Brook Power Bay Nintendo Switch Dock with Ethernet & GameCube Ports Review
94In this episode, we have the opportunity to give you one of the first looks at the newest docks for the Nintendo Switch from Broook Gaming, the Power Bay with Ethernet.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
3:44 - Inspection
7:17 - Super Mario Sunshine
8:40 - Testing Hardwired Performance
12:10 - Horizon Chase Turbo
14:08 - Initial Reaction
16:11 - Final Thoughts
Ever since my initial review of the book gaming Nincade, I have been a fan of their products. They offer truly innovative items and solutions at a reasonable price. One of my favorite products to date has been the power Bay dock for the Nintendo switch. It not only features a smaller form factor, but it also incorporates GameCube controller ports on the front of it and Bluetooth audio support. They have followed this up with a less expensive version that removes the Bluetooth to save cost, and now a third version is arriving in April of 2021 in the Power Bay with Ethernet.
The overall design and styling of the Power Bay with Ethernet is identical to the crimson and the standard power bay. The overall size and footprint is identical as well. The major physical difference between this and the other versions are the inclusion of the ethernet port, and the fact that this does not have an active Bluetooth transceiver in it.
Set up and use is super easy. Simply connect your switch and whatever controller you want to either the USB or the GameCube ports. from here, connect a power supply, I highly recommend going with the OEM Nintendo unit. Connect an HDMI cable and you are ready to play, it is just that simple. Connecting an ethernet cable will bypass the onboard Wi-Fi, and should in theory provide a more consistent performance when downloading content or playing online games.
I was a bit surprised to see the upload speeds were slower using the Power Bay than using my Wi-Fi connection. That could be a physical limitation of the switch and it's hardwired ethernet connection, I am not sure. Wi-Fi and hardwired connections were virtually identical in terms of performance, however, I have fiber internet so my connection speeds are going to be faster anyways.
Why it RoX:
- I can't help but love the styling
- Built-in Ethernet for more consistent performance
- USB & GameCube controller ports
- Built-in turbo for Gamecube controllers
- Small footprint
What could be improved:
- On the high priced side
- No Bluetooth
- My WaveBird did not work
- Not a drastic change in connectivity for me
Should You Buy One?
Out of the three different models of Power Bays that Brook has now come out with, this would probably be my middle of the road pick. I love the styling, the looks, the aesthetics. I just really wish that this also had the integrated Bluetooth, like the first one they came out with. From my use I find that more useful than ethernet port. But I also understand there are those that need a hardwired connection to the internet, in this addresses that need and provides a great solution. I would love to see another variant of this down the road that incorporates all of the Power Bay features in one super dock.
#SwitchDock #BrookGaming #PowerBayWithEthernet
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