New Nintendo Switch 2 update seems to break some third-party docks
You might want to hold off updating your console
🤕 Nintendo’s latest Switch 2 update has reportedly broken the use of third-party docks with the console
🤕 The 21.0.0 update has seen users complain that their perfectly usable non-Nintendo docks won’t output a video signal anymore
💰 A new, first-party dock from Nintendo costs $125, which led users to look to third-party ones at a cheaper alternative for a secondary dock
👍 The update also made small quality-of-life changes, such as icons to denote a game as a physical or digital edition
Nintendo has rolled out a new update for its Switch 2, which has reportedly blocked users from using a non-Nintendo dock with the console.
According to Kotaku, some Switch 2 owners have reported that their third-party docks no longer work following the latest 21.0.0 update.
Concurring with Kotaku’s report, YouTuber Austin John Plays tested out some third-party dongles with the Switch 2, which no longer provided a video signal.
The video was subsequently shared on the r/NintendoSwitch Reddit, where several users noted similar issues.
One stated that their “2nd (3rd party) dock in our living room just stopped working as well right after today’s update”. They went as far as to try a full power cycle, which didn’t fix the issue.
“I finally got around to ordering a dock cable for travel, it arrived today,” wrote another user. “Plugged it in, happy it worked right out of the box. Launched a game, update alert, update, cable’s borked.”
Nintendo supplies a dock with the Switch 2, although many players seem to have invested in a second one if they want to use the console in a different room, or to take it while travelling.
As an official dock from Nintendo costs $125 after Nintendo’s recent price rises, it makes sense why a much cheaper, third-party one would be a sound investment.
The latest 21.0.0 update for Switch 2 also added a range of small quality of life changes, such as icons on the home menu to denote whether a game is a physical or digital version, plus an option to ‘cancel all’ downloads if there are multiple running.
Moreover, if a Switch 2 console bundle is ordered, Nintendo has added a button in the menu to Receive Software, which will display if the console is connected to the internet. The button links to the eShop, where you can download the additional software from the bundle.
Nintendo also made other handy changes, adding the ability to change between ‘Stable’ and ‘Low Latency’ audio modes if you have a Switch 2 Pro Controller connected, while also making it easier to adjust the screen size with improvements to the display.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.