Highlights
- Update 21.0.0 is causing several third-party Switch 2 docks to stop working completely.
- Many players used cheaper docks because the official Switch 2 dock is expensive at 124.99 dollars.
- The issue appears tied to the Switch 2 dock needing a higher 60W power supply, which many third-party docks cannot handle.
A lot of players buy extra docks because it is easier to move the console from one room to another. But the original Switch 2 dock set is pretty costly, and, frankly, not everybody wants to spend that much on it. Of course, people go for cheaper third-party options in order to save some money.
This week, right after the new system update, many players found out the hard way that their dock does not work anymore. I am explaining the whole thing as simply as possible.
System update breaks third-party Switch 2 docks and players are stuck
Update 21.0.0 Is causing problems
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Nintendo just put out the 21.0.0 system update for the original Switch and the Switch 2. Almost immediately thereafter, reports started pouring in that their third-party Switch 2 docks just stopped working.
I have seen many posts on Reddit and social forums whereby many players complained of the same thing.
One said his travel dock was perfectly working the previous night, and once he accepted the update prompt, the dock simply failed. Another user said his trusted dock became useless after the update.
Most of those docks still charge the console, but the main thing, which is showing the game on the TV-stopped working. For families using a second dock daily, this is a big headache.
Why is this happening?
Nintendo has not given an official explanation yet. But the most possible reason is power requirements. Switch 2 needs 60W of power, which is quite higher compared to the original Switch, which needed only 39W.
Image Credits: Nintendo
As it was already said by Nintendo, the Switch 2 dock is not a normal passthrough cable; it needs more power to push higher resolution output on bigger screens. So, it looks like the new update is checking those rules about power more strictly.
Most third-party docks probably fall short of the full 60W spec, or maybe the comms between the dock and the console are no longer good enough after the update. It could be for that reason they suddenly stopped.
Official dock issues
Some also reported that their official Switch 2 dock acted strange after the update. But a complete power off and restart of the console seems to fix it for official hardware. Sadly, that does not work for third-party docks at all, according to what users are reporting.
So, if you have some kind of non-official dock that died after the update, there is no working fix right now. Unless Nintendo releases another patch, it might stay broken.
Overall, at the end of the day, this shows the risk of using cheaper accessories. Most of the time they work fine, but when an update changes things, they can fail.
For now, anyone who depends on third-party Switch 2 docks might have to move back to the official one until something changes.
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