Genki Covert is a $75 ultra-portable dock for Nintendo Switch - Ars Technica

Today we're taking a look at the just-released Genki Covert Dock, a $75 third-party dock for the Nintendo Switch console.

You plug the Covert Dock directly into the wall, just as you would any compact phone charger.

Plug an HDMI cable from the Covert Dock into your display, and plug the included USB-C 3.1 charge cable from your Switch to the Covert.

It's effectively impossible to buy a Nintendo Switch right now—I know, I keep looking.

There really isn't much to say about using a device without a single button on it—plug Covert Dock into the wall, connect it to your TV with an HDMI cable (not included), and connect your Switch to the Covert Dock with a USB-C cable (included).

There's a little delay from the time you plug your Switch into the Covert Dock to when the Switch's content appears on your TV or other display—about five seconds.

We also noticed that while the HDMI out on the OEM dock stays live if the dock is unplugged, unplugging the Genki Covert immediately kills the HDMI along with it.

Although the Covert Dock requires you to plug in a cable rather than one-handedly plopping your Switch into the OEM dock, I actually prefer the cable.

With a cable, you know perfectly well whether you've plugged it in properly or not, so the short wait for the HDMI display to go live doesn't feel as anxious.

Like most USB chargers, if you plug the Covert into the wall with an electrical load already attached via USB, it produces an audible electrical "pop." We strongly recommend plugging the Covert Dock into the wall before connecting your Switch or your display to the Covert—this should extend the life of the Covert, as well as making certain your precious Switch doesn't get any out-of-bounds electrical signals.

If you've got a Switch that lives a normal, nonportable console life and just stays attached to one family TV 24/7, the Genki Covert Dock might not be for you.