ivoler Steam Deck Dock review: should you wait for the official dock?

While the official Steam Deck dock still appears to be some way off, other companies are filling the void. One such firm is ivoler, but is its docking solution worth grabbing now, or should you wait? Let’s find out with our ivolver Steam Deck Dock review.

Unboxing

The ivoler 5-in-1 Steam Deck dock comes in a very plain white box: it’s certainly no Apple-style packaging. Once removed, the dock itself is wrapped in a standard white bag and that’s all there is. Any other items you may need, such as an HDMI lead, you’ll have to find yourself – although you can use the Steam Deck’s AC adapter to power the dock.

First impressions

The first thing you’ll notice is how light the Dock is. It’s simply one lump of moulded plastic without the extra weight usually found in docking stations. That might be a concern when it’s holding an item as heavy as the Steam Deck, but the four rubber feet on the base of the dock stop it from sliding around and you can insert and remove the Steam Deck without fear of it toppling off the desk.

Otherwise, the dock seems to be well-built and, while you wouldn’t call it pretty, it’s does the job. The Steam Deck sits well in the dock’s slot and is easy to insert and remove. The only niggle is the need to put in and take out the power connector from the top of the Deck each time you use it. It would be much better if you could just plonk the Deck onto the dock and everything was ready to go. This, however, is more an issue with the design of the Steam Deck than the dock itself.

The connections

The ivoler dock comes with five connections at the back of the box. There’s a 65W USB power input to plug in your Steam Deck adapter, an HDMI 1.4 output port and three USB 3.0 ports.

The HDMI port allows connection to a TV or monitor and, with a Bluetooth controller, gives you the chance to play your games on the bigger screen. The dock offers 4K gaming at 30Hz and, as a test, Horizon Zero Dawn certainly looked and played well on a Panasonic 50in 4K TV.

The three USB ports allow you to connect other peripherals such as a mouse, keyboard and external storage. This is handy when you need desktop mode on the Deck and, if attached to a larger monitor, makes using the Steam Deck a much more pleasurable experience. You could even turn your Steam Deck into a desktop computer, if you so wished.

The only downside with the connections on the ivoler dock is the lack of an Ethernet port. However, if you have decent wireless, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

ivovler Steam Deck Dock review verdict

The ivoler dock is currently available on Amazon for £35.99. This makes it a very affordable alterative to many other docks, including standard USB-C hubs that you could use instead.

If you really need an Ethernet port or HDMI 2.0 for better 4K gaming, then ivoler is releasing a pro version soon with these features, so it may be worth hanging on.

Otherwise, treat yourself to the ivoler 5-in-1 dock. You won’t be disappointed.