Nintendo released a new Switch 2 firmware update on Tuesday that came with a few, but not significant, changes to the portable console. It appears, however, this update might have bricked some third-party docks for the console in the process.
Switch 2 owners on social media say their third-party docks are no longer working with their systems after downloading firmware update 21.0.0, as first reported by Kotaku on Thursday. It’s unclear what in the firmware may have caused the issue, but it does appear that it primarily affects dock dongles, which plug directly into the Switch instead of the typical cradle-style docks that require the console to be placed in them.
Nintendo says it doesn’t have any intention to hinder or invalidate third-party docks.
«Nintendo Switch 2 outputs audio/visuals once it detects that it is docked into a Nintendo Switch 2 Dock. Nintendo Switch does the same, outputting audio/visuals once it detects that it is docked into a Nintendo Switch Dock,» the company said in an emailed statement to CNET.
What third-party Switch 2 docks are affected?
As of now, the only docks that appear to have issues are the third-party dongle docks. Standard docks and the official dock from Nintendo are fine.
Can these Switch 2 dock dongles be fixed?
It’s unclear if another Switch firmware update can address the problem. It’s also unlikely that the manufacturers of these docks will be able to provide a firmware update to address any problems.
This is not the first time third-party docks have had compatibility issues with a Switch console. In 2018, Nintendo released the 5.0.0 update for the original Switch, which not only caused some docks to stop working, it also led to consoles using those docks having problems. A 2019 report from Wired found that some third-party docks tried to emulate the same quick connections to the USB-C port on the Switch like with the official Nintendo dock. If the hardware has a slight manufacturing defect where the connections weren’t firmly connected, it could cause the USB-C power port on the Switch to fail.
Nintendo does advise Switch owners to use official Nintendo products for the system.
What else changed in the Switch 2 firmware update 21.0.0?
The latest Switch 2 firmware update went live on Tuesday and made a series of quality-of-life changes to the Switch 2, such as changing certain text in the settings around to provide a better description of their functions; adding an option to cancel multiple software downloads at once; and adding icons on software to indicate whether it’s a physical or a digital version. This last change refers to the Game-Key Card feature for certain Switch 2 games that do not have the entire game on the cartridge and require downloading the game files.