Nintendo Switch 2 owners are reporting that some of their third-party accessories and console docks seem to have been bricked following the 21.0.0 system update. The Switch 2 update launched on November 10, which largely made stability improvements and tweaks to existing features, like Text-to-Speech and software downloads.
The Switch 2 has been a major success for Nintendo, and has been embraced by many gamers all over the world. However, some would point to the overall cost as being a drawback. For example, the console itself costs $449.99, and some games have been priced as high as $80. This has led some to seek less expensive options for Switch 2 accessories, like its dock. Off-brand docks compatible with the Switch 2 can be found for under $40 in many cases, while the official Switch 2 Dock Set costs $125.
Third-Party Docks Reportedly Bricked By Recent Nintendo Switch 2 Update
While the most recent 21.0.0 update to the Nintendo Switch 2 didn’t mention anything about the dock, it seems that something about it has impacted third-party devices. Switch 2 users took to social media soon after the update launched, with many reporting that their third-party docks and other accessories were no longer working properly. Subsequent reports have indicated that some third-party Switch 2 docks are still functioning, but not all, and those that do work sometimes require fully restarting the console first in order to work properly.
At this point, it’s not clear if this aspect of the update was an intentional move on Nintendo’s part, and the company has not provided any further insight as of publication time. However, the notion of third-party accessories becoming incompatible with the Switch 2 has been a concern raised shortly after the system launched. Early on, third-party accessory makers claimed that the Switch 2 USB-C port utilizes encryption and a chip that limits which accessories work with the system. It was theorized that a firmware update could potentially alter the way these systems work, so even third-party Switch 2 accessories that worked at one time could potentially be bricked.
It’s possible that the manufacturers of these devices could resolve the problem, or Nintendo could issue another patch that will fix this issue, as it may have been an entirely unintentional move on the company’s part. Thus far, Nintendo hasn’t pursued legal action against any Switch 2 accessory manufacturers, except for Genki. However, the Genki lawsuit was due to alleged trademark infringement, not the simple manufacturing of off-brand compatible accessories. On the other hand, simply modifying Switch 2 consoles en masse to no longer be compatible would be an easier and less expensive method of ensuring that Nintendo doesn’t have competition from third-party manufacturers than suing.
- Brand
-
Nintendo
- Original Release Date
-
June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
-
$449.99
- Operating System
-
Proprietary
- Resolution
-
1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- HDR Support
-
Yes
