Last summer, we had the opportunity to review a prototype of the SFANS Nintendo Switch adapter, a portable device designed to replace the bulky dock included with the console. It did the job, and we were excited for others to get their hands on it, but the SFANS team opted to redesign the device in order for it to also function as a dock. Months went by without any new information, but now that IndieGoGo backers finally have their hands on the device, they aren’t happy.
Images of the new SFANS adapter showed a two-tone plastic design that looked similar to the Joy-Con grip, and it was advertised to feature two USB 3.1 ports and two USB-C ports. Backers who received their orders (several months after delivery was promised) received something very different, however. The shell for the dock is cheap and all one color, and only one USB-C port is included, with an extra standard USB port in its place.
“This is really rubbish quality. I almost would have been happier not receiving anything at all,” said IndieGoGo backer Ian Morley. “It looks nothing like the original or the redesign. It’s all one color plastic and the internal components don’t line up properly so inserting USB is very touch-and-go. I have tried this with the Switch once and I got an error message stating [it] couldn’t charge.”
Others backers have also mentioned the poor build quality of the dock, as well as the trouble they had actually getting the Switch to output to a television.
Digital Trends reached out to the SFANS team regarding issues with fulfilling its backers’ orders, and we received no response. It’s disappointing not just because the dock isn’t up to the quality standard backers were expecting, but also because the original SFANS design was so solid. Though it itself didn’t hold the Switch, users could order a plastic vertical stand, negating the need for a true dock at all.
At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be an ideal replacement for the Switch dock. The C-Force adapter is almost identical to the original SFANS, but users have reported failures after just a few weeks of use. Nyko’s portable dock option, on the other hand, could cause bigger issues, with several players claiming the device broke their console.
