PhotoFast GPower All In One Portable Switch Dock Unboxing and Review

3 years ago
23

In this episode, we unbox and test out the GPower Portable Dock designed for use with the Nintendo Switch, Samsung Dex-Compatible devices, and more.

Join me on the Switch! My Switch Friend Code is SW-4214-6854-8701

Connecting your Switch to a a television while on the go can be a bit of a challenge. The OEM dock is pretty massive, and you need to add an AC adapter and HDMI cable to what you are taking with you on-the-go. This is where the folks from a company called PhotoFast come into play, with a different approach to the Switch dock concept. Gone is the big plastic dock and separate power supply, replaced instead with a combo unit that incorporates the power supply and a port for a USB-C cable. The result is the device you see here, the GPower.

Unboxing the GPower was a bit more challenging than it should have been, mostly because the flaps of the box were actually glued together! I've not seen this before, and personally I really didn't like this. It was inconvenient and was not a benefit.

Inside the box you get the GPower itself, international outlet adapters, a USB-C cable, and a slips sheet with instructions on it. It took me a minute to figure out how to attach the international adapters, but once I did it was a snap, mostly. Removing the adapters was a bit more difficult than I expected, but I was able to remove them eventually.

I connected everything up to my capture card and went to work, erm, I mean play some games. From the get-go, the audio and video was pretty much exactly what I experienced with the OEM Nintendo Dock. Colors were vibrant, the audio was accurate, and there were never any sort of issues that cropped up with the quality displayed. One curiosity I did experience was the challenges I had executing the Dragon Upper Cut on Street Fighter 2. I could manage to do it with the D-Pad, but the analog stick gave me issues. Weird, I know.

Using the GPower as a Dex dock was pretty flawless as well. One thing that is fairly required due to the lack of USB ports is the use of a Bluetooth keyboard & mouse. This omission, for whatever reason, really reduces the overall potential of the GPower as a true daily driver.

Why It RoX:
- Compact design
- PD 3.0-compliant
- Included USB-C Cable
- Compatible with Samsung Dex
- Great picture and sound
- 4K passthrough for compatible devices
- Less expensive than the Genki Covert Dock
- 60W output compared to 30W on the Genki Dock
- 1 Year warranty if the GPower damages your Switch

What could be improved?
- No USB ports for optional accessories
- Box glued closed for... reasons?
- International adapters can be a tight fit

Should you buy one?
This is really interesting to discuss. In one hand, you can't help but compare the Photofast GPower to the Genki Covert Dock. They do some very similar things, similar in design, and similar in features. However, there are significant differences between the 2. The GPower has double the wattage output, so devices should charge faster. Both are compatible with Samsung and Apple devices, but the Covert Dock has a USB 3.1 port for plugging in USB hubs or accessories. Both offer warrantees to protect you if your Switch is damaged by using either adapter. The PhotoFast GPower is less expensive, so there is another trade-off there. I would say if the lack of USB ports for accessories isn't important to you then the GPower is a less expensive option to consider, especially if you are traveling. If, however, you are looking for a daily driver for a second dock, I feel the lack of USB ports makes it less useful than other options out there.

#NintendoSwitch #SwitchDock #PhotoFast #GPower

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)

Loading comments...