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.

Recommended Videos

“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.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

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.

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…
Our final Nintendo Switch 2 reveal predictions
An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

The day is almost upon us. After years of speculation, we're very close to an official reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2. Thank goodness for that, as we've been locked in a tidepool of fake leaks and rumors for far too long. The new console hype cycle can be fun in moderation, but the long road to Nintendo's next console has only become more exhausting over time. We had AI companies faking its release date for clout, hardware manufacturers sharing 3D printed mock-ups, and every so-called insider on the planet flinging out conflicting information.

It'll all come to an end soon when Nintendo reveals its new console. While that's a relief, there is something bittersweet about it. The mystery of a new gaming device is part of the fun. What will it look like? What games will launch with it? Will it be backward compatible? These are the kinds of questions make for fun social fodder; I've had plenty of speculative conversations with friends over the past two years. In some twisted way, I'll miss that once reality sets in.

Read more
Nintendo downplays CES’ convincing Nintendo Switch 2 leak
A Switch 2 mock-up sits in a Genki case.

Following CES 2025, where accessory-maker Genki showed off a mock-up model of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo is now debunking recent leaks about its still unrevealed console.

Gamers have been glued to nearly every Nintendo Switch 2 rumor that has emerged in recent weeks (and there have been a lot of them), but the most recent was a supposed mockup of the console on the CES 2025 show floor. Until then, Nintendo had kept mum about the leaks, but now the company has broken its silence and issued a statement.

Read more
Nintendo Switch 2: everything we know so far
The Switch 2 next to a TV with Mario Kart.

Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was initially teased in 2019, then gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021. There's no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console — it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it's still our favorite portable console — but it isn't without its flaws. But there's plenty of room for improvement in a follow-up console.

After what felt like years of leaks and rumors, Nintendo has finally unveiled the Switch 2 to the world. Here's everything we know about the system so far, as well as what is still up in the air.
Switch 2 release date window
Nintendo Switch 2 – First-look trailer

Read more