The $49 Genki Covert Dock Mini chops an already tiny Nintendo Switch dock in half

The Genki Covert Dock was the best option for a quality Nintendo Switch docking station because it had 30W of power, a HDMI output, and a small port for peripherals.

The makers of the Genki Covert Dock Mini are making the choice a bit more difficult, with a smaller version that adds 4K30 output, and unfortunately makes a couple of compromises along the way.

GIF: Human Things

The Covert Dock Mini is only half the length of the 5W charging port that Apple used to ship with their phones.

It now supports 4K output at 30Hz, which is a nice perk since you're paying $20 less. Genki points out that it might be useful for the Steam Deck or similar handhelds, which may not have the power to play all games at 4K60 anyways. For movies and TV that aren't usually shot at 60 frames per second, don't need the higher framerate.

Image: Human Things

I highly doubt you will be playing and charging because it only outputs 20W of power, not 30. I used a 20W battery in my own testing and found it didn't charge very well unless the deck was turned off. There is a reason Valve ships it with a 45W power adapter.

The Mini doesn't have a port for a GameCube controller, so you're not going to be able to use it for Smash Bros.

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

If this sounds like the docking station you need, Genki is currently taking pre-orders on their website with an estimated delivery date of August 2022.

There is a note on crowd funding.

Companies looking for funding tend to make big promises. According to a study run by Kickstarter in 2015, 1 in 10 products that reach their funding goals fail to deliver rewards. There is disappointment in store for those products that do get done if they are delayed, missed deadlines, or overpromised.

The best defense is to use your judgement. Do the product look legit? Is the company making crazy claims? Is there a prototype? Does the company have plans to manufacture and ship finished products? Has it completed a campaign before? You are not necessarily buying a product when you back it on a site.