Nintendo Limits Compatibility for Switch 2’s USB-C Port: Most Third-Party Docks and Accessories Affected

Oh man, so the Nintendo Switch 2 is out, huh? Like, what even is going on with all these tech upgrades? It’s like they threw in a bigger, fancier screen, right? The resolution is all shiny with a 120 Hz refresh rate. I mean, do I need that? Maybe, maybe not. But those Joy-Cons—they got bigger and now stick on magnetically. I wonder if that’s better or if I’m just gonna lose ’em faster. Who knows.

Anyway, the graphics are supposedly improved and there are these fresh social features. Fun, right? But—but—and it’s a big but here—Nintendo’s playing it real cautious with that USB-C port. They’ve decided to put a stop to any old random accessory fitting with it. Could be just me, but feels like they’re trying to keep things too much in the family, if you get what I mean.

So, get this: they’ve got some new encryption stuff going on. Talked to a couple of accessory folks, and they’re saying Nintendo’s not making it easy for docks and hubs from other brands to fit the bill. Some buzz about an encryption chip they’re using, sounds kinda like a spy thriller, right? It’s like, earlier, there was this piece on GamesRadar about power requirements—20 volts or something—stopping brands like Jsaux from making docks. But turns out, it’s more about the USB-C fiddling around with power and video.

And then there’s Sean Hollister, right? The Verge guy, and he went deep-diving on this. Apparently, when you plug in a dock or hub, some secret handshake of signals goes on—not that different from a secret club code? The official Switch 2 Dock and the console chat it up in some proprietary code before the video out even starts. Who’d have thought?

Oh, and then there’s this one dock—the Antank S3 Max. I swear, this thing’s like the exception to the rule. Somehow, it’s chatting just right with the Switch 2. Only $36 on Amazon, but they say you need the official power brick from Nintendo. So typical, right? But hey, when they tested it, there were some quirks—nothing major, but not quite on the money with power delivery.

Future-proof? I mean, maybe, maybe not. Nintendo might lock it down even more with updates. Antank knows this could happen. They’re like, “Yeah, anything could change, but hey, we got updates too!” Sounds decent, but not entirely foolproof, if you ask me.

Anyway—yeah, follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News if you’re keen to keep up with the latest gadget gossip. But don’t take my word for it, dig around and see what’s buzzing.