Hey folks. I have been wondering about buying a dock or USB hub for my steam deck oled for a while now. That way I can connect and use a mouse and keyboard. The problem is that I don’t know which one to buy. The official one is not only expensive but also a bit bulky for my use. I would like to have a mini option. What are your recommendations for someone like me?
Pay attention to the cables you use too.
An old hdmi 1.0 isn’t going to get you 4k@240Hz.
I don’t know what specs the steam deck/your display are actually capable of, so no specific recommendations.
I like cables from ‘Cables Matter’ on Amazon. Nothing I’ve gotten from them has felt cheap or failed to live up to whatever its specs are.
That’s the first dock I’ve seen with a removable cable. You can actually switch it out with a longer cable, or a cable with a right-angle end. Not bad, not bad at all.
I just bought the JSAUX one - the one with the stand.
Yeah, I don’t need a stand. My case already has it so I would be better with just a mini version of that without the stand.
Any dock that lists Steam Deck support and has the ports you want should be fine honestly. USB C docks are very standardized, so as long as it supports 45W charging or more it’ll almost certainly be fine. I have a bunch of different docks and they all work fine with the Deck. The OLED model doesn’t change this either, any dock that works with the original should work with the OLED.
Doesn’t the OLED need a higher watt power supply? Like 65W or something? I don’t remember the specs, but that would be something to be aware of, too.Edit: Nevermind, looks like they’re all 45W.
I think the big change is the OLED has a better charger chip, particularly in that it doesn’t get crazy-hot when it’s working. The OLED may be able to charge faster than the OG just on account of the charger chip not hitting its thermal limit, but it won’t go beyond what it negotiated with the supply.
Gotcha. Yeah, I remember seeing some blurb about a change and wasn’t sure exactly what changed. Thanks!
I would recommend something with an ethernet port as well.
This is a good point.
If the extra charger that covers with the official dock doesn’t work to you (fair enough since you mention that portability is key) I backed the jsaux case on Kickstarter and am quite happy with us: https://jsaux.com/products/omnicase-2-storage-docking-station?variant=43986713772252
I got the pro version, but there’s no reason that you can’t get the standard one and it came with a nice little travel pouch, but I don’t know if that covers with the ices you buy directly.
Seeing that I can use any other charger that is 45W then I don’t need the one of valves. I just can not justify the €90 just for valve support and a charger. Is good to have firmware updates, but I don’t need that. If the product works and is half the price and can be moved from place to place quickly then I’m good.
The biggest issue is video delay. Most docks are terrible. There’s a good YouTube video out there where a guy compares a bunch for steam deck and gives good options.
I could not find it, can you provide a link please?
I think this was it but did not rewatch to be sure. https://youtu.be/e2d57mPVV6w
I chose this one based on whatever I watched and have been happy. https://a.co/d/7MdELCU
I don’t have a steamdeck, but I guess it is the same as for any Linux device (your storage option should not matter). I’d say most important is the video out spec, like what resolution and how many hz (ideally the same as your TV) and how many USB ports it has. I’m full on USB C guy, so I’d value those more than legacy USB A.
This is a really cool one you’ve posted. And at a good price point. I’ve shelled out much more for a really nice one for my laptop a few years ago. It’s an anker 11 in 1 and cost somewhere around $80-$100 (USD) if I remember correctly. It has way more than I need but I liked the idea of being able to connect to Ethernet and either display port or HDMI with my laptop. I use this one for my steam deck, too.
A little while ago, I got an anker 6 in 1 for travel, and this is a lot cheaper, I think it was knocked down to $30 or so when I got it.
I like these ones because they are pretty durable and I have a preference for braided cables, but there are likely a lot of other great options around by now.
Edit: Also, I tried the docking stations and they were not really for me. I just use a dongle and have my deck propped up by a kickstand on its case. If you’re looking to keep it propped up without a case, those docking stations may be more your speed.
Yeah. I have a case so a docking station is a bit of a no go for me. That is why I’m looking for portability now.
Totally. Yeah, I’d recommend dongles like you and I both posted, then. I will say that yours looks pretty solid in that it can rest flat when the deck is propped up. Both of mine kinda hang off the top of the deck and bend, but it’s really more of a cosmetic thing that I’m fine with.
Also, the dongles are super slim and fit easily in the bottom of those smaller hard travel cases for the deck, even with a small charging block and normal sized cable.
Like another commentor said, it’s definitely more important to check out the video/power supply specs and all that, but you can get a solid one for $20-$40 now, easily.
Edit: Plus, I have a couple of those right angle connectors that came with my case so if I really wanted to hide the cable a bit more, those would help. After trying out a couple different cases and dongle/dock combinations, it’s amazing the amount of extra stuff these companies throw your way. I have more joystick caps and dongle peripherals than I know what to do with lol
I use this one: https://a.co/d/hPfJJik
I use this ivoler dock. It works well, is very cheap, and has a larger deck slot than most other docks so you can use a deck in a case with it (Spigen and Jsaux mod cases both work, although the modcase’s kickstand gets in the way a little).
The only downside is that it doesn’t have an Ethernet port. This wasn’t a concern for me (I get strong wifi where I’m at, and have a USB Ethernet adapter if I need it), and I wanted a cheaper dock over one with Ethernet.
