Unboxing & Review: Budget-Friendly Nyko Portable Docking Kit for the Nintendo Switch

In this video we unbox and review the Nyko Portable Dock designed for the Nintendo Switch and available for nearly half the cost of the standard dock available from Nintendo.

The Nintendo Switch has pretty much taken the gaming world by storm, even more so than the Wii. Being able to play console-quality games on the go with 720P graphics and solid controls has really hit a cord. One downside to this is when you do want to dock it and play on the TV you have to have a dedicated dock. That normally meant shelling out $90 for the official Nintendo dock. Well popular accessory manufacturer Nyko announced a portable dock that promised to do everything the stock dock did, minus potentially scratching your display, and do it for only $49.99. Too good to be true? No, not really!

From the box the Nyko Portable Switch Dock is really well put together in-terms of packaging and included accessories. Nyko could have omitted both an AC power cable and HDMI cord to keep their costs down and margins up but both are thankfully included. They could have gone with a Micro USB connector, again to keep costs down and margins up but instead they included a robust power brick with USB-C connector. For $50 you're getting quite a lot.

Setup is super easy; simply slide the backstop out from the storage slot in the bottom of the dock and lock it into place on the top of the unit. Connect the power and HDMI and you're ready to play with portable power on the big screen in no-time.

During game play the system felt exactly the same as if I had been using the official dock from Nintendo. There wasn't any noticeable lag, latency or graphic reduction by using this 3rd party accessory. As weird as it may sound it was a bit awkward getting the Switch lined up in the dock since there it no-longer is aligned by itself like on the stock Nintendo unit. It just took a little extra eyeballing and I had it connected.

Please note that the reason why the game play for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is smaller compared to Double Dragon 4 and Sonic Mania is due to a copyright claim against my original upload which had Mario Kart in the large portion of the video. This was my work-around solution to that issue.

After testing I cannot endorse the Nyko Portable Dock for the Nintendo Switch highly enough. It works as designed for nearly 1/2 the cost of the OEM Nintendo dock. It has all the ports, all the capabilities, all the video quality for only 50-bucks. This has found a permanent home in my collection due to the fact it makes it so easy to play my Switch in a second room now. If you're looking for a second dock for your Nintendo Switch and don't want to shell out $89.99 the Nyko Dock will do what you need and save you money doing it.


Support RoXolid Productions for as low as a dollar a month through our Patreon page, https://www.patreon.com/RoXolid.

Questions? Comments? Email us at RoXolidMail@Gmail.com!

Follow Us on Twitter @RoXolidStudios

Give us a Like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RoXolidProductions/

Should You Buy a Nintendo Switch Hybrid Portable Home Console - 6-Months Later - A RoXolid Review

In this video we look at how the Nintendo Switch has fared 6-months after it launched.

The Nintendo Switch really has helped redefine Nintendo as a hardware manufacturer. Games, games have always been their strong suit but hardware, well they've had some recent misses. The Wii U, while a system I own and loved, never found the success of its predecessor. But Nintendo has found lightning in a bottle with systems such as the Wii, 3DS and other systems as well. The Nintendo Switch really is something different, but as the Wii U and Virtual Boy both proved, different doesn't always mean better.

The Nintendo Switch can be best defined as a hybrid console, able to connect to your home TV via a dock and be played like a traditional home console but also undocked and played on the go like the 3DS. The hardware was developed between both Nintendo and nVidia, makers of the powerful nVidia Shield tablet and Shield TV. The system is capable of displaying visuals in 720P in handheld mode and 1080P when docked. For media the Switch uses both digitally downloaded content and physical cartridges, similar to the 3DS here too. The controllers, or Joy Cons as they are called, connect to the side of the main Switch Console itself or can be detached and used as separate controllers or slid into the Joy Con Grip to use as a more traditional controller.

The Nintendo Switch didn't come out of the gate with a ton of games back in March but what it did launch with was Zelda - Breath of the Wild. Many have called this a masterpiece while, personally, I think it is highly over-rated. As time went on there was a bit of a drought for quality games. We got a re-release of Super Mario Kart 8 with all the DLC already available, a version of Tetris and a sequel to a great new IP from the Wii U in Splatoon 2. The lineup is getting stronger, 3rd party developers are jumping on board and independent developers have truly found a home on the Switch. While an ok lineup I have to say 6-months in there's still not a ton there that is compelling. That should change soon with the release of Super Mario Odyssey.

A big strike against the Switch currently is the complete lack of any sort of Virtual Console what-so-ever. I mean even the Wii had downloadable NES games shortly after launch and the Switch still doesn't? That's grade-A ball-droppage right there. The expense of accessories is another major bummer as extra Joy Cons, the Pro Controller and extra docks are all stupid expensive. Think about this, at $90 Nintendo is saying nearly 1/3rd of the cost of the Switch is tied to the dock! That's craziness!

The Swich is full of potential right now, but isn't that what we've been saying about many Nintendo hardware releases for years? I like the ability to have console-quality gaming on the go but generally when I am on the go I'm the one driving. I rarely play in handheld mode but when I do it's a good experience. The controls work well, they're comfortable and intuitive. There are pieces missing from the Switch that I hope Nintendo fixes soon but until then there's the SNES Classic that I'll be enjoying soon too.

Why it RoX:

- It's a portable system you can play on your TV

- Nintendo first-party titles are always top notch

- Ports of Wii U games for better exposure/controls to a new audience

- Amiibo support

- Pro controller is great

What could be improved:

- A cool system needs cool games and the library is very limited currently

- No 4K option at this time

- Accessories are way over-priced

- No Virtual Console

- Online chat...via phone app? Seems like an afterthought

- While critically heralded I was not a fan of Zelda: BotW

- Small on-board storage

Support RoXolid Productions for as low as a dollar a month through our Patreon page, https://www.patreon.com/RoXolid.

Questions? Comments? Email us at RoXolidMail@Gmail.com!

Follow Us on Twitter @RoXolidStudios

Give us a Like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RoXolidProductions/

Should You Buy a Nyko Charge Dock Pro for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller? A RoXolid Review

In this video we unbox and review the Nyko Charge Dock Pro designed for the NIntendo Switch Pro Controller.

Keeping your gaming accessories charged and organized can be a significant challenge, especially with first and third party add-ons. Nyko has a history of making outstanding optional accessories for Microsoft XBox, Sony Playstation and Nintendo consoles. Their latest accessory is designed to make it easier to charge up the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller thanks to their Charge Dock Pro.

At $20 this ambiguous hunk of plastic includes the dock itself, a four foot long micro USB-equipped cord for power, a 1A/5v power brick and a small clip-on dongle that attaches to the Pro Controller itself and connects it to the dock. It is simple but effective in its design.

From the box setup took seconds. It would have taken less time if I wouldn't have had the USB plug upside down when trying to plug into my Switch dock but that's all on me. Once connected the dongle has a small LED which lights up to indicate power is being provided. And when I say SMALL LED I mean VERY SMALL. Like almost impossible to see in any real light. But once connected the Charge Dock Pro does a nice job of charging the Switch Pro Controller, even if it does charge a little slower than if connected via USB-C, but that's the nature of the beast.

For 20-bucks the Nyko Charge Dock Pro does a nice job and is totally worth it if you want to clean up your game shelf. I'm glad I spent the money and I think you will be too.

Why it RoX!
- Inexpensive way to organize your Switch Gear
- Does a good job of charging the Pro Controller
- The Dongle doesn't affect usage at all and can always be left on
- Can be powered via the Switch dock itself
- You can link multiple Charge Dock Pros together if needed
- Did I mention it is ONLY 20-Bucks?

What could be improved?
- Micro USB is cheap to produce but slower to charge than USB-C
- The LED is too small and too dim to see in most lighting conditions
- Only charges one Nintendo Pro Controller at a time

Support RoXolid Productions for as low as a dollar a month through our Patreon page, https://www.patreon.com/RoXolid.

Questions? Comments? Email us at RoXolidMail@Gmail.com!

Follow Us on Twitter @RoXolidStudios

Give us a Like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RoXolidProductions/