How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2’s USB-C port and broke third-party docking
How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2’s USB-C port and broke third-party docking
most of the things i've read about this thing has been just more and more typical corpo user-hostile practices. if i ever had more than a passing interest in buying one, it would have been gone by now
PCMR FTW
Just by literally any of the other handheld PCS and just stick an emulator on it if you're that interested in playing the games. The only reason to buy a Switch 2 is for convenience.
It's complicated, and increasingly so as Nintendo succeeds in intimidating more and more projects into shutting down.
The USB consortium should sue Nintendo to force them to take the USB connector off the switch 2 then.
It ain’t universal if you block it. From working with anything but your devices, and yet you advertise it that way.
If I remember from my USB product design days, as long as they don't include any of the official markings on the product or packaging, they're in the clear.
I've never been so unhyped for a new games console in my life.
my hype for Ryujinx 2 intensifies tho
Can't read without a subscription.
I selected all and copy/paste before it popped up with the subscribe. It's not perfect and I didn't do any editing, but it's readable.
Edit: now that I read it, I guess it's not all there but TLDR there is encryption between the dock and console that prevents 3rd party docks.
How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2’s USB-C port and broke third-party docking
We whipped out a USB-C PD analyzer to test how Nintendo walled its garden this time around. by Sean Hollister Jul 2, 2025, 3:47 PM EDT
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If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Nintendo Switch 2 Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Sean Hollister Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
There’s always a reason why universal USB-C ports don’t “just work” like you’d expect. In the early days, it was incompetence or naiveté. Later, manufacturers often cheaped out. But in the case of Nintendo’s Switch 2, it appears to be intentional.
With the Nintendo Switch 2, it should be easy to plug your new, more expensive console into video glasses or TVs when you’re traveling away from home. USB-C makes it so. But Nintendo has intentionally broken the Switch 2’s compatibility with those devices, using a new encryption scheme and some form of dedicated encryption chip, two accessory manufacturers tell The Verge.
I haven’t yet found proof of that encryption chip myself — but when I analyzed the USB-C PD traffic with a Power-Z tester, I could clearly see the new Nintendo Switch not behaving like a good USB citizen should. A third-party Switch dock, plugged into a USB-C PD tester, about to be plugged into the Switch 2. Please forgive the terrible photo. A third-party Switch dock, plugged into a USB-C PD tester, about to be plugged into the Switch 2. Please forgive the terrible photo. Photo: Sean Hollister / The Verge
If you’ve been wondering why there are basically no portable Switch 2 docks on the market, this is the reason. Even Jsaux, the company that built its reputation by beating the Steam Deck dock to market, tells us it’s paused its plans to build a Switch 2 dock because of Nintendo’s actions. It’s not simply because the Switch 2 now requires more voltage, as was previously reported; it’s that Nintendo has made things even more difficult this generation. How docking works
That “U” in USB isn’t always “universal,” but this is generally true: if you plug any USB-C to HDMI adapter, dock, or hub into a USB-C laptop, tablet or handheld that supports USB-C video output, you can expect to see your screen automatically appear on your TV.
The magic is normally possible because of a simple, standardized set of instructions that any manufacturer can follow to make their docking station or hub “talk” to the computer. Subscribe to The Verge to continue reading. More in this stream See all We confirmed Nintendo’s Switch 2 TV dock supports VRR — so why doesn’t it work with Switch 2? Sean HollisterJul 3 12 Can you spot an authentication chip in the Nintendo Switch 2’s dock? Sean HollisterJul 2 9 Obsbot will update its Tiny and Meet webcams for Nintendo Switch 2. Sean HollisterJul 2 More in Report We confirmed Nintendo’s Switch 2 TV dock supports VRR — so why doesn’t it work with Switch 2? We confirmed Nintendo’s Switch 2 TV dock supports VRR — so why doesn’t it work with Switch 2? Sean HollisterJul 3 12 Meet Soham Parekh, the engineer burning through tech by working at three to four startups simultaneously Meet Soham Parekh, the engineer burning through tech by working at three to four startups simultaneously Emma RothJul 3 20 Can the music industry make AI the next Napster? Can the music industry make AI the next Napster? Elizabeth LopattoJul 1 15 ‘We are the media now’ ‘We are the media now’ Mack DeGeurinJun 29 101 Reddit turns 20, and it’s going big on AI Reddit turns 20, and it’s going big on AI Jay PetersJun 28 24 The Nintendo Switch 2 webcam compatibility mystery is solved and updates are on the way The Nintendo Switch 2 webcam compatibility mystery is solved and updates are on the way Sean HollisterJun 26 14 Top Stories An hour ago The American system of democracy has crashed Two hours ago This is not a tattoo robot 2:37 AM EDT The Loop Micro is my new favorite bicycle phone mount Jul 3 Deerhoof did not want its music ‘funding AI battle tech’ — so it ditched Spotify Jul 3 Meet Soham Parekh, the engineer burning through tech by working at three to four startups simultaneously Jul 3 A guide to the best sci-fi streaming this summer
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I know it doesn't matter, but after all I've read about Nintendo and the Switch 2 in the last year?
Fuck 'em. I'm going to get a Steam Deck or a Lenovo handheld, and I'll just enjoy the Nintendo products I already have. I'm not spending a small fortune on a console that they can brick remotely, or force me to buy a $50 proprietary charger for, or a "virtual game cartridge".
Fuck all of that bullshit.
That's rich, from a company that stops making or never makes enough its first-party accessories. Ask anyone interested in getting an Ethernet adapter for Switch, or a first-party Gamecube adapter more than like 8 months after those products launched. Get on Amazon and try to buy an official Switch dock from Nintendo; there is no official outlet for them there, so you're either buying pre-owned, or a lookalike knockoff, or an explicit knockoff, or something that MIGHT be real but it's from a weird seller, at a suspiciously low price, with some random text in the item name. Christ, get on Gamestop's website! They only have refurbs and pre-owned ones. It's been like this for as long as I can remember. Nintendo cannot be trusted to make their own shit and trying to stop third parties from doing what they won't is peak anti-consumer behavior. A classic Nintendo Move™.
ask anyone interesting in getting an Ethernet adaptor for switch
Then they had the balls to brag about having a real Ethernet port on the OLED’s dock as if it was some massive innovation and not something standard for the prior ~20 years.
When you pay engineers to make a product worse
I was so fucking hyped for this thing. I've been waiting nearly a decade for MP4. But then its just the usual enshittification..So sad
How is this not illegal in the EU?
How would it be? Unfortunately there are still a lot of consumer hostile practices going on that are completely legal in the EU. I‘m no expert of course so I‘m curious what EU law would regulate this exact practice.
EU made iPhone have proper USB C port, instead of proprietary stuff
It can probably do something about this too. I think USB C rule was only for phones so may not directly apply to Switch, but they can make Nintendo fix it.
I bought a Switch last November and couldn't believe the bullshit Nintendo is pulling. $60 for almost 10 year old games, horrible network adapter on the switch, no voice chat except through a stupid app and it's not even available in most games. Add to that that the fact that I hate Nintendo's policies and attitudes towards modding and emulation and consumer protection and I'm never buying another Nintendo console. I'll go with the Steam Deck and I'll be selling my Switch in the next couple weeks. Nintendo is an anti-consumer aggressively capitalistic corporation in my opinion.
Between their stealing YouTube money from people giving them free advertising and never reducing the price of decades old games, if they make them available at all, and their shitty online experience, I'm amazed Nintendo has any market goodwill left, but reality never ceases to amaze me. Nostalgia is a powerful beast.
I understand they make some of the most fun games ever, but their legal department cancels that out by an order of magnitude.
Pretty much the only major player that still focused on local multiplayer which is very valuable to me...
I'm honestly sorry for any fan of nintendo, this is getting worse day by day.
Saw a guy get a Switch 2 bricked and at the end of the video he was talking about getting another one 🤦
Can't read the article because of the paywall. But, why does my viture mobile pro dock work if switch 2 docking is broken for 3rd party solutions?
Will always be PC gamer forevea
Serious question, were any of you using third-party docks on Switch 1? Is this really something that's a big deal to you guys?
Yes. I have a small usb-c docking station for the switch, that I use for hooking it up to the TV of hotels or holiday homes.
This, I believe, is the biggest use case that I have come across.
I don't think the third-party dock market for general consumers is too big. But of course, any example I quote would be anecdotal as I dont have any actual stats.
I have an USB hub with a Type C to HDMI output. I switch with my laptop, Steam Deck, and Switch 1.
Additionally, when I'm traveling, I prefer to take the small USB hub over the chunky switch dock.
My biggest gripe is how petty it is to disallow it. That's like HP levels of petty... Actually, they're really starting to adopt a lot of shitty HP policies.
Yes. I have two of them.
It also breaks other stuff like being able to output video to portable video glasses. A relatively niche use now, but something that will pick up considerably over the life of the console.
Having a floating 4k screen that you can put anywhere at any size is pretty nice. Don't have to look down at your hands or hold the system up to a comfortable eye line.
I do hope that at some point they open it up a bit more. And maybe only exclude stuff that would damage the system, which is ostensibly the -given- reason for locking it down. While of course, the real reason is likely a licensing opportunity.
I do still buy their stuff. But it has been more and more often lately that I buy it and then feel ok about emulating it to add in stuff like 4k 120 fps or VR/stereoscopic or whatever.
The switch 2 has already become the best selling console of all time. Capitalism always wins no matter how anti consumer a company behaves.
It's not the best selling console of all time. It had one of the best launches, but the PS2, DS and OG switch sold 160, 154 and 152 million. Switch 2 only has 5 million so far.
Also, never underestimate the stupidity of the masses.
If I'd play capitalism-bullshit Bingo with any company in the world, it would be extremely boring, because I'd win instantly, all the time.