Skip to main content

IndieGoGo backers aren’t happy with the SFANS Nintendo Switch dock

indiegogo backers not happy sfans nintendo switch dock sfansreleased1
Alan Reid
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.

Editors' Recommendations

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…
6 Nintendo series that still haven’t made an appearance on the Switch
Pit shoots a bow.

Now that 2024 is here, the countdown is on. Rumors suggest that the Nintendo's Switch long-awaited successor is coming by the end of the year. While there's no official word from Nintendo on that yet, there's good reason to think it could happen. The current lineup of Switch games for 2024 is looking thin, so one could reasonably guess that developers may be off working on Switch 2 games by now.

As I begin to reflect on the Switch's wildly successful life span, I can't help but think  about what a bounty of games its given to Nintendo fans. I'm not just talking about Mario and Zelda games either. Most of Nintendo's franchises have been represented in some form, even if some were just rereleases or oddball spinoffs. We've seen Animal Crossing, Metroid, WarioWare, and even F-Zero get new games on the system. Nintendo left virtually no stone unturned this generation, as it turned just about every franchise it had into a cash cow.

Read more
For Microsoft, indies aren’t Game Pass extras. They’re the future of Xbox
A list of indie games on Xbox appears in a grid.

Xbox may be about as corporate a brand as you can find, but it’s been a surprisingly vital platform for independent developers. That dates back to the Xbox Live Arcade days of old, when small developers were given a place to easily publish their projects on consoles. Rather than pulling away from those days, Xbox has only doubled down on its relationship to indies in the years since through initiatives like ID@Xbox and a Developer Acceleration Program designed to help underrepresented developers get their games out.

Over the past few months, the brand has been on a global tour to reach small developers directly and court them to Xbox. That effort would take the company to New York City on November 18, where Xbox leadership would speak to local developers and students about how to submit to their programs (the event would also feature a questionably timed speech from New York City Mayor Eric Adams amid an FBI investigation into his campaign funds). It’s clear that Microsoft is investing a lot of time and money into signing deals with small developers, but why make the effort when it could comfortably thrive just by publishing major titles through acquired publishers like Activision Blizzard and Bethesda?

Read more
Which Nintendo Switch should you buy this Black Friday?
How to Preorder the Nintendo Switch OLED.

Believe it or not, the Nintendo Switch is almost seven years old already. While a brand new Nintendo console may be right around the corner, Nintendo isn't pulling support on its system in 2024. We already know we're getting games like Princess Peach: Showtime! and Mario vs. Donkey Kong alongside HD re-releases of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. So if you don't own a Switch already, it's still a good time to jump in.

Of course, Black Friday is the perfect moment to buy a new console. This year's sales event brings some brand new deals on Nintendo's hybrid system thanks to some strong bundles. There are several options to choose from over three different Switch models. So, which of the Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals should you buy?
Original, OLED, or Lite?
The Nintendo Switch breaks down into three models. There's the standard Switch that usually retails for $300, an OLED model that comes with a significantly improved screen for $50 more, and a Lite model that's only $200 but can't be hooked up to a TV. Nintendo hasn't cut the prices on any of those, but it has dropped some of them into bundles that will potentially save you some money in the long run.

Read more