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Portable Nintendo Switch adapter SFANS has a completely new design

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Image used with permission by copyright holder
Earlier this year, we reviewed the SFANS Nintendo Switch adapter, which replaces the system’s packed-in dock with a small, portable accessory that can easily be taken to a friend’s house. At the time, the adapter consisted of a small square unit with a cable attached to one end, which required the use of a separate plastic stand in order to prevent the Switch from overheating. However, the adapter has been redesigned, and the stand is no longer necessary.

The SFANS team shared on its IndieGoGo page that after receiving feedback and examining the recent dock from competitor Nyko, it decided to turn the adapter into a full-fledged dock. The newly designed SFANS contains a small cradle for the Nintendo Switch to sit in as well as a built-in USB-C nub, and it still comes complete with additional USB ports on the outside. The unit’s Switch-lookalike aesthetic has also been carried over to the new design. The team also said on the page that the unit is now even smaller than it was before, though the lips on the dock will make it a little more difficult to keep in your pocket.

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“Because of redesigning SFANS, we had to stop the old mold-making and re-make a new mold,” an update on the page said. The system was supposed to begin shipping on October 22, but will now ship to backers on November 8. Backers at certain tiers were previously promised a plastic play stand for the system, which seems unnecessary with the new design — the stand included with our prototype model was quite similar to the officially licensed HORI stand.

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The Nyko unit the SFANS creator referred to in the update has run into its own problems. Users have reported that the dock has permanently damaged the USB-C port on the bottom of their Switch consoles, rendering them unusable. Nyko has a policy in place in order to replace damaged hardware, and told Digital Trends that the issue was only affecting a small percentage of users. With the Switch now supporting save transfers between consoles, it’s also not the end of the world if your system is damaged.

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Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
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