20x smaller than the original
The Genki: Covert Dock was already a stunning piece of portable kit that let you dock your Switch at a friend's house without having to lug around your bulky bit of plastic and your chunky AC adaptor around with you. We even said in our review back in 2020 that "The Genki Covert Dock is a top of the line product that will probably have you retiring your standard Switch dock and AC adapter for many reasons."
So, how on earth do you improve on that? Make it even smaller, of course. As part of the Genki: Waveform Earphones Kickstarter - which ends in three days - Human Things included a Cover Dock Mini as part of their stretch goals. But the smaller dock has proved so popular that the creators have decided to make it purchasable on its own!
The panda-coloured design matches the Switch OLED perfectly and comes with an HDMI output adaptor, which means you can connect multiple devices to your screen while also charging your Switch. And it's 20x smaller than the actual Switch dock, which is basically pocket-sized. Our only real complaint about the original dock was that it didn't have an LED indicator to let us know if everything was connecting okay, but Human Things has listened and has included this with the updated model. Hurrah!
Don't just take it from us, though - here are the details of the dock from a blog post on the earphone's Kickstarter page:
It's Mini. The original dock without its charging brick is 17.5*10.4*5.0cm = 910.0cm^3, with the charger being another 6.6 x 5.1 x 3.6cm = 121.2cm^3 (and that's not even considering the fact the prongs don't fold in. The Covert Dock Mini on the other hand is 3.3*4.2*3.4cm = 47.1cm^3. Sorry we're doing this all in metric, it's just easier to multiply out but that's (910.0 + 121.2) / 47.1 = 21.89x smaller!
It's 4K. We're happy to say now that the Covert Dock Mini supports 4K/30 output. This means you can get 4K gaming with it on a SteamDeck or Switch 2(?), but also means you can enjoy higher res movies if you're using it to output your laptop, tablet, or phone to a TV.
And some other stuff. There's a new LED indicator on top that lets you know when the device is just in charging mode or if its in dock mode. It comes with a 6ft/1.8m USB-C 3.1 cable (needed for charging and video output). And it has foldable prongs and can fast charge most phones and tablets with its 20W output (or slowly charge a laptop). Some of you may ask what's it lack that the original Covert Dock doesn't have? Well mainly there isn't a 5W USB-A accessory port and there isn't a global adapter pack - and that's really it!
You can pledge for just the plug for $49, or around £38. That's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a new Switch dock. Not only that, you'll be able to select whether you receive a US, UK, or EU region plug once the campaign for the earphones ends and surveys are sent out.
If you need a refresher on what we thought of the original dock and want to see it in action, the lovely Zion from our video team demonstrates just how good it is. And this new one looks to be even better.
Will you be pledging for a Genki: Covert Dock Mini? Drop us a comment to tell us what you think of it.
I have the original and it's incredible! Perfect for weekend trips
What is this? A Nintendo Switch dock for ants?
And yes, in the video lying the Switch down on it's back like that. PROOFS that Nintendo made THE RIGHT choice designing the dock. Because laying it down like that BLOCKS the air intake of the Switch witch WILL kill it / cause it to overheat.
Using the word dock is a bit of a stretch. Like I know what it does and I get it but using the word dock would imply that you could… dock it…
@sanderev The OLED runs very cool also in docked mode. I have had it in a closed cabinet running a demanding game for over 3 hours and it was only a little warm.
@Schizor88 The OLED will sometimes take a lot of air in and turn it's fans up high when you start using it after charging for a long time. So, when it's in a dock. Doing this to a Switch OLED would cause it to overheat easily.
@sanderev The switch vent is at the top and it has a fan that pushes the air out. There's no vent at the back only speakers on the original switch. Correct me if i'm wrong
even if the vents were on the bottom, as you suggest: a) thats a terrible place for vents b) they would be blocked in the dock too and c) they are just as much a part of the design as the dock, so if they made the dock "right" the first time thats more of a case of fixing a problem they made in the first place than good design.
in any case as someone pointed out, the vent is on the top (where it belongs) so what are you talking about?
I still won't use a third party dock though. I have two btw just won't use them. Only thing I will use is the official dock and a short USB-C female to male cable just to keep the Switch outside the dock while still plugged into the dock to prevent the dock scratching the Switch
What about just using the cable delivered with the Genki-Dock? It's L-Style (don't know the exact English word, you can see it in the video at 2:25) so you can use it with Switch OLED and the new stand Switch OLED has. This way Switch OLED gets more fresh air then in the original dock and it stands rock stable. (But with Switch OLED only, kickstand of old Switch doesn't work.) Even original Genki-Dock is a wonderful piece of hardware!
@sanderev no it won't. Stop being dramatic. I have the first release of this "plug" and it works great. The dock just doesn't fit on a normal home theater shelf, its too tall and then to take the switch out of the dock it needs to be double the height just to get the thing in there. This lets me hide the cables and simply lay the switch down. Its perfect.
@Codered44 I bought the original too… it wasn’t cheap and I could never get it working. Was about to say a comment in here about it but at least someone got it working.
The air intake vents are on the back near the bottom, so laying it flat will obstruct them
@-wc- The Switch dock also has some ventilation inside the dock which helps keep the back of the Switch cool. It's true that Switch doesn't have vents on the back, but the surface does help get rid of the heat.
So, keeping your Switch laying on its back is bad for thermals. Will it break your Switch? Probably not but I wouldn't recommend it if you have the option to use the regular dock.
"charging brick". Poor choice of words when many unofficial dock bricked switches.
@Stocksy Funny enough mine worked fine but my brother got one and his didn't work
@Veggies the Switch has vents in the back to take in air and the vent at the top blows it out. The speakers are on the front.
@ADV I see, just checked mine so I have a case that keeps all that open and adds height because of the grips so nothing obstructed when it's flat on it's back. I'm sure everyone has a case on their switch or am I in the minority?
@Codered44 I didn’t even complain still have it in a box somewhere. I figured it was a crowd funder scam thing. I might dig it out and see if I can get it working
I have the first iteration and it’s fine but it would get insanely hot so I stopped using it
I like these guys and their products but they always seem to be two months behind someone making a better version of what they do. Or in the case of their headphone toggle, Nintendo simply turning on Bluetooth functionality on the switch
I'm fine with third-party controllers but don't trust my Switch to a third-party dock. Especially with what folk are saying about ventilation above.
Unless they are license partner with Nintendo, I don't think any third party dock is safe for any Switch.
the sounds like the real story 👍
@-wc- @sanderev If the air intake is blocked , like Mr. sanderev pointed out, the fan and the air vent at the top become practically useless. I know this because that’s how unloader valves work on an air compressor. When the air compressor has met it’s pressure set point, the unloader valve will close and the air compressor will stop compressing air (eventhough the compressor is still running) Think of an air fan like a water pump. A water pump needs a supply of water or it will not pump water. Just like a fan needs a supply of air or it will not blow air.
PSA to all. Do not block the air intake on the back of the Switch!
I keep telling you people, I will not plug anything other than official Nintendo-produced cables and devices into my Switch according to their recommendations and guidelines. I bricked my initial launch unit pulling a stunt like that and I ain't taking that risk again.
Is the dock really to big just to put in a backpack. Like why would you need this.
I'd be interested to see if this works with the Steam Deck. The HDMI out dock options I've tried have all had horrible results
@Specter_of-the_OLED - The main issue seems to be the power of the AC adapter going into the Switch - i.e. most 3rd party docks come with their own power supply or people just use a random USB C charger lying around. The Switch needs whatever power the official Nintendo AC Adapter uses when it's docked.
I.E. I have a Skull & Co Jumpgate dock (unfortunately it only supports the original Switch. The OLED Switch can only output at 480p due to some HDMI connection changes made on the system). It's worked flawlessly with my old Switch when I connect it using an official Nintendo AC Adapter.
If the HDMI doesn't work, it won't brick your Switch - It's more about the power that it receives that could brick it.
@-wc- @Veggies Well the vent inlets are at the back they are not speakers. Plus they are not blocked by the dock as the dock as it has a fairly obvious slot that aligned with the inlets.
As for the speakers, the slots in front are the speakers.
@Jacoby @Kawaiipikachu yeah upon inspection, i see now where the intakes are
i still suspect this is a non issue, IF you leave the joycons attached and it holds the body at a slight angle. ordinarily there would be some kind of nubs, or stand-offs, built into the case to keep the holes from laying flush with a surface
lets just all agree that the switch is not nintendos most well thought out design.
@-wc- Yes I agree with you, Switch is not the best design. You are right about it being a non issue too. Even if it was lying flat it would most likely still suck in enough air. I was just trying to explain the theory of air fans.
Never use off-brand docks or power adapters for your Switch... never.
If you must, use the Basstop Portable Dock Replacement Case
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