Zelhydro Slim Dockable Case

Hardware Type: Dockable Case / Grip

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Review:

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

The Zelhydro Slim Dockable Case is a dockable Case for Nintendo Switch 2 that instantly reminded me of cases like the Bovke Protective Clear Case, which isn’t a good sign because I absolutely hated that case. But this case does do things a bit differently, so maybe it’s better? Well… read on…

The Zelhydro Slim Dockable Case is made from plasticy polycarbonate, with a rubbery material to cover the face buttons along with rubbery analog stick caps. Including these parts, this case is assembled from a total of nine pieces, with the package also coming with a tool to remove the Joy-Con covers… but more on this later.

I don’t usually go into this, but the Zelhydro Slim Dockable Case is actually a pain to install. Not only does each Joy-Con 2 controller require four separate parts to be installed on it, but the main housing top and bottom need to slot together precisely in a way that’s difficult to do, and easy to mess up. I can easily see this case falling apart unexpectedly just because whoever installed it on the Nintendo Switch 2 didn’t realize these pieces weren’t fully clasped together.

Once pieced together, the case fits the Nintendo Switch 2 quite snugly, and it doesn’t block any of the ports or features of the Nintendo Switch 2. Likewise, the back has a slot for the kickstand to pass through as well. And the Joy-Con 2 controllers are fully-detachable too.

However, problem number one is that the rubbery insert covering the buttons of the controller makes all of the face buttons “squishy” in feel, and in a way that makes them feel less-responsive. I suppose you could opt to put the case together without the inserts, but then you have a problem with these buttons being recessed within the case and harder to access and press. Either way, this case actually makes games worse to play.

What’s more, if you find you want to uninstall this case, it is an absolute pain to remove the covers from the Joy-Cons. As I mentioned before, this case even comes with a little baby blue crowbar to pry the things off, and even then it’s a struggle to do so, at least if you installed the covers correctly.

Also, the covers provide absolutely zero ergonomic support. They’re really just a layer on top of the existing form factor of the Nintendo Switch 2, which isn’t great. And that brings me to the final issue – I do not feel like this case provides significant protection to the Nintendo Switch 2. It feels thin and flimsy, and while I’m not going to stress test this by dropping my Nintendo Switch 2 with the case holding it, I absolutely wouldn’t trust it to break a fall without breaking the console.

So all together, that means that the Zelhydro Slim Dockable Case is a case that’s difficult to install and even more difficult to remove, that makes the buttons worse, that does not improve the ergonomics at all, and that doesn’t seem to add extra protection to the Nintendo Switch 2… so what even is the point of this thing? Without any clear reason why you should spend any money on this, I absolutely cannot recommend it. Do not buy this.

tl;dr – The Zelhydro Slim Dockable Case is a dockable case for Nintendo Switch 2 that doesn’t seem to have any reason to exist – it’s an absolute pain to install and even more difficult to remove, it makes the buttons worse, it doesn’t improve the ergonomics when holding it, and it’s dubious it even protects the console. I cannot see any good reason to waste money on this.

Grade: F

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