Unboxing & Review: Insignia Nintendo Switch Dock Kit - How does this $40 Dock Perform? Does It Suck?

In this video we unbox and review the Insignia Nintendo Switch Dock kit, available exclusively through Best Buy.

People are tired of over-paying for equipment, especially when aftermarket manufacturers can make similar products that work just as well for less money. This is where Best Buy's Insignia brand come into play as they've been making decent accessories for gamers for years and have now started to develop accessories for the wildly popular Nintendo Switch. One of the first offerings is the Insignia Dock Kit which promises to save you money over the original OEM Nintendo dock while providing a similar experience.

Let's get this out of the way right now: one of the biggest selling points about the Insignia Switch Dock is simply it's price. You can get one for $39.99 at regular price, I got mine for $34.99 on-sale. When compared to the stock Switch dock it is less than 1/2 the cost. That's a big motivating factor right there. In the box with the dock itself is an HDMI cable and a USB-C adapter, meaning this is truly a self-contained dock kit.

The dock itself is actually a bit bigger in some ways to the stock dock, it's wider front-to-back but not as wide side-to-side. The dock includes a single USB port, compare that to 2 USB and 1 USB 2.0 ports on the stock dock and the similarly-priced Nyko docking kit. You cannot use this dock with a case installed on your Switch, nor can you adjust the angle of the Switch when docked. Overall it's functional but extremely basic.

In testing the video and audio quality was just as you would expect using the stock Nintendo dock. There was no reduction in quality of the video or audio, nor was there any change in the charge rate of the Switch battery. Overall in a "blind taste test" it performs just as well as the stock dock, I just lacks a couple USB ports.

Why it RoX
- For $40 you can't go wrong
- Decent size
- Audio and video quality appears to be identical to the stock OEM Dock
- Includes both an HDMI cable and USB-C Charging Brick

What could be improved
- Only 1 USB port
- Not as small as the Nyko dock
- No adjustment angle when docked
- Heavy

Should you buy one?
The Insignia Switch Dock works well, there's no doubts about that. The lack of USB ports might concern you but there isn't much reason for anxiety. I only have 1 item plugged into my dock now, and that's the charge block for my Pro Controller. Now if you had 2 Pro Controllers I could understand but really it's sufficient for most needs.

If you're looking for a second or third dock for extra rooms this is a great way to go. That being said if you are looking for a dock that is portable to take on the road with you this would not be my first choice as the Nyko Portable Docking Kit for the Switch is a better portable option, even at a $10 higher price.

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