Since Nintendo’s recent release of a system update for the Switch 2, users of the console have been reporting that they have been facing issues in connecting it with a third-party dock. As caught by Kotaku, several Switch 2 users have taken to online forums like Reddit and GameFAQs to discuss these newfound issues with their third-party docks.
“A friend bought a cheap dock for his Switch 2 that stopped working after the latest update,” wrote one user on the Nintendo Switch subreddit. “The new update doesn’t update the official Switch 2 dock, so I don’t think Nintendo intentionally changed the protocol because the official dock would have updated.”
“Can confirm my 2nd (3rd party) dock in our living room just stopped working as well right after today’s update,” posted another Reddit user. “A full power cycle did not fix it for me.”
Reports of third-party docks have been further corroborated by YouTuber AustinJohnPlays, who posted a video testing out different third-party Nintendo Switch 2 dock dongles. In the video, which you can check out below, the YouTuber noted that the docks failed to work properly after the console was updated to its latest firmware. Nintendo itself is yet to make any comment on the matter.
Interestingly, much like the original Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 also uses a more restrictive form of the USB-C port than would be standard. For the original Switch, this had led to similar issues with third-party docks, and with the Switch 2, it looks like history is repeating itself.
It is worth noting that the system update released by Nintendo for the Switch 2 did not make any mention of breaking compatibility with third-party docks in its patch notes. Rather, the update revolved more around UI refinements, bug fixes and stability improvements.
The update brought with it new quality-of-life features, like ensuring that a game doesn’t automatically go into sleep mode while you’re using GameChat for online communications. There are also other new features for GameChat, like giving players the ability to disable the Chat Audio Panning feature. You can check out more details about the update in our coverage.
However, Nintendo is known for being quite restrictive when it comes to you its devices. While the company has co-operated with third-party accessory makers in the past to license out its technology in order to develop things like docks and controllers that would be officially supported, it has also been swift in shutting down support of unofficial accessories.
While third-party accessories might be facing some problems, the Nintendo Switch 2 has continued to be an incredibly popular console. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently revealed that the Switch 2 is selling faster than any other platform in the company’s history. He revealed that 84 percent of Switch 2 owners had transitioned over from the original Switch.
“This high percentage shows that many consumers who enjoyed Nintendo Switch are smoothly transitioning to Nintendo Switch 2, allowing us to maintain our relationships with them across platform generations.” said Furukawa.
For more details about the Nintendo Switch 2, check out our review.
