Nintendo is restricting the Switch 2's USB-C port — most third-party docks and accessories won't work thanks to proprietary protocols
Nintendo is restricting the Switch 2's USB-C port — most third-party docks and accessories won't work thanks to proprietary protocols
This shit should be illegal. Apple got smacked by the EU for this exact practice. Do we think that will applied evenly?
Apple was arguably different. They pushed the lightning port bu you still had third party accessories using that or even cables.
And this and other reasons are why I haven't bought one yet. Think I'll just keep using the steam deck and switch 1 instead.
I'm taking advantage of the steam summer sale to basically re-buy most of my Switch games for PC at cheap prices just for that.
Ooh that's a good idea. I have a reason to buy more games now hehehe
i'll just emulate switch 1 on my deck then... together with any other nintendo old consoles.
Nintendo….please stop. I love your games, I love your products… this type of shit is so unnecessary and exhausting…
Then it's not a USB-C port.
It's a SB-C port then
I don’t think I’ve ever actively been put off of wanting a new console before this. Lukewarm feelings or too poor, sure.
I love my original Switch and (most of) its first-party titles but each new article about its successor is making me want a Steam Deck instead.
I got a Steam Deck shortly after the Switch 2 price reveal and love it. I wish I'd gotten one years ago, but better late than never.
I don’t think I’ve ever actively been put off of wanting a new console before this.
Weren't around for this one? It put me off Xbox forever, which turned out to be the right decision.
Oh don't worry, it'll get hacked like everything does.
I'm personally banking on them getting Sony OtherOS'd, they've done a fair amount of pissing highly skilled people off
No, Switch 1 was non-compliant as well.
Making USB-C chargers and docks is cheap and easy, there's thousands on the market.
But Nintendo had to be assholes and did things their way, as usual.
The switch 1 hardware was 99% compliant.
Then they patched the switch and intentionally made the switch incompatible with 3rd party chargers and docks.
And I recall this because it bricked my GFs switch literally the first use post patch after using that dock for nearly a year.
This is not the way. Lame. Lame. Lame.
"restricted" and "most". So how do some work then? The system is pretty dang new. Lots of developers couldn't even get dev kits yet. I'll wait and see before I get all upset that there aren't 3rd party docks that I don't have a need for or would buy anyways.
Wasn't there something with the original switch where third-party usb-c didn't work with it off the bat either? I thought it ended up being something about Nintendo actually following the spec more rigidly than others did.
There was an issue with running the dock on anything but their cable or something like that ya.
because it's supposed to be usb. Which it's not, intentionally
Classic Nintendo.
Typical Nintendo
I do wonder why they decide to do this. Replacement Nintendo docks probably aren't a big money maker. Maybe they did HDCP (HDMI copy protection for movies and such, used for YouTube and such when they finally get it working) on dock side for Switch 2 so this is their attempt to stop people getting the video feed in between? Just speculation though, and I might be very wrong.
Because they are a scummy company, they want full control.
This is not surprising at all.
The Switch 2 dock has built in fans.
The protocol enforces you to use the correct gear, preventing damage to the console and user.
I'm not knowledgeable enough on the standards to know if this can be enforced otherwise, but it sounds like a typical "Nintendo Quality" feature.
From what I gather, they use standard protocols for the webcam, so it seems more of a protective measure to me than the evil shit people are making up here. Otherwise, I'd expect them to lock down everything.
You can plug pretty much any webcam into the Switch as well.
I don't agree with their desire to lock things down but this probably wasn't totally a case of that.
Perhaps this could be the case, especially due to the far higher heat in the Switch 2 docked profile compared to Switch 1. If so though, I do hope there is a third party dock certification program, as I really want a proper DisplayPort Switch 2 dock.
IMO, everything has to do with piracy.
Ever since the r4 for the DS spring boarded Nintendo piracy, every single console they've released since then has been ripped open and has had very easy-to-use tools developed for it to make it really, really, easy to put pirated games on. You can buy a flashcard from amazon with DS games on it. You can mod a 3ds in 15 minutes. You can play switch games on the steam deck.
They hate this. They want to do everything they can to lock down their systems and prevent this.
On the Wii (or maybe it was 3ds or Wii U) when updating, you used to get a notification "...this update will also check for unauthorized material and remove it." Now they're simply saying it there's unauthorized stuff they're not going to account for it and let things break (or force it to break)
Now they're locking down the usb-c port, again making it harder to crack the console. They failed with every console this far, so now they're trying something different.
In the long run it may get cracked eventually. But for now, like denuvo, it delays piracy.
As far as I am aware, Wii, Wii U, DSi, and 3DS all had the warning about removal of "unauthorised technical modifications", alongside on the back of boxed games (probably referring to things like the Wii including new IOSes on the disc that could overwrite any cIOS on the system). A hardware lock down attempt would make sense given their previous history, as their attempts to stop any software modification before were very clumsy at best (never forget the cat and mouse race that was region unlocking Korean Wiis). Still, I'm not sure if this dock issue in particular is part of an anti-piracy drive. There's not a lot I can think of that anyone trying to crack the system open can do through the regular dock's signals (DisplayPort, USB, so on, that are already mostly exposed, with DP going through a HDMI conversion chip). However, this could be incorrect. If Nintendo have special docks out there for service centres that could do things like flash and dump firmware or make factory-level changes to the system (board serial number, for example) it could explain attempts at locking down the dock, and why they've gone to so much effort to encrypt the signals. The only way we can really know is for the Switch 2 to get modded fully and the system is explored in depth, and considering that Mariko (a.k.a. red box) Switch 1 was a tough nut to crack already (you needed a mod chip) I don't think it'll happen any time soon.
Basically Apple.
Even Apple isn’t this bad. You can use non-Apple devices on their USB-C ports just fine. Hell, Apple actually had a large part in developing the USB-C standard. The entire point is that the U stands for Universal.
Of all things they desingned the lightning port wasn't that bad. The issue with nintendo is their incredibly aggressive corporate culture. They have the games but having access (legal) to their catalogue is a whole other question. Than there's the nintendo fans.
It's Nintendo, did people really expect anything else?
Fair. IIRC they did something with their HDMI cable before where you couldn't use it on all TVs or something? I forget now
While I don't support them doing it, I'm a bit out of the loop on why third-party docks are even needed? What's wrong with the original dock? I'm genuinely curious, I had Switch 1 for 5+ years and it never occurred to me to even look at any third-party docks.
The switch 2 dock is $120. Thats why 3rd party docks. Regardless if the reason a person wants to buy one, it should not be $120. Its a PCB with like 2 chips, a fan, 2 usb ports and an Ethernet port. You can buy a 16gb Pi 5 for that price.
Yeah, just checked the price myself too. $120 is just robbery. I hope 3rd party manufacturers will figure out how to make their stuff work with Switch 2.
I got a second party dock for the switch one back in pandemic times because my son wanted to hang out with me while I worked. The dock I got didn't block the front so he could play it while it charged.
Switch 1 dock comes with the console. But what if you want to hook up 1 dock on each of your TVs throughout your house? Lets say there are 3 TVs. Well, you have 1 dock. Now you need 2 more.
The official dock with power supply is $90. So you now need $180 plus two more HDMI cables.
3rd party docks are a fraction of that. You could probably get both docks for $60? Been a while since I checked prices.
And used prices aren't much better for first party. But used on 3rd party goes down even more. You could probably get both tvs with used 3rd party docks for $40? As opposed to $180 for 2 new official docks.
I've wanted one for if I want to use my PC monitor instead of the TV, and throught a compact connector would be nicer than the standard dock to take up less space. Never did go for the third party dock though, since was afraid of the possibility of bricking.
If it's most, and not all, they are not locked out. If 3rd party releases a product that doesn't work, that sounds like it's on them. I've never bought a Nintendo device, but it's so easy to think this is all on them.
You assume Nintendo is publishing their changes to spec
I don't have to make that assumption to know that you shouldn't sell a product that doesn't work.
My simple workaround is not buying a Switch 2.
Show me contempt, and I'll show you zero dollars.
For real. I've owned EVERY Nintendo console from NES to Switch. Home consoles and mobile ones.
First time I didn't pick up a Nintendo console. They have buckets of money. There's no need to turn to the dark side...