Just got the 512GB OLED, my first Steam Deck and so far I’m loving it. I’d like to get a dock so I can play on my TV with my Steam Controller, or portable with mouse and keyboard (since I don’t have a gaming laptop). Is the official dock worth it or do you recommend one of the much cheaper third party options?
I definitely want something with Ethernet, 4k/60Hz/HDR support on HDMI for my TV, and that acts as a stand for the Deck (so not a generic laptop dock). Unsure whether I need USB 3 ports or if USB 2 is fine, or if I’ll ever want DisplayPort or support for 4k@120Hz or 4k@144Hz. I know the Deck is not a powerhouse but can it reach those high frame rates on older games, 2d games, or streaming? Is there anything else I should consider when choosing a dock?
I don’t have the official dock, but do have a Anker 565 dock as well the Dell WD19 dock.
Both docks work completely fine and have had zero issues with either.
One thing a lot of people forget or don’t think about is that third party docks usually do NOT include a power brick/plug-in that is needed. For my Anker 565 dock I ended up buying a Baseus 65w charger so I could power the dock(usually up-to 15w for that alone from what I could find online) and have 45w for the Steam Deck to charge with. So my Anker dock actually costed me $100 for the dock and $35 for the 65w charger.
The official Valve dock includes a 45w charger with it already, which according to iFixit costs $25, so the Valve dock is actually $55.
The Deck can reach 120fps+ on older or lower spec games. I was reaching 180fps on Battlebit Remastered on my Deck.
I think $80 for the official Dock+a charger is a steal.