Here's How to use Anker Powerline Cables with a Nintendo Switch Dock

#1

If you want to replace all of your USB Type C cables with Anker’s great Powerline series, there is a separate Switch power adapter that has a female Type C output so your can power your dock with a Powerline cable.

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Although Anker sells the slimmest, best PD power adapters out there, the Switch doesn’t use the standard PD protocol when in docked mode, so the power adapter has to be specifically designed to work with the Switch or else you risk bricking your console.

Explained here

Although it does non-standard stuff with the Switch, I’ve used it to charge my Pixel C, Razer Phone 2, Oculus Quest, Anker Liberty Pro 2s, and more, with no problem, for over a year now.

Hopefully some day Anker produces a power adapter, or even 45W battery, that supports the Switch in docked mode. I’d love a slimmer GaN adapter.

Now, why would you care? What’s wrong with the standard power adapter?
Portable displays are becoming more and more common, and Anker even makes portable projectors. The problem is that it’s now easier and easier to bring a big display with you, but if you want to power the Switch itself, you’d need to haul around one of Anker’s few AC ouputting batteries AND a power adapter WITH its own long Type C cable. This allows you to just haul around the adapter and battery, and then use any one of your Type C Powerline cables with it. One less cable.

#2

I’m guessing of there is profitable market for those chargers, Anker will jump in

#3

Every one of Anker’s 45W or 60W USB-C PD chargers supports the Nintendo Switch dock. With the exception of the Atom PD 2. Probably something to do with how it splits/combines circuits for its 60W single, 30W dual setup.

The dock requires a charge which offers 15V/2.6A (or more amps). So any 45W or 60W charger with proper 15V output works. The dock itself has several functions which a random USB-C to HDMI adapter doesn’t provide. So replacing the dock itself is much more troublesome than the charger.

It is safe to charge the Switch with a third party USB charger or power bank. There have been no reports of good quality, third party power sources damaging a Switch. There have been problems with third party docks. But the issue stemmed from poor (or no) PD protocols on the dock’s power transfer chip. As with any accessory do your homework and buy well reviewed and quality products. I have more details available at Safely Charging the Switch.