I Can’t Imagine Traveling Without This Tiny Nintendo Switch Dock

As portable as the Nintendo Switch is, its docking station, used to charge the console and connect it to a TV, isn’t. It might be handy for home use, but it’s a pain to travel with, so anyone hoping to hook up the Switch to a TV while on the road should definitely add the Genki Covert Mini docking station to their kit.

Some would say that the need to connect a Switch to a TV while traveling is unnecessary, because the console works great as a portable gaming machine on its own. That’s true, but it limits mobile gamers to only 720P resolutions on a 7-inch screen (on the more sophisticated OLED model). “To change”ing the whole point of the console’s dockable design: you can easily recreate a big-screen gaming experience anywhere, and it becomes even easier if you leave Nintendo’s docking hardware at home and bring the Genki Covert Dock Mini with you instead.

About as small and simple as a docking station can be

The Genki Covert Dock Mini is actually an update of the Human Things original Genki Covered Quaywho debuted as crowdfunded product in 2019. It was launched as a much smaller alternative to the Switch’s beefy docking station and power adapter. When we reviewed it a year laterwe were impressed with the device not only as a travel accessory, but also as a less expensive way to add docking stations to other TVs in your home, and we were happy that it didn’t. didn’t destroy our Switch, a problem that plagued some of the previous Switch dock alternatives.

The new Genki Covert Dock Mini is an attempt to make the Genki Covert Dock even smaller and cheaper, work with a few functional sacrifices, and the results are even more impressive than the original. The Covert Dock Mini is almost as small as the 5W chargers Apple used to ship with iPhones, but does so much more, even including a pair of folding prongs for the adapter to store more compactly. when not in use.

The Covert Dock Mini is designed to replace the Switch’s docking station/charging base as well as the included AC adapter that plugs into a wall, but while Nintendo includes all the cables you’ll need to power and connect the Switch to a TV, Human Things only includes a USB-C cable with the Covert Dock Mini – you’ll need to supply your own HDMI cable.

Using the Covert Dock Mini is as simple as it gets. You plug it into an available wall outlet, connect it to the Switch with a USB-C cable, then to a TV with an HDMI cable. The Switch does the rest, pumping out a 1080P signal to any HD display it’s connected to. But since the TV connects to the wall wart and not the console, it might not be a bad idea to travel with a longer HDMI cable, just if there are no free power sockets around your destination TV and you are forced to cover a greater distance.

Perfectly wearable but not entirely perfect

I wish I could say the Covert Dock Mini just shrinks all components inside the Original secret dock, but this is not the case. Human Things had to make some compromises to reduce the size of the new Mini version. the most unhappy is that the additional USB port of the original Covert Dock, which could be used to charge another device like the Switch Pro controller next to the console, is now gone. If you’re traveling with a wireless controller, it will either have to take turns with the Switch to charge from the Covert Dock Mini, or charge elsewhere.

The new Covert Dock Mini also only provides 20W of power instead of the 30W provided by the original Covert Dock and the 39W delivered by Nintendo power adapter bundles. It is certainly not a decisive factor, as it’s powerful enough to keep the Switch charged while playing games at 1080P, but this could limit charging speeds and usefulness if you intend to use the Covert Dock Mini to charge others as well devices.

And as bulky as Nintendo’s dock is, it securely holds the Switch when docked to a TV. Whereas using the Covert Dock Mini, you will have to leave your Switch placed elsewhere, so it’s also a good idea to pack a longer USB-C cable to make sure it’s perched somewhere safe and secure. The last thing you want is to accidentally step on your Switch in the middle of the night.

I was also appalled to find this because the power pins extend from the middle of the Covert Dock Mini. Ohen plugged into a power bar, this made the socket above unusable for other devices with a grounded outlet. In comparison, the position of the pins on the power adapter that came with the Switch meant that it covered a nearby outlet less. However, when the Cover Dock Mini was plugged directly into a wall outlet, this wasn’t an issue.

A must-have if you travel with your Switch

The Genki Covert Dock Mini didn’t replace the original version, and if you’re traveling with a Switch and Nintendo’s Pro Controller, you might actually be better off. spend $75 on the Genki Covert Dock, which offers an additional USB port for charging accessories. If you want an extra $25 in your pocket and are the type who prefers to travel with nothing more than a backpack, the Covert Dock Mini is nearly half the size of its predecessor while still allowing you to use your Switch for big screen gaming. .