Nintendo Has Quietly Blocked Third-Party Switch 2 Docks, Owners Say

Switch 2 owners study being incapable to reliably reconnect third-party console docks pursuing the merchandise of Nintendo's mentation 21.0.0 console update earlier this week.

Officially, Nintendo has made nary notation of immoderate alteration to the Switch 2's compatibility with third-party dock hardware, and there's thing referring to the determination successful the company's authoritative spot notes for the firmware update.

Now, there's disorder among fans implicit wherefore the third-party hardware they've bought has seemingly, and suddenly, been blocked from moving without warning. And there's besides fear, too, that Nintendo could artifact enactment for much third-party accessories without notice. IGN has contacted Nintendo for comment.

Kotaku has reported connected the galore threads connected reddit and societal media posts from fans complaining that 3rd third-party Switch 2 dock was present unreliable, oregon wholly broken. At slightest 1 shaper has already updated the firmware for their dock to combat backmost against Nintendo's move, though it's unclear if this volition beryllium imaginable for different third-party alternatives.

Some of these devices are created to supply other plan flexibility that Nintendo does not, specified arsenic squeezing the dock's hardware into a elemental cable, oregon making it into a smaller, folding unit. And galore are sold for acold cheaper than Nintendo's ain authoritative Switch 2 dock (which retails for $124.99).

"I yet got astir to ordering a dock cablegram for travel, it arrived today," wrote reddit idiosyncratic eschatonik, who bought an unofficial Switch 2 JEMDO 4k/60hz cablegram dock (which Amazon sells for astir $20). "Plugged it in, blessed it worked close retired of the box. Launched a game, update alert, update, cable's borked."

Nintendo has ne'er officially supported third-party Switch docks, but specified a determination — if deliberate — has erstwhile again sparked treatment among fans of what knobs and levers it is capable to propulsion erstwhile looking to unopen disconnected entree to things it whitethorn disapprove of.

Earlier this year, Nintendo was seen to beryllium deliberately bricking the consoles of players it detected arsenic having inserted the piracy-enabling MIG Switch device. While there's nary proposition that Nintendo volition bash akin present for simply utilizing a third-party dock, determination are calls erstwhile again for greater transparency from Nintendo — particularly connected the usage of elemental third-party alternatives.

Earlier this month, Nintendo raised its nett forecast for the twelvemonth aft announcing that Switch 2 had already sold an astonishing 10.36 cardinal units, up to September 30. It's a record-breaking magnitude that sees Switch 2 proceed its tally arsenic the fastest-selling console ever.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social