Mimics the convenience of the Switch dock
Discrete when in use
Great connectivity
Slightly lacklustre build quality
Requires some UI tinkering 🌌for the most grap𝓀hically intensive titles
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With Steam's official Dock only just being released in late 2022, other manufacturers have grasped 🤪the opportunity to fill the void. One such brand is Ivo𓃲ler, a smaller company looking to mimic the form and functionality of the Nintendo Switch Dock with its own Ivoler 5-in-1 Steam Deck Dock.
It's an incredibly affordable option in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Steam Deck dock market at $49.99 / £39.99, and although it may not be the creme de creme when it comes to build quality, it does well to offe𒆙r the simplicity of the Nintendo Switch dock in terms of connectivity and ease of use.
The iVoler 5-in-1 Steam Deck Dock is essentially a little shelf to hold your Steam Deck. Therꦿe's a lip to stop it from sliding forward, and itꦍ blends in well with the Steam Deck itself thanks to its similar color scheme. It has rubbery feet on the bottom of the dock, which ensure it's well balanced even with the heft of the Steam Deck sat in it.
Around the back are all the ports you'll need for turning your Steam Deck into a desktop machine. Its own USB-C cable rea𒐪ches over the back and onto the top of the Steam Deck, which is a nice touch for the Steam Deck's positioning as it allows great space for ventilation during longer sessions. It comes with a trio of USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port that supports output up to 4K at 30fps. There's also the 65W power port where you can plug in the charge🔜r that comes with your Steam Deck. iVoler's dock doesn't come with its own power supply, or an HDMI cable so you'll need to bear that in mind before purchasing.
All those ports mean that the iVoler can cater for more than enough peripherals to increase your armoury. During our testing, we connected a wired Xbox One controller but also a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:wireless gaming keyboard and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming mouse. It all worked incredibly smoothly, with the dock and Deck detecting the different inputs and changing♋ on-screen prompts automatically. Because all of the ports are around the back, it can become a mass of cable sജpaghetti unless you're willing to make the dock part of a permanent set-up.
iVoler has designed this dock to be lightweight and portable, and I can easily see myself chucking it in a bag along with my Steam Deck to take to hotels or a friend's house. However, because it is so lightweight it does feel a touch cheap.
When it comes to performance, the iVoler is a great plug-and-play machine - for the right games. For indie titles and games that are perfect on Steam Deck, the iVoler dock is brilliant. We tried out a number of titles including Potion Permit, Powerwash Simulator, Disney Dreamlight Valley, and Cult of the Lamb, which all worked brilliantly without any fiddling around with menus or settings. It does upscale well graphically, making titles look fantastic even running on one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming TVs in the form of a 55-inch LG G1.
However, with titles like God of War and Wolfenstein: New Order you will have to tinker with the menus t🔯o lock the framerate at 30fps to avoid any issues before you start playing. iVoler does do a 60fps 4K model which would eliminate the 30fps cap, of course, and this also comes complete with an ethernet port - something the mode♏l we reviewed lacks.
The Steam Deck generally has some issues with being docked that require booting up into desktop mode to have more control over resolution and fram🗹erate, which of course is not an Ivoler-specific issue. It's never going to be quite as easy as docဣking a Switch but this does get pretty close.
If you're happy to delve into menus to optimise your Deck setup, this is a fantastic little dock that is affordable, easy-to-use, and surprisingly stylish. Its design makes your Steam Deck a feature of your setup, whether you're playing at a desk or in the living room. Making the dock a stand as well is a brilliant touch from other USB-C hub🙈s that are available on the market for the likes of MacBooks and other tech.
It is on-par design-wise with Valve's own dock, just wi🌳thout a few of the additional ports. But, for this price, it's a no-brainer for getting your Deck on a bigger screen.
We spent several weeks testing the Ivoler Steam Deck Dock with our own Deck (the 512GB version). We tested various games from our existing Steam library on three screens - the LG G1 4K OLED TV, the 2021 43-inch Samsung Frame, and a 4K 60Hz gaming monitor from Asus. Games were tested using both the Xbox One controller and a wireless keyboard and mouse duo from Razer. We tested the ga🌠mes across all screens and with both inputs to ensure thatജ there was no lag detected.
You can read more about our approach to gaming tech in our full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.
To further bolster your Steam Deck setup, check out our guides to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Steam Deck headsets, and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming monitors to elevate your immersion.
Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's th♛e best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.
