Nintendo Files Patent For Dock That's Compatible With Switch And Switch 2

Nintendo appears to be working on a new piece of hardware that’s going to make life a lot easier for those of you who own multiple Switch consoles - a dock that’s compatible with both the Switch 2 and the original Switch.

A Nintendo Dock That Works With Every Switch

Hope that a dock that’s compatible with both of Nintendo’s newest consoles comes courtesy of a patent filed by Nintendo in China. Spotted by Nintendo Patents Watch, the filing features detailed diagrams showing how the new dock will handle the different requirements of each console and automatically know which one has been inserted whenever the console is placed in the dock.

Patents Watch highlights the three key differences between the Switch and the Switch 2 that the dock will have to accommodate: USB 3 data standard in Switch 2 vs. USB 2 in the OG Switch, the higher resolution video output of the newer console, and also the higher RPM of the dock’s fan required to keep the Switch 2 cool.

A Nintendo patent published in China describes a Switch 2 dock that can also support Switch 1 console. Since NS2 and NS1 handle the Power Delivery negotiation differently, the dock can recognize which console is connected (imgs 1-3) and behave accordingly. worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/searc... 1/ — Nintendo Patents Watch (@ninpatentswatch.bsky.social) 2026-07-16T01:28:08.652Z

The patent actually settles a years-long debate among Nintendo fans regarding exactly what the Switch dock’s fan does. Some claim that it only cools the dock, while others believe it cools both the dock and the console when the console is docked. The patent proves that it is indeed the latter, and that the dock’s fan is cooling everything when the Switch is docked, including the console itself.

A Filed Patent Is No Guarantee

NEWS Switch 2 over a red blue and white background.

This is only a patent, for now, which means if this dock ever becomes a reality, it is still almost certainly years away. Patents don’t guarantee the ideas will ever be realized, either. This could be something Nintendo ultimately decides isn’t possible or, more likely, isn’t worth doing when costs are weighed up against how big the potential audience for these dual-use docks might be.

The sheer number of PlayStation patents that rear their heads, never to be heard from again, is the perfect example of why I wouldn’t start saving for a backwards-compatible Switch 2 dock just yet. I’m still waiting on that DualSense controller, which can change temperature based on where you are in a game, and I have my fingers crossed that the tech they patented for AI-voiced mascots that will speak to you when you turn on your PS5 has been binned.

As for the potential market for a dock that works with both generations of Switch, there are going to be more and more people out there, particularly families, who pick up Switch 2s and pass their original Switch consoles onto their kids. In a setup like that, having a single dock that works with every Switch would be pretty convenient.