Nintendo Switch 2 Update Breaks Third-Party Dock Support

The Nintendo Switch 2 was just launched this year, and there have been a ton of adopters for this console. It’s just like the original Nintendo Switch, as well, in that you can take it on the go or dock it for use on your TV. However, Nintendo Switch 2 docks are not cheap, and there are more than a few of you who likely picked up a non-official dock to make things a bit more budget-friendly.

There are a few notable docks out there that worked fine. Players had no issues before the latest update. Likewise, if you have multiple TVs or travel frequently, having a spare dock that can be used to enjoy your Nintendo Switch 2 might be a necessity. So, rather than paying a whopping $125 for a spare dock, going for a cheaper cable or docking system from a third-party is enticing. Unfortunately, Nintendo might have just killed that option.

Nintendo Switch 2 Update Breaks Third-Party Docks

Thanks to Kotaku, we’re finding out that a new update for the Nintendo Switch 2 has just broken third-party docks. The 21.0.0 update that was just released for the console is the issue here. Before this update, players had no issues using third-party docks for the console. However, once this update rolled out, they no longer work. That said, it does still allow charging to the console, so it’s purely restricting the docking capability.

What has some fans of the Nintendo Switch 2 wondering is whether this was intentional or not. Whatever is causing the restrictions, we’ll have to wait and see if any docks seem to emerge that bypass these restrictions again, or if it’s possible that a future update will resolve the problem.

So for now, it’s purely a waiting game. It’s worth noting that there were reports that the official docks became unusable for some players after this update. However, after restarting the console, it resumed working as intended. Unfortunately, that fix doesn’t work for third-party docks. But who knows, your mileage may vary. Perhaps some third-party docks are working fine with this update. We’ll have to see if any reports surface online that contradict this.