5 Of The Best USB-C Hubs And Docks For Steam Deck Owners
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Many new Steam Deck owners purchased one with the plan to play PC games from the comfort of their bed or couch. However, the Steam Deck is quite a powerful little machine, and it actually works a lot like the Nintendo Switch. Like the Switch, the Steam Deck can be connected to the TV through the use of a dock. While you won't get the power of your main gaming PC, having the ability to hook up to a TV is not anything to sleep on.
There are many different accessories — both good and bad — available for your Steam Deck, including docks. It can get expensive in a hurry if you're picking it all up. Luckily, a dock isn't going to break the bank too much for you. You can opt to snag a first-party one directly from Valve and call it a day. If you're okay with branching out a bit, there are a few more options.
Steam Deck Dock
The easiest option for most Steam Deck owners would be picking up a dock directly from Valve. The Steam Deck Dock does run $89 without a sale, so it's not exactly cheap. However, you can guarantee it'll work right out of the box and connect straight to your TV. Even if you don't plan on using it to play on your TV, the dock can be used to charge your Steam Deck overnight much like a Nintendo Switch does with its dock.
It's small enough to be placed just about anywhere, including a bedside table, so you can take it anywhere you want to play with your Steam Deck. One downside to it is Valve says it takes one or two weeks to arrive. This means it could arrive a little bit later than some of the other options on this list. However, it's overall not a bad price to pay if you want to keep everything in the Valve family.
NewQ 5-in-1 Dock
The NewQ 5-in-1 dock is a viable alternative to Valve's option. It comes in at $39.99, so half the price of the first-party option. It simply plugs into the USB-C slot on the Steam Deck and then you're in business. In many ways, it feels like a direct upgrade to your Steam Deck thanks to the extra features this it adds. You'll have the ability to insert two USB devices — ideally a mouse and keyboard — and you can also connect it right to your TV. The dock comes with a kickstand that lets it sit upright in case you want to play it on your table.
The company does warn the included SD Card slot can be wonky, so maybe it's best to not install games you plan on playing often there. Other than that, this is a very solid dock that anybody with a Steam Deck would be happy with.
Park Sung Docking Station
If you thought 5-in-1 was feature-rich, then you'll be shocked to know the Park Sung Docking Station ramps things up to a 7-in-1. This dock comes equipped with an Ethernet port, a USB-C charging port, three different USB-A slots, and an HDMI slot. It's very versatile as it works not only with a Steam Deck but anything else with a USB-C port. You'll get all of those features for $37.99.
It might seem like overkill, but there's nothing wrong with having an abundance of options. This dock doesn't come with an SD Card slot, so you are losing out on that front. If you're a fan of the kickstand, that's also missing here. Like the other docks on the list, this one is small enough to move around without taking up too much space wherever it goes. It also works with the original Steam Deck charger, so no additional accessories have to be bought.
JSAUX Docking Station
The JSAUX Docking Station fits firmly in between the last two docks as a 6-in-1 option. It does come with three USB-A slots along with an Ethernet port, so it's more than enough for most people. The JSAUX option does come in at $39.99, so a bit more expensive than the 7-in-1. With this being a USB-C dock, it will work with anything that uses the same port, including the Steam Deck competitor ASUS ROG Ally.
This dock can hit up to 1,000 megabytes per second when plugged in through the Ethernet cord, so it can take advantage of some hefty internet plans. Outside of that, it does work pretty much the same as the other options on the list. You plug your Steam Deck in when you want it to charge or play on the TV. It's a small dock, meaning you can move it around to wherever you please.
iVoler Docking Station
Rounding out the list is the cheapest option on the market. The iVoler Docking Station comes in at $22.99, but it's certainly enough for anybody in the market for a dock. This is another dock that works for both the Steam Deck and the ASUS ROG Ally, so keep that in mind if you have both of those handhelds.
You do lose the Ethernet port at this price point, so you'll be relying on a WiFi connection if you're going down this path. If you don't plan on using a wired connection, this could be the best value dock out of them all. It has three USB-A slots available, so you'll be able to connect your keyboard and mouse without any issues. The HDMI slot is said to output at 4k 60hz, but you're going to run into a lot of issues making the majority of the games on a Steam Deck hit those targets.