Wenocally Switch Controller Charger Dock Station

Hardware Type: Adapter

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Review:

(Note: This product was received at no cost for review via the Amazon Vine program.)

Not long ago, I reviewed the FYY Switch Joycon Charger, an adapter that attaches to and fits around your Nintendo Switch dock, designed to give you extra charging ports for Joy-Con controllers without taking up too much space on your counter-top. When I reviewed that device, I had a few issues with it, namely that it felt rickety and unstable, comprised of multiple separate pieces. Now, manufacturer Wenocally has released a similar device. Does it fare any better?

Before answering that, let me clear up some details, because I feel like the Amazon sales page for this device can be misleading. Even though it claims to be a “replacement”, and most images hide the reality, the Wenocally Switch Controller Charger Dock Station is not a Nintendo Switch dock, but rather an expansion for the standard Nintendo Switch Dock or Nintendo Switch OLED Model Dock, and as such, you must supply the dock, power adapter, and HDMI cable to set up your Nintendo Switch connection to your TV. This adapter plugs directly into one of the USB ports on the side of that dock, using that to power the rest of the device.

Like the FYY adapter, the Wenocally Switch Controller Charger Dock Station replaces the USB port being taken up with a passthrough port, but not only does it repeat the error of adding inconvenience by moving the USB port to the back of the unit, it adds further inconvenience by replacing the standard USB port with a USB-C port. The idea is that this change gives the Nintendo Switch a new port to plug in the standard power adapter, but… was anyone asking for that? And either way, this now means that most Nintendo Switch controllers and accessories will have one fewer port to plug into unless you get a new cable or adapter.

Once you get everything connected, the adapter allows you to connect four Joy-Con controllers (not six, as advertised – the additional two are those connected directly to your Nintendo Switch), with each slotted into the base. Four lights adjacent to the slot are fully lit when the slot is empty, and once filled they indicate the power level of the Joy-Con, which is a helpful addition. Despite that they alternate between red and green, the slots are all identical and they will all fit left and right Joy-Con controllers. These slots do a decent job charging the Joy-Cons, as you would expect.

Finally, on the left side of the device is an on/off button, which… seems pretty silly to me. Why would you ever turn it off? I guess if the lights on the device bother you, maybe?

However, if I’m using the FYY adapter as a baseline, this falls short not only due to the lack of a USB port, but it also doesn’t have the convenient slots for storing game cards. And even though this device is one solid piece, it still feels a bit rickety connected to the Nintendo Switch dock, and the Joy-Cons do not feel like they’re very sturdy in their slots.

This all adds up to the Wenocally Switch Controller Charger Dock Station just not measuring up, even though what I’m comparing it to is a device that has some noteworthy problems. Make no mistake, this adapter does work as intended, but fort something that’s supposed to add utility and convenience, this device has far too many inconveniences.

tl;dr – The Wenocally Switch Controller Charger Dock Station attaches to your Nintendo Switch dock and adds on charging ports for Joy-Cons. This device works, but it has some questionable design choices and overall seems rickety and poorly put-together. Not a bad add-on, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Grade: C-

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