The Nintendo Switch is the perfect console for taking your games on the road, but if you want to connect it to a hotel TV for big screen gaming while travelling, you’ll need to make room for its clunky dock in your suitcase. It’s arguably the worst-designed part of the Switch, but third-party companies such as Nyko are finally fixing that.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2017/03/nintendo-switch-review-plays-zelda-great-doesnt-do-much-else/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/ny4nxlhfz82by5vjsqrn.jpg” title=”Nintendo Switch Review: Plays Zelda Great, Doesn’t Do Much Else” excerpt=”After a shipping snafu with Amazon, I spent the better part of a day trying to track a Nintendo Switch down. I experienced exactly what many hopeful Switch owners will experience. And now I’ve spent the last few days living the Switch life, playing the best it has to offer and I can say, unequivocally, that this system is not worth the hassle of tracking it down.”]
When the Switch first became available, many of us assumed we could use a small USB-C to HDMI adaptor to connect it to any TV. But none of them worked, as a result of additional electronics Nintendo has included inside the Switch’s dock. Boo. There’s also no indication that Nintendo plans to release a smaller version of its dock to improve the Switch’s portability, but Nyko will.
Available this spring in the US for $US45 ($60), Nyko’s Portable Docking Kit does almost everything Nintendo’s larger dock does, including charging the Switch via its USB-C port, and allowing it to be connected to a TV via HDMI. Australian pricing and availability has not yet been confirmed.
Nyko’s portable dock does appear to be missing the additional two USB ports that Nintendo’s dock has, which means you won’t be able to set up or charge the Switch’s Pro Controller with it while travelling. But that’s a minor trade-off that most Switch gamers will be happy to live with if it means they can finally leave their giant Nintendo dock at home.
[Nyko]