In an interesting development spotted by Nintendo Parents Watch, it appears as if Nintendo may be preparing to manufacture a dock that supports both the Switch 1 and Switch 2 without much hassle. According to a new patent filed in China, the idea is that the console recognizes when a user has inserted a Switch 1 or 2 and changes the power delivery standard accordingly.
For those unaware, the reason the Switch 1 docks cannot support a Switch 2 (and vice versa) is that the consoles have different power draws to charge the device. The Switch 1 has a max rated wattage of just 18 watts, while the Switch 2 is rated for 60 watts, though generally doesn’t even hit 25. The Switch 2 dock also includes a fan to help cool both the dock and console when in use, which the Switch 1 dock didn’t need.
The patent outlines what will change when inserting a specific console into it. For the Nintendo Switch 1, the USB ports will operate at USB 2.0 standards, the HDMI port will output at 1080p maximum, and the RPM of the built-in cooling fan will be lowered. When a Switch 2 is inserted, the USB ports jump up to USB 3.0 speeds, the HDMI port outputs at up to 4K, and the built-in fan runs at a higher RPM. That seemingly confirms that the fan in the newer docks actually does cool the system instead of just the dock, itself.
Included diagrams show how airflow is supposed to work in this dock, which doesn’t look entirely different from the current design. It’s uncertain if Nintendo is preparing this for sale, or if this patent is merely for R&D purposes. I do think it would make some sense in households where families don’t all have Switch 2’s, but it becomes less of a necessity if you’re a single person.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
