Secondhand embarrassment intensifying. How can a gadget blog editor know so little about product design? And crowdsourcing supports for a predetermined narrative? The Switch and its Dock are one integrated product. 3rd party support was never intended—there’s nothing to be “broken”.
If Nintendo truly cares to stop unauthorized1 docks, they could’ve used encryption or a proprietary port. The fact that 3rd party docks are sprouting up quickly disproves the baseless claim of sabotage. Even before the Switch 2 release, words were already circulating in Chinese supply chain that the Switch 2 controller communications aren’t encrypted, and brands were eager to introduce unauthorized controllers.
There’s simply no blocking as alleged. Why automatically assume malice when non-westerners dare to have a different philosophy on product design and user experience?
- Note that unlike the authorized 3rd party controllers and other accessories, there are no authorized 3rd party docks, ever. Me tapping the sign again: The console and the dock are one integrated product. (Or you get the Switch Lite.) ↩︎
[Originally posted on 2025-07-03 Pacific Time]
