Portable Nintendo Switch Dock Gives You a Huge Screen

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There is nothing wrong with the upgraded Nintendo Switch and its OLED display. However, those who want more out of the Switch might want to pay attention to the Orion.

In short, the Orion is a portable dock with a gargantuan 11.6-inch 1080p display. It’s significantly larger than the 7-inch panel on the Switch OLED and the 6.2-inch panel on the normal Switch.

You insert your Nintendo Switch into a compartment on the back of the screen. Once you slide the console into the USB-C port, the screen comes to life. You then slide your Joy-Con controllers into the rails on either side, and you’re off.

Because you’re docking the Switch, the games play as if you played the console on your TV. That means you get the performance increase while on the go. This compares to portable play, which limits output to 720p resolution.

If you don’t own a Nintendo Switch, you can still use the Orion as a portable monitor. The built-in HDMI port means you can hook up an Xbox, PlayStation, or anything else that supports HDMI output.

There are some considerations, however.

The USB-C port in the rear compartment will only work with the normal Switch and Switch OLED. That means the Orion does not support the Switch Lite.

Then there’s the Orion itself. Using a third-party dock with the Nintendo Switch has resulted in bricked units. Manufacturer Up-Switch didn’t say how it addressed power concerns with the Orion.

The elephant in the room is, of course, how big the Orion is. You will absolutely feel the weight of the screen and Nintendo Switch in your hands, though you can use the built-in kickstand to alleviate hand cramps.

The Orion is live on Indiegogo and starts at $249. Once the crowdfunding campaign ends, expect the price to climb to $299.

Williams Pelegrin

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