Videogame accessories are very loud. I am typing this on a gaming keyboard that’s backlit. Backlit keyboards are great, but this one is backlit with 3 options: red, blue or purple. White isn’t an option. This makes me sad. I have a very basic Logitech M100 mouse. Not because its the best, but because it does what I need it to and its unassuming. I wish my keyboard was the same way. I have always wished my Nintendo Switch Dock was the same way. When the Switch isn’t docked it just sits there, and personally I’ve never been a fan of the space it takes up on the shelf. Sounds like a small gripe, but if you’re own shelf space is limited, you may have similar thoughts. Its very cool from a “Look at my Nintendo Switch!” perspective, but not really from a “blend in with the rest of the shelf” perspective.
I remember looking into a replacement dock back when I got my Switch, but only ever heard horror stories about performance and overheating. Whenever a new piece of hardware releases, a plethora of peripherals follow in tow promising to fix all the nagging concerns its user base voices.
I had never been particularly pleased with the Dock substitutes I have found. Something about the design or the reputation always kept me away. That’s when I discovered this nifty little Dock from GuliKit. I ran into them at E3, never hearing of the company. What I found was some real forward facing design in their accessories, something I have always found to be an uncommon trait from accessory or peripheral makers.
The GuliKit Dock for Switch really has impressed since receiving it a little over 3 weeks ago. 3 weeks seemed like a fair amount of time to send this thing through the rounds, and from what I’ve experienced, it performs great and looks beautiful also.
Opening the box, I was greeted not with cardboard and foam, but with a very pleasant black box, almost like a jewelry box. It gave the impression that I was about to experience a product made with care. Opening the box, I found the Dock as well as a short USB-C to USB charging cable. I do wish it was a bit longer, but for an extra cable its not bad. This does not come with a power adapter, but it does support the official Nintendo Switch adapter. In a prior year this would be a big issue for me, but I have accumulated so many wires at this point its nice to not have another one around. Of course, it means you will need to have an additional power adapter if you wish to set it up in another room. Its worth mentioning depending on your view,
The Dock itself is really well designed. Its very small, not much taller than the Switch itself. It has a USB-C in for the power adapter, an HDMI out, and USB out for charging controllers. There is small button to switch between docked and TV mode if you wish to not have it connected to a TV. The real nifty feature for me was the magnetic cover that hides where the Switch clicks in. Its easily removable, can be shifted on top of the dock to support the Switch, and when the Switch is out makes the GuliKit Dock for Switch look just like any other unassuming black cube. Could be an Apple TV, could be a Qi charger, could be some kind of receiver. It’s unassuming and I love it. The Dock also includes some air vents just behind where the Switch is cradled. My Switch hasn’t felt hot after use. Seems to work great.
The GuliKit Dock for Switch is a great piece of equipment. It accomplishes all it sets out to do and it looks better than any dock I’ve seen. It docks the Switch, it can dock your phone if it has USB-C, and its pleasing to look at. It supports not only 1080p, but 2K and 4K as well if you wish to run another device through the dock. If portability with the official Nintendo Switch Dock is irritating to you like it is to me, this solves it. I like it so much, it might just replace the Nintendo Switch Dock for me. Now, thats a good dock.
You can find a complete specs list here. You can pick one up here and it retails for around $30.
My official dock took a shit and died not 3 months after I bought it, the HDMI port just doesn’t transmit, I was looking at a replacement (because the disty in MX does NOT support the warranty, but that’s a rant for another time), the official nintendo replacement cost more than $100, which is crazy for a simple ac adapter / HDMI transmitter, after searching online for 3rd party docks, I found this review, bought the Gulikit dock, and it work amazingly, good thing too, because I had just bought TLOZ: BOTW, and I know I need my big ass TV to play that!