By notimundo April 17, 2022, 6:54 pm 1.7k ViewsIf you wanted a quality Nintendo Switch docking station, the $70 Genki Covert Dock was your best bet: 30W of USB-C power, 1080p60 HDMI output, and a USB 3.1 port for peripherals, all in a tiny Tip Charger foldable thanks to the power of GaN.But now its makers are making the choice a little harder, with a new $49 Genki Covert Dock Mini (via gizmodo) that's way smaller, adds 4K30 output, and sadly makes a couple of sacrifices. in the path.Yeah, it's basically a cube now.GIF: Human StuffAt 1.7 x 1.3 x 1.3 inches, the Covert Dock Mini is only slightly larger than the tiny 5W chargers Apple used to ship with iPhones (which certainly didn't have folding tips or GaN), and it's only half the length of the original Covert Dock and just over a third of its volume.And, recently, it supports 4K 30Hz output, which, while obviously not as useful as 4K 60Hz output, seems like a nice bonus considering you're paying $20 less.As Genki points out, it could be useful for the Steam Deck or similar portable devices, which may not have the power to play all games at 4K60 anyway.Or for movies and TV, which aren't usually shot at 60fps and therefore don't require a higher frame rate.Nintendo Dock vs. Undercover Dock vs. Mini Undercover Dock. Image: Human StuffUnfortunately, it also outputs only 20W of USB-C power, not 30W anymore, and while that's fine for today's Switch, I highly doubt you'd be gaming and charging a Steam Deck at the same time with any remotely intensive gaming of that sort. way.I used a 20W USB-C PD battery in my own Deck test and found that it didn't charge particularly well unless the Deck was powered off.There's a reason Valve ships it with a 45W PD power adapter.Also, sadly the Mini doesn't come with a USB-A port, which means you're not going to be plugging in a GameCube controller adapter for your Smash Bros. sessions on Switch, or an Ethernet adapter, or a wireless dongle for headphones.or external storage for the Deck, or… you get the idea.The original Covert Dock has a large USB 3.1 Type-A port. Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The VergeBut if this sounds like exactly the docking station you need, Genki's currently taking "limited" pre-orders on this Indiegogo page with an estimated August 2022 delivery.Update, 8:10pm ET: The Indiegogo page now shows deliveries in October 2022 instead of August, and no longer shows a "limited" number of available pre-orders.© 2022 News Online - [email protected]