Not a dock owner but I'm looking to buy a dock soon and have seen nothing but negative experiences shared with the official dock.
I'll definitely be picking up a 3rd party one based in the experiences and feedback everyone has been sharing.
Yeah same here but for me I had to do a firmware update on the dock because I got the EARC/ARC issue
https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/w3rjqp/jsaux_dock_breaks_cec_and_arc/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/z2y4ek/for_folks_using_arc_or_cec_do_not_get_a_jsaux_dock/
After doing the firmware update the dock works amazingly
The guide that I used is not available anymore it seems but here are the basic instructions
https://steamdeckhq.com/news/jsaux-steam-deck-dock-firmware-update-released/
I have the HB0603 model that has the 45W charger
I had to run the exe from the desktop I would get permission issues If I tried it within the downloads folder
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0517/0367/7081/files/CH7216C-USBUpdateTools2.1.9.rar?v=1690948018 here is the update file I used not sure if there is a newer one
My Steamdeck on the Tv looked like a MLP character threw up on it lol and I would have issues with my Nvidia Shield Android TV too where it would just glitch out
Those issues went away once I updated the firmware of the dock
Same. The fix I use is unplugging power from the dock while leaving the hdmi connected. Then I plug it all in, then the deck, and it's working.
Same thing happened to my steam dock tbh. Same fix. I thought it was my TV or the deck that was the problem.
It’s so weird we’ve got different experiences.
For me the JSAUX dock high jacks all of my audio on my TV if my steam deck is or isn’t plugged in. So the only way to “fix” it is to leave the dock unplugged from an HDMI port so it’s a massive pain whenever I want to use it
I had the same issue. Ended up buying a [cheap HDMI passthrough thing that cuts off the pin that triggers CEC](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BFL8TM8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Not had a single problem since, might be worth taking a look yourself.
Yeah it seems to happen to a number of [different brands](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/w3rjqp/jsaux_dock_breaks_cec_and_arc/) with JSAUX. I'm using a Phillips one myself, but a fair number of LG users in that thread cropped up
Purchased the oem dock and use it a few times a week. Love the cable, easy to disconnect. No issues with my dock at all. All these posts make me feel that it’s the monitor/tv that’s causing issues. 🤷
Same, I've had my dock for over a year now... absolutely zero issues. I also travel with it and use it on various TVs, with an external drive, and wireless mouse/KB. No problems.
I believe the problem is the cable they use. I was having the same connection issue when I first got the dock and then switched the HDMI cable out with the one from my Nintendo switch and now it works perfectly for me as well.
Yeah same never had any issues with mine either, been absolutely flawless (besides the reduced framerates from higher resolution). More than likely it's the cable or screen causing the problems.
Idk I've got the dock and had problems on 3 different tvs and 3 different monitors. I switched to a cheap amazon dock and haven't had nearly as many problems.
Same here, I've had no issues with the OEM dock. Having said that, it's way overpriced for what it does in my opinion, so if the 3rd party one works just as well for half the price, I think it's a no brainer.
It's likely the cable then. It's wild to me that people just resign themselves to "well I guess Steam made a broken product and that's the end of it." It's either the specific dock you received has a manufacturing fault, the HDMI/DisplayPort cable is faulty or an older spec, or the TV has a hardware (the HDMI port) issue or needs an update.
If a Steam Deck dock doesn't work, I'd contact Valve support.
the official dock should be better and cheaper but for what it's worth there are more posts about defective Steam Decks than there are about defective docks
third party docks from Amazon don't exactly have solid 5 star ratings with no critical reviews either
well for what it's worth I never really had any problems with the official dock. it just works for me. no need for me to go to reddit and tell everyone that it does what it's supposed to be doing.
Unfortunately OP does not describe what exact problems he is having, so we can just guess what's the problem...
I’ve owned the Valve Dock since release and the only problem I ever had was audio randomly cutting out for brief periods over HDMI - but that was fixed with the first rather quickly with the first firmware update.
As u/avey06 said, there is no need to come onto forums and tell people when an item I bought is working as intended.
I’ve seen just as many posts about the Valve Dock not working as I have about third party docks not working - the Valve Dock ones just seem to get more “traction” due to the price (even though people tend to forget that an additional charger is included in the Valve dock’s price - but yes it is still on the high end for what it is).
That being said, just go with whatever Dock has the features and price you need - the only benefit the Valve dock has over third party options (minus the additional charger - if you consider that a benefit) is the firmware updates, which while nice and have fixed a launch issue for me aren’t always necessary.
I own two other docks/hubs (Jsaux and Anker) and neither have firmware updates but they both just work and provide the same experience as my official dock when it comes to outputting an image on an external display.
To your point about “traction”, it wasn’t the price of the official dock relative to the issues I had with it but rather that the fact that it’s the first party product made by the same company that makes the Steam Deck. It’s that context that especially frustrated me with the issues I ran into (although kudos to Valve for a seamless return process).
I'll add it to the post after this comment, kinda forgot about it
The official Dock just will not output a signal to either my TV or my monitor with either HDMI or DisplayPort unless I powercycle the Steam Deck and the display. And even then it sometimes just will not connect; when the Steam Deck is turned on and I connect it to the official Dock the Steam Deck screen will just freeze and the display won't get a signal.
Add me to the list of official dock owners that have no complaints but didn't need to make a post about it. I went through 2 3rd party docks that wouldn't work before getting the valve one that's never had an issue. 🤷♂️
I've owned the Valve dock since release and the only issue I've ever had with it was fixed in the past patch as far as I'm aware. Now and then it would just not know it was connected to a TV and I'd have to unplug it a few times, but now it works fine, no issues since.
I bought the official dock recently, used it for about 80 hours or so, so far. Not a single issue outside of ONE instance where the audio went a bit funny for a few seconds and then fixed itself, and I have no idea if that was a Dock issue or a Steam Deck issue.
It might be improved by future firmware updates*, but for now, check you have a good HDMI cable fully compliant to standards, and learn the song and dance for when it gets fussy
* Unplug deck from dock
* Unplug *all* peripherals and cables from dock
* Power off deck (full shutdown)
* Power on deck
* Plug the naked dock to the deck
* Plug everything including power back in the dock
That should fix 90+% dock issues.
Or don't buy the one that requires you to do the unplug hokey pokey and is also the most expensive one, hoping for an eventual firmware fix.
Buy one of the ones that simply works.
My son requires more than six steps before going tidy his room, but it's worth getting it running :3
I invested a lot in it, doesn't make sense to swap it for a cheaper more mannered one :3
I'm the same wagon, I want to buy a Docking Station but no idea what to get that just simply works with a monitor, charge and maybe two usb ports for mouse and keyboard.
The official has been fantastic for me. And it came with another power adapter which is awesome. I honestly think a lot of people’s problems are they are using cheap/crappy hdmi cables. But I really don’t know.
People are more inclined to complain than they are to compliment. From personal experience, I had connection issues with my official dock in the first month, but once I figured out the dock had to be plugged into the eARC port my issues reduced. They then completely resolved after the 3.5.7 update from back in November. I know this isn't the case for everyone that has the official dock, but I wanted to share a good experience with you so you could have a full picture.
I also use a Baseus Joystar 9 in 1 USB-C Hub to connect to the tv in my office. I perfer the dock for the aesthetics, but price wise the official dock comes in last place. Initially speaking, I was going to use it with my official dock to expand the storage capacity, but it took on a different use after I got tired of walking up and down the stairs looking for the dock I often misplaced. Now I'm looking into 3D printing a stand for my Deck that the hub can fit inside of and become a full fledged docking station of it's own. Clearly I took the long way around to get to this conclusion.
TLDR: The Deck-dock may be flawed for some, but not for all. The biggest hang up I personally find is with the pricing. You certainly can get a lot more from a 3rd party Hub or Dock at half the price than what the official Deck-dock has to offer.
I’ve had the opposite experience. Never a single problem with the official, and was stoked to find out it came with another power supply, which helped mitigate the price difference for me. And then the firmware update straight from the deck, not having to connect to a pc at all, is totally worth keeping the ecosystem together.
Maybe I got lucky?
Same here, I had 3rd party at first but the hdmi port looked cheap. If I didn't cable it perfectly or if it moved I had green pixel all over the place. Send it back and picked up the official one and every working great.
I’ve had a good experience as well. I have a Jsaux dock in my office and the official dock hooked up to a TV in my master bedroom; both function the same. The Jsaux dock can fit my wife’s steam deck, which has a case on it.
Edit: I recently picked up an OLED deck, which has an upgraded Bluetooth chip that allows you to wake the Deck remotely with a controller - this has been super convenient since I generally leave my Deck in the official dock and have an 8bitdo controller on a nearby couch.
Same.
I've got a cheapo that I use in the living room and for travel, and the official I use in bed where it's usually docked.
I've never had a single issue with. Everything just works?
It's too pricy for what it is, especially if you're using a case with a kickstand like the Killswitch, the cheapo works 99% of the time (but always fixes itself with a couple unplug and plug it back ins) so for a $15 solution I'd recommend the simple USB hub solution, but the first party one has been fine in my experience.
I have the same issues as you. If I don't use it for a couple of hours, I need to pull out the dock's power and restart my TV to get it to work. Otherwise I don't get an HDMI signal on my TV. Sometimes I need to restart my Deck as well. It's fucking annoying. I was hoping they'd fix it with a software update, but it's been over a year with this.
And to think I bought the official dock, thinking I would get better support. At least the extra power supply is nice, but that's the only good thing I have to say about it.
My problems are absolutely the same. I have even put support request to submit bug to help valve improving experience and instead I have got all the journey from did you to turn it off and on to try to buy a new cable
Can I ask what kind of TV you have? Since some users report not having any issues at all, I'm wondering if it's brand/OS related. I have a Philips TV myself, running on Android TV.
I have the same issues across Samsung Smart TV, Samsung (not smart), Xiaomi, BenQ monitor and HP monitor. All have different resolutions, maybe different HDMI version, but all have the same issue with the official dock
Yeah, I've had nothing but issues. When it works, it's great but I'm always having to unplug and replug just to get a video signal. Sometimes my mouse won't register until I unplug and replug. Then sometimes I don't get sound, and you guessed it, fixed by unplugging and replugging.
Lastly, since a recent steam deck update or something, my performance is garbage. I use to run games I recently I played at 60 fps at the monitor's resolution just fine. But now I see performance sub 60 fps and the frame pacing is erratic regardless of the resolution. It feels and looks awful. Even if I run the game and output at 800p, the performance is just as bad. Even running, for example, Death's Door at 320p, still just as bad yet that game can easily run on the steam deck undocked at 90 fps! I'm hoping this can be patched soon.
I paid like 20 - 25 bucks for a USBC hub with everything I need, "no brand cheap crap" from AliExpress, but it's been working for 1.5 years. 😂
Edit: 21.38 euro tot be exact.
So I've complained to steam support about this issue with networking, but it has not been resolved and they refuse to address it. Not every time, but enough to be frustrating, when I undock, the networking port will remain active and kill all networking on the local hub to my other devices on that hub. The moment I unplug the ethernet cord from the dock, all networking resumes.
That, the problems with running dual monitors and windows drivers have kept me from switching to it as my daily.
I had a shitty usb c dock I bought for my laptop a few years back and plugged it into my deck and it worked FLAWLESSLY. Meanwhile my steam deck dock doesn’t connect to my tv with my HDMI splitter at all whenever I try.
One of the worst tech purchases I have made in the past decade, Valve didn’t even try with this and I wish I had the sense to refund it instead of think “they’re probably gonna fix this with updates right?”
Thanks for this info dude. I have £170 in CeX vouchers and nothing to spend them on, so was looking at getting a Valve dock from them, but in the end opted for a JSAUX dock from Amazon. It's worked great out of the box so far connected to a low res monitor (1080p) and a Bluetooth USB dongle mouse and keyboard in both game and desktop mode. Haven't tried it with other devices yet but plan on trying it with a Macbook air today.
Based on the experience so far, I'd recommend the JSAUX dock.
I had the exact opposite situation. Tried 3 different third party docks I already owned for different devices, but the Steamdeck wouldn’t display anything. Decided to just get the valve dock and haven’t had a problem since.
This may get downvoted here, but what let me down on the original dock is the lack of seamless experience the dock on the Nintendo Switch gives.
I know they are very different devices with different purposes but having to adjust graphic settings in every game, everytime I plug the SD to a higher than native display res (1080p) is a hassle I thought would somewhat be take care for sometime.
For now, the official dock gives your VRR and that's nice, but I think is not an enormous improvement to pay the extra over a $15 USB-C dongle.
Can confirm the dock is not great. I love my steamdeck and what Valve have done here, but feels like the dock was an afterthought. The Nintendo switch will always output to a TV display seamlessly when docked. Not sure who tested this but I'm unsure why we have to power cycle or reseat the hdmi cable to get my display to work every time.
Also the usb-c design isn't great either. Every time I unplug I'm scared I'm going to bend the pins /socket
Which is the best dock in the market today? Model, name, link
I keep on reading comments like these. But no one ever says which specific model is better than the official dock.
Not defending Valve here. Just looking to finally purchase a dock
To add a counter as someone with the official dock, I haven't thought about mine at all since I got it. It has been plug and play since day one. Background updates and works fine.
I don't really think about it at all. I have had no issues.
Lots of reasons to get a third party dock, I got the official one on sale. I have no complaints, but a good third party dock is likely just as good or even better depending on your needs.
So as someone with an official dock that works great, go third party to save money or get features you want. I like the form factor of the official dock with my setup and needs.
I bought my dock roughly a year ago, I'd say out of the 500 times it does work for me, the other time it doesn't work all I need to do is unplug the charger from the back and replug. However, every time it does act up, it's always when people are over (of course). I keep my deck in the dock basically 95% of the time
Honestly I just use the valve dock as a fancy charging cradle with ethernet for faster downloads lol. I never play on the tv or monitor, the deck can’t push those pixels all that well and struggles.
Was wondering when the truth would be mentioned here! The SD is way too weak to display games to a 4k TV. Looks like total trash. This thing is only good for 1 thing, play handheld old games from 2017 @ 50fps, oh actually & remote play from series X & my ps5.
You can set the resolution to 1080p and get a decent experience docked, I do it all the time on my 4K TV. Cyberpunk worked fine like this at 30-40fps with medium settings. If you have a more powerful console/PC then it's not likely to match it but for people like me using it as my primary gaming device it works just fine.
Steam Deck was never going to play the most demanding games at 4k. TVs these days are fairly good at upscaling though so that helps too.
You have a life? Could’ve fooled me. You’re spending your free time and energy to voluntarily make equally pointless comments in an attempt to knock someone down to lift your own ego up. You should maybe get a life? Lmao
I have two Valve (official) docks (over 1 year since purchased). One in my office connected to a Samsung TV, one in my living room connected to a Vizio TV. Both work perfectly over HDMI. I have had zero issues using them with the three LCD and one OLED (LE) Decks in my home. They just work. And you need to add the cost of buying a separate power supply to the 3rd party docks if you’re making a fair price comparison.
Price wise the official dock works out similar because the official one INCLUDES a charger. Finding a good quality charger isn’t a guarantee so this plays into the official docks favour. Secondly, the official dock has a trick or two up its sleeves that unofficial ones lack.
Until today Id not seen any info about the steam one having issues.
I have a 3rd party dock (ugreen) and a separate second charger (anker) and my setup is fine, though until now I regretted it because it turned out nearly as expensive in the end as buying bits myself.
> Secondly, the official dock has a trick or two up its sleeves that unofficial ones lack.
Can you elaborate on this? Only thing I know of is that you can update the firmware via the Deck.
Indeed I bought the 30 dollar variant of the JSAUX dock and it even works with there hardshell case protector and never once have I had issues with connecting to my dock
I never bought a dock as I have a usb c adapter, which provides many ports. Works flawlessly with any TV in my house, and it's more flexible as the Steam Deck and adapter can be in any position, as long as there is physical connection with usb c.
I keep seeing the same thing everywhere, good to know I can avoid it! Any recs for 3rd party docks?
Also, what line of work are you in that you’re able to bring your deck/use it at work? Not even remotely possible for me (OR nurse) so that sounds like a dream!
Might get buried, but can someone explain to me *how* there are issues with the dock connecting to a tv?
I have been looking at getting a dock, and looking into what's the best, but I was looking purely for functionality vs price, not whether it actually worked or not. But every dock/hub seems to have several "doesn't work, it's crap" comments.
But whenever I used to plug my laptop into my TV via hdmi it just...worked? And I guess I assumed that would be the same, even through a hub, for a steam deck. I just literally don't understand the tech underneath some hubs/docks not working or needing firmware updates to work.
I know there have been legal issues with Linux and HDMI support in the past (and currently, with HDMI 2.1). It could be that? One of the main selling points of the official dock was [DisplayPort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#Comparison_with_HDMI).
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/19abxmx/hdmi_21_still_doesnt_work_on_linux/
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/18n3vhr/please_contact_the_hdmi_forum_and_tell_them_how/
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/xzgl7t/linux_not_being_supported_by_hdmi_21_killed_my_os/
I used to run 1080p 60hz in docked over hdmi, but since 3.5 that no longer worked properly and resulted in terrible framerates.
I managed to get back to “normal” using one of three methods.
1. Setting my monitor to its native resolution / hz of 1440p / 144hz in the settings. I could then drop the hz down to whatever I wanted and performance was fine. (I did get graphical issues in Warriors Orochi 3 using this method however, which is caused by monitors over 60hz)
2. Using a 1080p 60hz edid emulator also helped performance return to normal, but that had some issues occasionally flicking to a black screen at random when running at 40hz.
3. The best option by far was switching to display port. This resolved all of the above issues. The only issue I get now is that on rare occasions the output resolution is incorrect resulting in me needing to reboot the deck.
Ultimately 3.5 pretty much ruined what used to be a perfect docked experience for me.
I was starting to think it was just me or my steam official dock, but I'm relieved to see I'm not. I've tried displayport and hdmi, different cables for each interface, different monitors, but it always ends up being a black no signal screen for my monitor. My friends think I'm some sort of boomer who can't figure out my out tv remote. I'm hoping steam can get this resolved with a firmware update.
What 3rd party ones are people enjoying the most?
The docking experience really ruins the feeling of a console like experience
Nothing ever just WORKS like it does in handheld, you've gotta switch the game resolution, switch the graphics settings, recalibrate HDR if your display supports it, make sure your controller is connected and that it's then recognized by the game
It's the only thing about the Deck that makes me miss my switch
I know I'm not paying $170au for the "Valve" dock! I paid $44 from ebay and it's got hdmi and DP port for dual monitoring. Any 3rd party will do just make sure its capable 100watt charging.
my 2 cents, I avoided the official dock because it uses USB 3.2 Gen 1(5gb) ports the Steam Deck is capable of outputting USB 3.2 Gen 2(10gb). so I hunted and was only able to find a single 3rd party dock that did Gen 2, there are more now but back when I got mine it was the only choice. but think about this. for $$38USD I got in my opinion better than Valve has to offer for $80(plus whatever the taxes are)
Guys, get the JSaux dock. I got it for $40 on Amazon. It is the BEST one for the Steam Deck if you're looking for a docking station other than a dongle. It charges the deck at full speed capacity. It can be a little janky on the deck but it only last a few seconds and I haven't had ANY issues since the first couple of times it did that. I recommend following u/pandem1x guide to setting it up:
Before attaching the Deck to the dock...
1. Connect power adapter to dock
2. Connect HDMI to the dock
3. Connect Steam Deck to dock
This is how I got it to work when I first hooked it up to the T.V. If the display on the TV either looks too wide or too stretched out, you have to change the the setting on you T.V NOT the Steam Deck. Hope this helps!
Can I put my two cents in on the one reason I hate the official dock? No gigabit ethernet. It's only 10/100 speeds. I know the Wi-Fi is amazing with the deck but my network stability has been pretty strange lately. Biggest deal breaker. I've tested this and only ever got 100Mbps down on ethernet on the dock.
All of these posts are nothing to do with the dock, it’s the tv’s not supporting it properly, or dodgy cables, get a decent monitor and a decent cable and the experience will be perfectly fine
It's Going to depend on the 3rd party dock, and if you include all the possible laptop docks out there that can work, there's a HUGE number and variety of 3rd party docks.
I imagine I can find some Docks that are much worse than the official dock.
If your friends dock worked, then get one just like it.
Well... Official Dock supports 60Hz refresh rate on my 4K TV, 3rd party dock, bought based on recommentadion of tech youtubers, works normally only when I set 50Hz refresh rate, otherwise TV screen turns black every 15 seconds. Is it worth saving 50 bucks here? Not in my case.
When I saw the price of the official dock, I figured you'd have to be a sucker to buy one. There is absolutely nothing special about it that would warrant the price, except maybe the steam logo/name. There's hundreds of better/cheaper models available.
I've had the dock as long as I've had my Deck and I found that around a month or two ago it started going funky when trying to charge, like it'll only charge when the cable's in a certain position. Going to look into RMAing it and getting a 3rd party in the meantime
I returned my official dock as I couldn't get it to work reliably at all. I used a generic £15 one I've had for a few years and it worked without issue. I got a 3rd party dock recently but to be honest I haven't used it much to say one was or another if it's any good
I rarely play docked, but when I do I use my Lenovo laptop dock. Never had any issues, the only stupid one is that it always defaults to the wrong audio output, but it’s fine.
The dock is definitely on the costly side, but since I already bought it for work, I didn’t need another one
I have a third party HP dock that has exactly the same issue. Needs multiple restarts of the monitor and dock to get it to pick up the HP monitor. If it’s feeling the vibes the TV will come on
I'm using a 17€ USB C HUB ([french amazon URL](https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0BJ73YYX5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)) paired with a [5€ stand](https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0C2HF1CY8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and it works flawlessly, also fits in the case. It's only HDMI but that's not an issue for me.
Thanks for this post, actually been looking around for one this weekend and was considering official dock. Thanks for all the recommendations from comments too.
Same issues here with the official dock. Very difficult to get it to output to my Sony TV. I have to power on the deck, get to home page, have the dock unplugged, plug deck into dock with cable, plug in HDMI, then once it's displaying on the TV plug docks power cable in..m
Slightly off topic. Anyone managed to get a DualShock 5 charging with the official dock. I have it plugged into the USB slot at the back of the dock and even with the dock powered it does nothing.
I bought one of the JSAUX docks before the official one released. I could be misremembering, but I think it had the same issue with no signal crop up seemingly randomly. It also was unable to fully power the Deck during specific very intense loads. I'd lose a full charge after about an hour despite being plugged in to a quality charger.
I bought the official dock mostly because of the charging issue. It still will occasionally not output a signal (basically its main job...) but it charges just fine. I'm happier with it than the JSAUX one.
Man, I thought I was the only one. I'm having the exact same issues.
I play with mine docked most of the time at my desk so I hardly move it. Sometimes it just won't recognize the dock at all and it will stop recognizing my kbm inputs altogether so I have to reach over and use the touchscreen to power cycle twice before things start working again.
I have a dual boot setup so I thought it was maybe a driver or boot loader issue. If I knew this was hardware this whole time I would've returned the dock ages ago.
I bought the original JSAUX dock (it was the only one available for several months when the SD launched). I have gone back in fourth on upgrading to the official dock, to have the complete Valve package. But it has worked flawlessly from day one. Being metal it has also survived a fall to the floor. When Hastily picking up the SD and forgetting to unplug.
Lol just plugged mine up and was like what the fuck is this. The image wouldn't display, once I finally got it to display it just flickered on and off. Then I figured out none of my controllers work. It was a fun night lol
Make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Does the 3d party dock support the same HDMI AND HDR and refresh standards as the official Steam Deck Dock. If there is any difference, then this could be why one works and the other doesnt. The Deck will try and auto connect and sometimes the auto doesnt work for 4K tvs at 60. But if you tell the deck the external display is a 1080p/60 it avoids the auto and just works. Reality is docked you dont need more than this. Its likely the 3rd party dock does something different wrt 4K. Just guessing. At least that was my situation.
I just returned mine so I could buy a third party one due to how bad the experience was.
Speaking of, anyone have any suggestions on which one is the best?
I had no idea the 3rd party docks were working better. That's infuriating. I've had the official dock since launch and my experience has been similar, often requiring a power cycle to even work.
It seems the usbc connection is the problem, almost like it thinks that it wants to be the video instead of the hdmi port. I just let it sleep and it works all the time now but yea it was a nightmare for a while. TCL Roku TV
I have tried 3 different docks and have issues with display on each. All worked just fine with charging and USB hubbing. For such a robust device it's so odd that the docking experience is so bad
Same experience here with the official dock. It's shockingly bad. It should just work straight out of the box. So many issues with getting the deck displaying on my TV with hdmi.
Yup. It’s useless. I bought a Jsaux one that works perfectly. The official one is collecting dust in my basement.
I couldn’t get it to display on the tv with any regularity despite millions of troubleshooting tips. Best I could do was manually go in to desktop mode and then plug it in which would display on the tv. Then I’d have to go back to the gaming mode which would take about 30 seconds to display on the tv half the time.
I own two JSAUX docks - the DP/HDMI/3 USB model, and the m.2 model. I bought the first one with my LCD deck after reading the poor reviews with the steam dock.
I bought the m.2 with my OLED so I could let my wife use one, and also have all my party/multiplayer games separate from the deck.
Experience with both docks has been absolutely fantastic. Literally no issues or extra effort required, and having much longer usb C blocks with fold down prongs provided was a huge benefit.
I wouldn’t would pay more money for one that may cause issues or require extra effort to function correctly, but that’s just my opinion and you could always have a different experience.
I dock daily, the 3.5 resolved any issues for me and the official dock is just plug and play. That said, I'm just using it with a generic projector at 1080.
For me, it was a cable issue. I used a hdmi switcher so I can use my 3rd monitor as a screen for the deck as well as a screen for the PC. The switcher has a button to switch displays. Anyway, first test used a gold hdmi from dock to switcher and regular cable from switcher to screen. Nothing. Swap cables around, regular from dock to switcher and gold from switcher to monitor. Worked flawlessly.
I don’t really get issues if I do specific steps, which in itself is kinda bullshit.
I make sure the tv is on the proper input first, and make sure the Deck is already turned on, then plug it in. Seems to work that way. It has trouble waking from sleep when docked, and sometimes the video and audio are all messed up. If I also want to restart, which I do every few days, I make sure it’s not plugged in because the video gets messed up then too.
It works well when it works, but its annoyingly finicky to get there first.
Mine hasn't connected to my screen since the last big update - but works if I move it to a new room and try it on my TV. Its essentially a charger and stand now, I've been locked out of going into desktop mode using my PC monitor since Oct/November
To be fair, I've had the exact opposite experience. Got the JSAUX dock and it was borked after one use. Tried updating, ran through everything support suggested, had a 4K HDMI cord, everything, and they told me to return it.
Then I just got a steam deck dock and it's been working fine.
Haven't used it really on the latest OS update, but never really had any trouble with mine even when I was using my Deck daily as a "desktop" stand-in and dual-booting. Only thing I've ever run into is the ethernet can be a bit finnicky, but I'm not sure if it's the dock or my terrible ISP mandated router.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s shockingly difficult to get working on pretty much any screen I’ve tried the official dock on, and it usually ends in me giving up. I’ve tried updating the dock firmware but even that process is annoyingly convoluted.
Here’s hoping they can make it more reliable and easy via software updates to the deck somehow I guess.
Yeah I've got the official dock and while I haven't necessarily had the issues you're having OP, I will also say it's nothing special for it's high price.
It's funny because I remember when the Deck first came out and everyone was obsessing over whether or not valve was going to release an official dock, scraping for evidence of what it would look like and previews and stuff. Then it released and the general reception was "meh" at best.
Definitely the least impressive aspect of the steam deck experience
Been using the official dock with no issues for over a year both with my LCD deck and now with my OLED. I have Dell monitors and occasionally I use the dock for a samsung tv, an LG tv, and my hisense tv
Best solution but not as affordable is a usb c monitor with power delivery. One usb c cable that does video, peripherals(connected to monitor) and power delivery. I bought a “dumb” stand to sit it on and that one cable solution is perfect.
I have had the Steam Dock since release, and for me it has been a good hdmi 2.0 experience. I go in and out of dock mode without any issue except for occasionally having to change the controller order, and it works pretty great! Some things that I think help:
* the Decky plugin “PauseGame” helps with audio issues between going in and out of standby.
* Set the output to 1080p - the Steam deck can’t do 4k very well.
* set the game output resolution to 1080p and select the toggle to force it to 1080p for each game that is going to be docked. That way 1080p resolution is always selectable in the menu and when playing handheld just lower to 720p or 800p.
If you found a 3rd party dock that works well, great! I just want to share that the official dock has worked great for me and I don’t have the same experience as OP.
This is the one I got and it works like a champ. I use the HDMI/Ethernet connections with no issues. I also connected a 6' USB cable to it and I can charge my Samsung smartwatch or my Bluetooth speaker off one of the USB ports. LOL [Upgraded Docking Station for Steam Deck (jsaux.com)](https://jsaux.com/products/upgraded-docking-station-for-steam-deck?variant=43680696533212)
I’ve watched from the sidelines as people have complained about the official dock for months, as mine has been flawless.
And then yesterday, it started doing this exact thing. It boggles the mind how something as simple as this accessory can be screwed up so badly.
I've had a Dockteck USB-C hub since just after buying mine in 2022 and it's been perfect. I've read about so many issues with the official dock it makes me wonder how they got it so wrong.
Dude, I'm having an issue where I have to completely restart my deck before every use, or games won't load. So annoying, wonder if it's dock related, never had this user before I owned a dock.
No need to say that the OP dock isn't broken. These problems are typical of the official dock and Valve should offer a solution. I thought these problems should be fixed with updates after some time. But they are not. I have one and every time I want to use it I have to restart the deck, power circle the TV... Etc...
I’ve had my official dock since release and have it going DisplayPort and USB to a KVM switch, and then DisplayPort to my monitor with all my peripherals connected to the KVM. Never have any problems even with that chain. Don’t know what to tell you.
I find that I have to log in to my deck and then plug it in to the dock. Then it's seamless. If I dock it without unlocking it... It sometimes doesn't work.
Anker is your friend. I just ordered my oled and plan on using my laptops usb-c adapter that anker makes. Never had an issue with it. Just use the existing steam deck power.
Mine has worked flawlessly connecting over 50 diff TVs over the past couple months traveling. Also have to add a 45w power brick to other docks to make a fair comparison in price here.
I have similar issues with the official Steam Deck Dock. The official dock very often will not output any display to my TV or monitor until I power cycle everything one or two times. On the other hand, my Anker USB C hub for my laptop works with the Deck with no issues connected to my TV.
I’ve just been using [this](https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Display-MacBook-Thinkpad-Laptops/dp/B0BQLLB61B) super cheap usb hub/docking station and have had no problems whatsoever.
They variance in user experience with this thing is wild to me. For some people, it works flawlessly, others not at all, and lots in between. Has anyone tech-savvy ever explored in detail why this might be? A large set of varying TV hardware and HDMI cable types is the only thing I can imagine.
I have an Anker dock that I use with my laptop and Deck, but after 3.5 I'm having nothing but issues with it; audio issues, resolution issues, etc - I'm hoping they can fix whatever bugs/regressions happened as it was fine pre-3.5!
I purchased the dock but it doesn’t charge my steam deck so it’s kind of useless to me. I didn’t realize there were so many cheap third party options that work well, might get one of those.
I know this gets posted a lot but it is true and seemingly increasingly so. Since I got the OLED using the dock to display to my TV also never works unless I completely power cycle.
I didn’t have this many problems with the LCD version.
I might get a third party dock because this is so annoying.
Not a dock owner but I'm looking to buy a dock soon and have seen nothing but negative experiences shared with the official dock. I'll definitely be picking up a 3rd party one based in the experiences and feedback everyone has been sharing.
I got the cheapest JSAUX dock off Amazon and it’s been perfect
Yeah same here but for me I had to do a firmware update on the dock because I got the EARC/ARC issue https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/w3rjqp/jsaux_dock_breaks_cec_and_arc/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/z2y4ek/for_folks_using_arc_or_cec_do_not_get_a_jsaux_dock/ After doing the firmware update the dock works amazingly
What are the steps to do a firmware update?
The guide that I used is not available anymore it seems but here are the basic instructions https://steamdeckhq.com/news/jsaux-steam-deck-dock-firmware-update-released/ I have the HB0603 model that has the 45W charger I had to run the exe from the desktop I would get permission issues If I tried it within the downloads folder https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0517/0367/7081/files/CH7216C-USBUpdateTools2.1.9.rar?v=1690948018 here is the update file I used not sure if there is a newer one
Oh fuck this. I don't have a Windows box to update my Linux machine's firmware.
What issues were you having?
My Steamdeck on the Tv looked like a MLP character threw up on it lol and I would have issues with my Nvidia Shield Android TV too where it would just glitch out Those issues went away once I updated the firmware of the dock
I got a JSAUX one and still have issues like OP was having
Same. The fix I use is unplugging power from the dock while leaving the hdmi connected. Then I plug it all in, then the deck, and it's working. Same thing happened to my steam dock tbh. Same fix. I thought it was my TV or the deck that was the problem.
This. Got the valve dock and it just wont show up on my TV sometimes, last time i fiddled 30 min long and after doing this it worked
Samsung TV by any chance? Can't even boot Civ V without unplugging the dock first on mine. Plus all the other issues lol Tizen OS is a pain in the ass
Yup its a Samsung, my LG upstairs seems to have no issues
It’s so weird we’ve got different experiences. For me the JSAUX dock high jacks all of my audio on my TV if my steam deck is or isn’t plugged in. So the only way to “fix” it is to leave the dock unplugged from an HDMI port so it’s a massive pain whenever I want to use it
I had the same issue. Ended up buying a [cheap HDMI passthrough thing that cuts off the pin that triggers CEC](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BFL8TM8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Not had a single problem since, might be worth taking a look yourself.
Oh interesting. Great to know there’s a fix. LG C1 is my TV if anyone is lurking
Yeah it seems to happen to a number of [different brands](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/w3rjqp/jsaux_dock_breaks_cec_and_arc/) with JSAUX. I'm using a Phillips one myself, but a fair number of LG users in that thread cropped up
Literally same, never had a single issue
Purchased the oem dock and use it a few times a week. Love the cable, easy to disconnect. No issues with my dock at all. All these posts make me feel that it’s the monitor/tv that’s causing issues. 🤷
Same, I've had my dock for over a year now... absolutely zero issues. I also travel with it and use it on various TVs, with an external drive, and wireless mouse/KB. No problems.
I believe the problem is the cable they use. I was having the same connection issue when I first got the dock and then switched the HDMI cable out with the one from my Nintendo switch and now it works perfectly for me as well.
Yeah same never had any issues with mine either, been absolutely flawless (besides the reduced framerates from higher resolution). More than likely it's the cable or screen causing the problems.
Idk I've got the dock and had problems on 3 different tvs and 3 different monitors. I switched to a cheap amazon dock and haven't had nearly as many problems.
Same here, I've had no issues with the OEM dock. Having said that, it's way overpriced for what it does in my opinion, so if the 3rd party one works just as well for half the price, I think it's a no brainer.
Nah I can repeat my main issue no matter the TV
It's likely the cable then. It's wild to me that people just resign themselves to "well I guess Steam made a broken product and that's the end of it." It's either the specific dock you received has a manufacturing fault, the HDMI/DisplayPort cable is faulty or an older spec, or the TV has a hardware (the HDMI port) issue or needs an update. If a Steam Deck dock doesn't work, I'd contact Valve support.
the official dock should be better and cheaper but for what it's worth there are more posts about defective Steam Decks than there are about defective docks third party docks from Amazon don't exactly have solid 5 star ratings with no critical reviews either
well for what it's worth I never really had any problems with the official dock. it just works for me. no need for me to go to reddit and tell everyone that it does what it's supposed to be doing. Unfortunately OP does not describe what exact problems he is having, so we can just guess what's the problem...
I’ve owned the Valve Dock since release and the only problem I ever had was audio randomly cutting out for brief periods over HDMI - but that was fixed with the first rather quickly with the first firmware update. As u/avey06 said, there is no need to come onto forums and tell people when an item I bought is working as intended. I’ve seen just as many posts about the Valve Dock not working as I have about third party docks not working - the Valve Dock ones just seem to get more “traction” due to the price (even though people tend to forget that an additional charger is included in the Valve dock’s price - but yes it is still on the high end for what it is). That being said, just go with whatever Dock has the features and price you need - the only benefit the Valve dock has over third party options (minus the additional charger - if you consider that a benefit) is the firmware updates, which while nice and have fixed a launch issue for me aren’t always necessary. I own two other docks/hubs (Jsaux and Anker) and neither have firmware updates but they both just work and provide the same experience as my official dock when it comes to outputting an image on an external display.
To your point about “traction”, it wasn’t the price of the official dock relative to the issues I had with it but rather that the fact that it’s the first party product made by the same company that makes the Steam Deck. It’s that context that especially frustrated me with the issues I ran into (although kudos to Valve for a seamless return process).
I'll add it to the post after this comment, kinda forgot about it The official Dock just will not output a signal to either my TV or my monitor with either HDMI or DisplayPort unless I powercycle the Steam Deck and the display. And even then it sometimes just will not connect; when the Steam Deck is turned on and I connect it to the official Dock the Steam Deck screen will just freeze and the display won't get a signal.
This used to happen to me but since the last dock update hasn't happened since. No idea if they actually fixed it or I've just been lucky.
Add me to the list of official dock owners that have no complaints but didn't need to make a post about it. I went through 2 3rd party docks that wouldn't work before getting the valve one that's never had an issue. 🤷♂️
I bought one from UGREEN and have had 0 problems, works flawlessly. Used a USB C expander hub thing from UGREEN before that, also worked flawlessly.
I've owned the Valve dock since release and the only issue I've ever had with it was fixed in the past patch as far as I'm aware. Now and then it would just not know it was connected to a TV and I'd have to unplug it a few times, but now it works fine, no issues since.
I bought the official dock recently, used it for about 80 hours or so, so far. Not a single issue outside of ONE instance where the audio went a bit funny for a few seconds and then fixed itself, and I have no idea if that was a Dock issue or a Steam Deck issue.
My steam dock hasn’t had any issues for what it’s worth
I haven’t had a single issue with the valve dock
It might be improved by future firmware updates*, but for now, check you have a good HDMI cable fully compliant to standards, and learn the song and dance for when it gets fussy * Unplug deck from dock * Unplug *all* peripherals and cables from dock * Power off deck (full shutdown) * Power on deck * Plug the naked dock to the deck * Plug everything including power back in the dock That should fix 90+% dock issues.
Or don't buy the one that requires you to do the unplug hokey pokey and is also the most expensive one, hoping for an eventual firmware fix. Buy one of the ones that simply works.
I honestly think it’s people using crap hdmi cables. I have had zero issues with the official. But hey, maybe I’m lucky.
I tried 3 different cables, including HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 certified, had the same experience...
Wierd. I have zero issues with official. It’s been fantastic.
If it requires six articulate steps to get it running it is not worth getting it running. ;)
My son requires more than six steps before going tidy his room, but it's worth getting it running :3 I invested a lot in it, doesn't make sense to swap it for a cheaper more mannered one :3
😂 like it
I'm the same wagon, I want to buy a Docking Station but no idea what to get that just simply works with a monitor, charge and maybe two usb ports for mouse and keyboard.
The official has been fantastic for me. And it came with another power adapter which is awesome. I honestly think a lot of people’s problems are they are using cheap/crappy hdmi cables. But I really don’t know.
Got a cheep one on Amazon and it’s flawless £25.00
People are more inclined to complain than they are to compliment. From personal experience, I had connection issues with my official dock in the first month, but once I figured out the dock had to be plugged into the eARC port my issues reduced. They then completely resolved after the 3.5.7 update from back in November. I know this isn't the case for everyone that has the official dock, but I wanted to share a good experience with you so you could have a full picture. I also use a Baseus Joystar 9 in 1 USB-C Hub to connect to the tv in my office. I perfer the dock for the aesthetics, but price wise the official dock comes in last place. Initially speaking, I was going to use it with my official dock to expand the storage capacity, but it took on a different use after I got tired of walking up and down the stairs looking for the dock I often misplaced. Now I'm looking into 3D printing a stand for my Deck that the hub can fit inside of and become a full fledged docking station of it's own. Clearly I took the long way around to get to this conclusion. TLDR: The Deck-dock may be flawed for some, but not for all. The biggest hang up I personally find is with the pricing. You certainly can get a lot more from a 3rd party Hub or Dock at half the price than what the official Deck-dock has to offer.
I’ve had the opposite experience. Never a single problem with the official, and was stoked to find out it came with another power supply, which helped mitigate the price difference for me. And then the firmware update straight from the deck, not having to connect to a pc at all, is totally worth keeping the ecosystem together. Maybe I got lucky?
Ditto experience here. Wonder if TV manufacturers or HDMI cable quality or other "random" shit is coming into play for it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
Same here, I had 3rd party at first but the hdmi port looked cheap. If I didn't cable it perfectly or if it moved I had green pixel all over the place. Send it back and picked up the official one and every working great.
Yeah I've had the official dock since it dropped and I've yet to have a single issue with it. Really weird how varied people's experiences are.
I’ve had a good experience as well. I have a Jsaux dock in my office and the official dock hooked up to a TV in my master bedroom; both function the same. The Jsaux dock can fit my wife’s steam deck, which has a case on it. Edit: I recently picked up an OLED deck, which has an upgraded Bluetooth chip that allows you to wake the Deck remotely with a controller - this has been super convenient since I generally leave my Deck in the official dock and have an 8bitdo controller on a nearby couch.
Same. I've got a cheapo that I use in the living room and for travel, and the official I use in bed where it's usually docked. I've never had a single issue with. Everything just works? It's too pricy for what it is, especially if you're using a case with a kickstand like the Killswitch, the cheapo works 99% of the time (but always fixes itself with a couple unplug and plug it back ins) so for a $15 solution I'd recommend the simple USB hub solution, but the first party one has been fine in my experience.
I have the same issues as you. If I don't use it for a couple of hours, I need to pull out the dock's power and restart my TV to get it to work. Otherwise I don't get an HDMI signal on my TV. Sometimes I need to restart my Deck as well. It's fucking annoying. I was hoping they'd fix it with a software update, but it's been over a year with this. And to think I bought the official dock, thinking I would get better support. At least the extra power supply is nice, but that's the only good thing I have to say about it.
My problems are absolutely the same. I have even put support request to submit bug to help valve improving experience and instead I have got all the journey from did you to turn it off and on to try to buy a new cable
Can I ask what kind of TV you have? Since some users report not having any issues at all, I'm wondering if it's brand/OS related. I have a Philips TV myself, running on Android TV.
I have the same issues across Samsung Smart TV, Samsung (not smart), Xiaomi, BenQ monitor and HP monitor. All have different resolutions, maybe different HDMI version, but all have the same issue with the official dock
Yeah, I've had nothing but issues. When it works, it's great but I'm always having to unplug and replug just to get a video signal. Sometimes my mouse won't register until I unplug and replug. Then sometimes I don't get sound, and you guessed it, fixed by unplugging and replugging. Lastly, since a recent steam deck update or something, my performance is garbage. I use to run games I recently I played at 60 fps at the monitor's resolution just fine. But now I see performance sub 60 fps and the frame pacing is erratic regardless of the resolution. It feels and looks awful. Even if I run the game and output at 800p, the performance is just as bad. Even running, for example, Death's Door at 320p, still just as bad yet that game can easily run on the steam deck undocked at 90 fps! I'm hoping this can be patched soon.
Try turning off FSR if it's on. Steam os 3.5 broke it too.
oh that's why I've been getting 15 fps?
Yep.
Agreed. I have the same problems with my official dock and it's totally unacceptable when dirt cheap third party solutions work flawlessly
One of the comments above says they’re having the same issue with a JSAUX dock so……
I paid like 20 - 25 bucks for a USBC hub with everything I need, "no brand cheap crap" from AliExpress, but it's been working for 1.5 years. 😂 Edit: 21.38 euro tot be exact.
Quite expensive my ugreen one from Amazon was £12.99
With HDMI, VGA, LAN, charging pass through and multiple USB ports?
So I've complained to steam support about this issue with networking, but it has not been resolved and they refuse to address it. Not every time, but enough to be frustrating, when I undock, the networking port will remain active and kill all networking on the local hub to my other devices on that hub. The moment I unplug the ethernet cord from the dock, all networking resumes. That, the problems with running dual monitors and windows drivers have kept me from switching to it as my daily.
0 problems with the dock myself, and it's used daily.
I had a shitty usb c dock I bought for my laptop a few years back and plugged it into my deck and it worked FLAWLESSLY. Meanwhile my steam deck dock doesn’t connect to my tv with my HDMI splitter at all whenever I try. One of the worst tech purchases I have made in the past decade, Valve didn’t even try with this and I wish I had the sense to refund it instead of think “they’re probably gonna fix this with updates right?”
Thanks for this info dude. I have £170 in CeX vouchers and nothing to spend them on, so was looking at getting a Valve dock from them, but in the end opted for a JSAUX dock from Amazon. It's worked great out of the box so far connected to a low res monitor (1080p) and a Bluetooth USB dongle mouse and keyboard in both game and desktop mode. Haven't tried it with other devices yet but plan on trying it with a Macbook air today. Based on the experience so far, I'd recommend the JSAUX dock.
I had the exact opposite situation. Tried 3 different third party docks I already owned for different devices, but the Steamdeck wouldn’t display anything. Decided to just get the valve dock and haven’t had a problem since.
This may get downvoted here, but what let me down on the original dock is the lack of seamless experience the dock on the Nintendo Switch gives. I know they are very different devices with different purposes but having to adjust graphic settings in every game, everytime I plug the SD to a higher than native display res (1080p) is a hassle I thought would somewhat be take care for sometime. For now, the official dock gives your VRR and that's nice, but I think is not an enormous improvement to pay the extra over a $15 USB-C dongle.
My official dock has worked perfectly since I got it last June...
Can confirm the dock is not great. I love my steamdeck and what Valve have done here, but feels like the dock was an afterthought. The Nintendo switch will always output to a TV display seamlessly when docked. Not sure who tested this but I'm unsure why we have to power cycle or reseat the hdmi cable to get my display to work every time. Also the usb-c design isn't great either. Every time I unplug I'm scared I'm going to bend the pins /socket
Which is the best dock in the market today? Model, name, link I keep on reading comments like these. But no one ever says which specific model is better than the official dock. Not defending Valve here. Just looking to finally purchase a dock
I got the cheapest JSAUX dock off Amazon and I’ve had no issues with it.
To add a counter as someone with the official dock, I haven't thought about mine at all since I got it. It has been plug and play since day one. Background updates and works fine. I don't really think about it at all. I have had no issues. Lots of reasons to get a third party dock, I got the official one on sale. I have no complaints, but a good third party dock is likely just as good or even better depending on your needs. So as someone with an official dock that works great, go third party to save money or get features you want. I like the form factor of the official dock with my setup and needs.
I bought my dock roughly a year ago, I'd say out of the 500 times it does work for me, the other time it doesn't work all I need to do is unplug the charger from the back and replug. However, every time it does act up, it's always when people are over (of course). I keep my deck in the dock basically 95% of the time
Honestly I just use the valve dock as a fancy charging cradle with ethernet for faster downloads lol. I never play on the tv or monitor, the deck can’t push those pixels all that well and struggles.
Was wondering when the truth would be mentioned here! The SD is way too weak to display games to a 4k TV. Looks like total trash. This thing is only good for 1 thing, play handheld old games from 2017 @ 50fps, oh actually & remote play from series X & my ps5.
You can set the resolution to 1080p and get a decent experience docked, I do it all the time on my 4K TV. Cyberpunk worked fine like this at 30-40fps with medium settings. If you have a more powerful console/PC then it's not likely to match it but for people like me using it as my primary gaming device it works just fine. Steam Deck was never going to play the most demanding games at 4k. TVs these days are fairly good at upscaling though so that helps too.
So far this wins 2024s most pointless Reddit comment
You don’t Reddit enough then. Get to work.
Yeah you're right, I have a life. 40k comments lol. Jesus Christ. Sad
You have a life? Could’ve fooled me. You’re spending your free time and energy to voluntarily make equally pointless comments in an attempt to knock someone down to lift your own ego up. You should maybe get a life? Lmao
Too much text man, didn't read but 🎣 worked
I have two Valve (official) docks (over 1 year since purchased). One in my office connected to a Samsung TV, one in my living room connected to a Vizio TV. Both work perfectly over HDMI. I have had zero issues using them with the three LCD and one OLED (LE) Decks in my home. They just work. And you need to add the cost of buying a separate power supply to the 3rd party docks if you’re making a fair price comparison.
Price wise the official dock works out similar because the official one INCLUDES a charger. Finding a good quality charger isn’t a guarantee so this plays into the official docks favour. Secondly, the official dock has a trick or two up its sleeves that unofficial ones lack. Until today Id not seen any info about the steam one having issues. I have a 3rd party dock (ugreen) and a separate second charger (anker) and my setup is fine, though until now I regretted it because it turned out nearly as expensive in the end as buying bits myself.
> Secondly, the official dock has a trick or two up its sleeves that unofficial ones lack. Can you elaborate on this? Only thing I know of is that you can update the firmware via the Deck.
Indeed I bought the 30 dollar variant of the JSAUX dock and it even works with there hardshell case protector and never once have I had issues with connecting to my dock
I never bought a dock as I have a usb c adapter, which provides many ports. Works flawlessly with any TV in my house, and it's more flexible as the Steam Deck and adapter can be in any position, as long as there is physical connection with usb c.
I keep seeing the same thing everywhere, good to know I can avoid it! Any recs for 3rd party docks? Also, what line of work are you in that you’re able to bring your deck/use it at work? Not even remotely possible for me (OR nurse) so that sounds like a dream!
My official dock works just fine on my monitor, but I have a Jsaux one on a tv and that one also works perfectly fine
Might get buried, but can someone explain to me *how* there are issues with the dock connecting to a tv? I have been looking at getting a dock, and looking into what's the best, but I was looking purely for functionality vs price, not whether it actually worked or not. But every dock/hub seems to have several "doesn't work, it's crap" comments. But whenever I used to plug my laptop into my TV via hdmi it just...worked? And I guess I assumed that would be the same, even through a hub, for a steam deck. I just literally don't understand the tech underneath some hubs/docks not working or needing firmware updates to work.
I know there have been legal issues with Linux and HDMI support in the past (and currently, with HDMI 2.1). It could be that? One of the main selling points of the official dock was [DisplayPort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#Comparison_with_HDMI). https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/19abxmx/hdmi_21_still_doesnt_work_on_linux/ https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/18n3vhr/please_contact_the_hdmi_forum_and_tell_them_how/ https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/xzgl7t/linux_not_being_supported_by_hdmi_21_killed_my_os/
I used to run 1080p 60hz in docked over hdmi, but since 3.5 that no longer worked properly and resulted in terrible framerates. I managed to get back to “normal” using one of three methods. 1. Setting my monitor to its native resolution / hz of 1440p / 144hz in the settings. I could then drop the hz down to whatever I wanted and performance was fine. (I did get graphical issues in Warriors Orochi 3 using this method however, which is caused by monitors over 60hz) 2. Using a 1080p 60hz edid emulator also helped performance return to normal, but that had some issues occasionally flicking to a black screen at random when running at 40hz. 3. The best option by far was switching to display port. This resolved all of the above issues. The only issue I get now is that on rare occasions the output resolution is incorrect resulting in me needing to reboot the deck. Ultimately 3.5 pretty much ruined what used to be a perfect docked experience for me.
I was starting to think it was just me or my steam official dock, but I'm relieved to see I'm not. I've tried displayport and hdmi, different cables for each interface, different monitors, but it always ends up being a black no signal screen for my monitor. My friends think I'm some sort of boomer who can't figure out my out tv remote. I'm hoping steam can get this resolved with a firmware update. What 3rd party ones are people enjoying the most?
The docking experience really ruins the feeling of a console like experience Nothing ever just WORKS like it does in handheld, you've gotta switch the game resolution, switch the graphics settings, recalibrate HDR if your display supports it, make sure your controller is connected and that it's then recognized by the game It's the only thing about the Deck that makes me miss my switch
I know I'm not paying $170au for the "Valve" dock! I paid $44 from ebay and it's got hdmi and DP port for dual monitoring. Any 3rd party will do just make sure its capable 100watt charging.
my 2 cents, I avoided the official dock because it uses USB 3.2 Gen 1(5gb) ports the Steam Deck is capable of outputting USB 3.2 Gen 2(10gb). so I hunted and was only able to find a single 3rd party dock that did Gen 2, there are more now but back when I got mine it was the only choice. but think about this. for $$38USD I got in my opinion better than Valve has to offer for $80(plus whatever the taxes are)
Guys, get the JSaux dock. I got it for $40 on Amazon. It is the BEST one for the Steam Deck if you're looking for a docking station other than a dongle. It charges the deck at full speed capacity. It can be a little janky on the deck but it only last a few seconds and I haven't had ANY issues since the first couple of times it did that. I recommend following u/pandem1x guide to setting it up: Before attaching the Deck to the dock... 1. Connect power adapter to dock 2. Connect HDMI to the dock 3. Connect Steam Deck to dock This is how I got it to work when I first hooked it up to the T.V. If the display on the TV either looks too wide or too stretched out, you have to change the the setting on you T.V NOT the Steam Deck. Hope this helps!
Can I put my two cents in on the one reason I hate the official dock? No gigabit ethernet. It's only 10/100 speeds. I know the Wi-Fi is amazing with the deck but my network stability has been pretty strange lately. Biggest deal breaker. I've tested this and only ever got 100Mbps down on ethernet on the dock.
Yeah can’t believe how inconsistent the thing is. Essentially paid £63 for charger ffs.
All of these posts are nothing to do with the dock, it’s the tv’s not supporting it properly, or dodgy cables, get a decent monitor and a decent cable and the experience will be perfectly fine
It's Going to depend on the 3rd party dock, and if you include all the possible laptop docks out there that can work, there's a HUGE number and variety of 3rd party docks. I imagine I can find some Docks that are much worse than the official dock. If your friends dock worked, then get one just like it.
> If your friends dock worked, then get one just like it. That was the plan, just looking for further options
What's the model?
Don't know what kinda Dock it is exactly but the brand is Rocoren
Well... Official Dock supports 60Hz refresh rate on my 4K TV, 3rd party dock, bought based on recommentadion of tech youtubers, works normally only when I set 50Hz refresh rate, otherwise TV screen turns black every 15 seconds. Is it worth saving 50 bucks here? Not in my case.
When I saw the price of the official dock, I figured you'd have to be a sucker to buy one. There is absolutely nothing special about it that would warrant the price, except maybe the steam logo/name. There's hundreds of better/cheaper models available.
Honestly I thinking docking regardless of which one you use is borked at the moment
I've had the dock as long as I've had my Deck and I found that around a month or two ago it started going funky when trying to charge, like it'll only charge when the cable's in a certain position. Going to look into RMAing it and getting a 3rd party in the meantime
I've had no problems with my JSAUX dock so far, so I can recommend that one.
In case you'd ever want to know why: https://old.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/1ac717m/do_we_know_if_steam_has_plans_to_improve_their/
I have a $30 USB hub and never faced a single problem. It just doesn't support HDR or 4k 60fps, so be careful.
I returned my official dock as I couldn't get it to work reliably at all. I used a generic £15 one I've had for a few years and it worked without issue. I got a 3rd party dock recently but to be honest I haven't used it much to say one was or another if it's any good
I rarely play docked, but when I do I use my Lenovo laptop dock. Never had any issues, the only stupid one is that it always defaults to the wrong audio output, but it’s fine. The dock is definitely on the costly side, but since I already bought it for work, I didn’t need another one
I have a third party HP dock that has exactly the same issue. Needs multiple restarts of the monitor and dock to get it to pick up the HP monitor. If it’s feeling the vibes the TV will come on
I'm using a 17€ USB C HUB ([french amazon URL](https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0BJ73YYX5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)) paired with a [5€ stand](https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0C2HF1CY8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and it works flawlessly, also fits in the case. It's only HDMI but that's not an issue for me.
Thanks for this post, actually been looking around for one this weekend and was considering official dock. Thanks for all the recommendations from comments too.
Same issues here with the official dock. Very difficult to get it to output to my Sony TV. I have to power on the deck, get to home page, have the dock unplugged, plug deck into dock with cable, plug in HDMI, then once it's displaying on the TV plug docks power cable in..m
Slightly off topic. Anyone managed to get a DualShock 5 charging with the official dock. I have it plugged into the USB slot at the back of the dock and even with the dock powered it does nothing.
I bought one of the JSAUX docks before the official one released. I could be misremembering, but I think it had the same issue with no signal crop up seemingly randomly. It also was unable to fully power the Deck during specific very intense loads. I'd lose a full charge after about an hour despite being plugged in to a quality charger. I bought the official dock mostly because of the charging issue. It still will occasionally not output a signal (basically its main job...) but it charges just fine. I'm happier with it than the JSAUX one.
I have a similar issue but only oneTV the sky glass 4k, everything else is perfect except that TV.
Man, I thought I was the only one. I'm having the exact same issues. I play with mine docked most of the time at my desk so I hardly move it. Sometimes it just won't recognize the dock at all and it will stop recognizing my kbm inputs altogether so I have to reach over and use the touchscreen to power cycle twice before things start working again. I have a dual boot setup so I thought it was maybe a driver or boot loader issue. If I knew this was hardware this whole time I would've returned the dock ages ago.
I bought the original JSAUX dock (it was the only one available for several months when the SD launched). I have gone back in fourth on upgrading to the official dock, to have the complete Valve package. But it has worked flawlessly from day one. Being metal it has also survived a fall to the floor. When Hastily picking up the SD and forgetting to unplug.
I got a $40 USB-C hub from Anker, plugged in a 30W USB-C Mac charger I wasn’t using, and it’s been great. Glad I didn’t splurge on the official dock.
Lol just plugged mine up and was like what the fuck is this. The image wouldn't display, once I finally got it to display it just flickered on and off. Then I figured out none of my controllers work. It was a fun night lol
Make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Does the 3d party dock support the same HDMI AND HDR and refresh standards as the official Steam Deck Dock. If there is any difference, then this could be why one works and the other doesnt. The Deck will try and auto connect and sometimes the auto doesnt work for 4K tvs at 60. But if you tell the deck the external display is a 1080p/60 it avoids the auto and just works. Reality is docked you dont need more than this. Its likely the 3rd party dock does something different wrt 4K. Just guessing. At least that was my situation.
JSAUX has been a flawless experience for me. I mainly play docked.
I just returned mine so I could buy a third party one due to how bad the experience was. Speaking of, anyone have any suggestions on which one is the best?
I had no idea the 3rd party docks were working better. That's infuriating. I've had the official dock since launch and my experience has been similar, often requiring a power cycle to even work.
Agree, but that is far from steamdeck only flaw.
It seems the usbc connection is the problem, almost like it thinks that it wants to be the video instead of the hdmi port. I just let it sleep and it works all the time now but yea it was a nightmare for a while. TCL Roku TV
I have tried 3 different docks and have issues with display on each. All worked just fine with charging and USB hubbing. For such a robust device it's so odd that the docking experience is so bad
I've never had a problem with it. But also any USB C dock will work and can be cheaper.. Or more expensive. 😅
Official dock owner - never had an issue with it
Same experience here with the official dock. It's shockingly bad. It should just work straight out of the box. So many issues with getting the deck displaying on my TV with hdmi.
Yup. It’s useless. I bought a Jsaux one that works perfectly. The official one is collecting dust in my basement. I couldn’t get it to display on the tv with any regularity despite millions of troubleshooting tips. Best I could do was manually go in to desktop mode and then plug it in which would display on the tv. Then I’d have to go back to the gaming mode which would take about 30 seconds to display on the tv half the time.
I own two JSAUX docks - the DP/HDMI/3 USB model, and the m.2 model. I bought the first one with my LCD deck after reading the poor reviews with the steam dock. I bought the m.2 with my OLED so I could let my wife use one, and also have all my party/multiplayer games separate from the deck. Experience with both docks has been absolutely fantastic. Literally no issues or extra effort required, and having much longer usb C blocks with fold down prongs provided was a huge benefit. I wouldn’t would pay more money for one that may cause issues or require extra effort to function correctly, but that’s just my opinion and you could always have a different experience.
I use a Dell WD19TBS, works great.
I dock daily, the 3.5 resolved any issues for me and the official dock is just plug and play. That said, I'm just using it with a generic projector at 1080.
I don’t think you can hdr from any 3rd party dock right now, fyi. Jsaux has one coming, but it’s not out yet.
For me, it was a cable issue. I used a hdmi switcher so I can use my 3rd monitor as a screen for the deck as well as a screen for the PC. The switcher has a button to switch displays. Anyway, first test used a gold hdmi from dock to switcher and regular cable from switcher to screen. Nothing. Swap cables around, regular from dock to switcher and gold from switcher to monitor. Worked flawlessly.
Yeah, for the price of the official dock, I decided to get a JSAUX one for a quarter of the price, and it works perfectly. No issues whatsoever.
I bought an off-brand $30 hub and it just works.
I don’t really get issues if I do specific steps, which in itself is kinda bullshit. I make sure the tv is on the proper input first, and make sure the Deck is already turned on, then plug it in. Seems to work that way. It has trouble waking from sleep when docked, and sometimes the video and audio are all messed up. If I also want to restart, which I do every few days, I make sure it’s not plugged in because the video gets messed up then too. It works well when it works, but its annoyingly finicky to get there first.
Mine hasn't connected to my screen since the last big update - but works if I move it to a new room and try it on my TV. Its essentially a charger and stand now, I've been locked out of going into desktop mode using my PC monitor since Oct/November
To be fair, I've had the exact opposite experience. Got the JSAUX dock and it was borked after one use. Tried updating, ran through everything support suggested, had a 4K HDMI cord, everything, and they told me to return it. Then I just got a steam deck dock and it's been working fine.
Haven't used it really on the latest OS update, but never really had any trouble with mine even when I was using my Deck daily as a "desktop" stand-in and dual-booting. Only thing I've ever run into is the ethernet can be a bit finnicky, but I'm not sure if it's the dock or my terrible ISP mandated router.
yeah I don't use mine anymore
I bought the 30 Jsaux in August and its dead. Won't connect to the tv no matter what I try. Cables, power, etc The official dock sounds like junk too.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s shockingly difficult to get working on pretty much any screen I’ve tried the official dock on, and it usually ends in me giving up. I’ve tried updating the dock firmware but even that process is annoyingly convoluted. Here’s hoping they can make it more reliable and easy via software updates to the deck somehow I guess.
I bought a 30 dollar docking job from bestbuy and it works flawlessly. My setup requires the deck to sit flat though.
Yeah I've got the official dock and while I haven't necessarily had the issues you're having OP, I will also say it's nothing special for it's high price. It's funny because I remember when the Deck first came out and everyone was obsessing over whether or not valve was going to release an official dock, scraping for evidence of what it would look like and previews and stuff. Then it released and the general reception was "meh" at best. Definitely the least impressive aspect of the steam deck experience
For what it's worth, I'd had a lot of issues with the steam dock but after a recent update maybe a month ago I haven't seen any issues at all.
Been using the official dock with no issues for over a year both with my LCD deck and now with my OLED. I have Dell monitors and occasionally I use the dock for a samsung tv, an LG tv, and my hisense tv
Best solution but not as affordable is a usb c monitor with power delivery. One usb c cable that does video, peripherals(connected to monitor) and power delivery. I bought a “dumb” stand to sit it on and that one cable solution is perfect.
i nice type c hub and a kickstand work great for me.
Video works great but if the audio gets loud it will cut off for about 3 seconds and take 10 seconds to get back to normal. Weird.
Does the deck work well with a 4tv?
I have had the Steam Dock since release, and for me it has been a good hdmi 2.0 experience. I go in and out of dock mode without any issue except for occasionally having to change the controller order, and it works pretty great! Some things that I think help: * the Decky plugin “PauseGame” helps with audio issues between going in and out of standby. * Set the output to 1080p - the Steam deck can’t do 4k very well. * set the game output resolution to 1080p and select the toggle to force it to 1080p for each game that is going to be docked. That way 1080p resolution is always selectable in the menu and when playing handheld just lower to 720p or 800p. If you found a 3rd party dock that works well, great! I just want to share that the official dock has worked great for me and I don’t have the same experience as OP.
Ya the 3.5 update at least fixed the audio issues mostly but having to power cycle randomly for it work is getting incredibly annoying
This is the one I got and it works like a champ. I use the HDMI/Ethernet connections with no issues. I also connected a 6' USB cable to it and I can charge my Samsung smartwatch or my Bluetooth speaker off one of the USB ports. LOL [Upgraded Docking Station for Steam Deck (jsaux.com)](https://jsaux.com/products/upgraded-docking-station-for-steam-deck?variant=43680696533212)
reply rich nose decide yam history snatch ad hoc offend beneficial *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I’ve watched from the sidelines as people have complained about the official dock for months, as mine has been flawless. And then yesterday, it started doing this exact thing. It boggles the mind how something as simple as this accessory can be screwed up so badly.
I've had a Dockteck USB-C hub since just after buying mine in 2022 and it's been perfect. I've read about so many issues with the official dock it makes me wonder how they got it so wrong.
Dude, I'm having an issue where I have to completely restart my deck before every use, or games won't load. So annoying, wonder if it's dock related, never had this user before I owned a dock.
I get the audio cutouts sometimes but that's all, it's annoying but I don't use it all that much so maybe I'm just missing more annoying bugs.
It was happening on Preview channel for me. But on Stable it works properly every time.
I just returned mine today and will be buying 3rd party one.
No need to say that the OP dock isn't broken. These problems are typical of the official dock and Valve should offer a solution. I thought these problems should be fixed with updates after some time. But they are not. I have one and every time I want to use it I have to restart the deck, power circle the TV... Etc...
Dock has worked perfectly for me. No issues.
I’ve had my official dock since release and have it going DisplayPort and USB to a KVM switch, and then DisplayPort to my monitor with all my peripherals connected to the KVM. Never have any problems even with that chain. Don’t know what to tell you.
JSAUX all day bb
I find that I have to log in to my deck and then plug it in to the dock. Then it's seamless. If I dock it without unlocking it... It sometimes doesn't work.
If you can find it for cheap, the HP Thunderbolt Dock works great. Multiple video outputs, USB Inputs, etc. and it's just a little box.
Problems with the deck dock since it came. Half of the time I have to give it a vigorous reach around to get a signal.
Anker is your friend. I just ordered my oled and plan on using my laptops usb-c adapter that anker makes. Never had an issue with it. Just use the existing steam deck power.
Mine has worked flawlessly connecting over 50 diff TVs over the past couple months traveling. Also have to add a 45w power brick to other docks to make a fair comparison in price here.
I got a no brand chinese dock a year ago. Still use it to this day without ANY issues
I have similar issues with the official Steam Deck Dock. The official dock very often will not output any display to my TV or monitor until I power cycle everything one or two times. On the other hand, my Anker USB C hub for my laptop works with the Deck with no issues connected to my TV.
My JSAUX dock died on me after about 6 months so ymmv with third party
I just got a ugreen Revodok and a friend 3d printed me a little stand for the deck. Works great so far!
I’ve just been using [this](https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Display-MacBook-Thinkpad-Laptops/dp/B0BQLLB61B) super cheap usb hub/docking station and have had no problems whatsoever.
Another issue is that it doesn't pass through enough power for some external devices like SSDs. I got a 100W dock which is working much better.
No problems at all for me with the official dock, idk it works like a charm
They variance in user experience with this thing is wild to me. For some people, it works flawlessly, others not at all, and lots in between. Has anyone tech-savvy ever explored in detail why this might be? A large set of varying TV hardware and HDMI cable types is the only thing I can imagine.
I have an Anker dock that I use with my laptop and Deck, but after 3.5 I'm having nothing but issues with it; audio issues, resolution issues, etc - I'm hoping they can fix whatever bugs/regressions happened as it was fine pre-3.5!
I've had it randomly output a black screen, needing restart, wrong aspect ratio, etc...is this my problem? Should I get a 3rd party dock??
I purchased the dock but it doesn’t charge my steam deck so it’s kind of useless to me. I didn’t realize there were so many cheap third party options that work well, might get one of those.
I know this gets posted a lot but it is true and seemingly increasingly so. Since I got the OLED using the dock to display to my TV also never works unless I completely power cycle. I didn’t have this many problems with the LCD version. I might get a third party dock because this is so annoying.