ Nintendo Switch ✔️
Keep in mind, anything that you can connect wirelessly to either device will still work just fine, I was simply testing the added functionality that the Genki Covert Dock provided with the additional USB-A Port.
Honestly the biggest complaints I can see with the the Genki Covert Dock is that it ONLY has ONE USB-A Port for connecting accessories, it does not have any ability to connect your device to an ethernet connection, its maximum resolution is 1080p 60hz (if you are looking for 4K output, you will need to look elsewhere), and it will barely charge the Steam Deck while you are playing it (gives a slow charger warning when it is plugged in).
Overall the Genki Covert Dock is great for travelers with a Nintendo Switch and a Steam Deck, or even people who just want the ability to use one dock amongst multiple devices. It is also nice that the company has directly stated compatibility with the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck, which gives peace of mind for people looking to purchase this device.
“One dock to rule them all, one dock to play them
One dock to bring them all, and on their travels save them.”
- JRR Tolkien (probably)
The above quote is made up.
-Chris, from The CHRILLCAST