GameNChick
- Apr 16, 2021
- 7 min read

Brook PowerBay Ethernet Switch Dock (REVIEW)

Updated: May 30, 2021

Product By: Brook Gaming

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Genre: Nintendo Switch Dock

Release Date: April,2021

Price: $80

*Product provided by Brook Gaming

Links to purchase this product at the end of the review

''Now you're playing with power''

Are you tired of your bulky original Switch dock that just seems to get in the way of everything you do, its clunky-ness, its lack of features such as ethernet port, its definite lack of convenience when it comes to taking it on the go?. Well time to chuck that old fat boy aside and look to new horizons with the PowerBay Ethernet Switch Dock by Brook Gaming. So submitted for approval, of the midnight society, I call this story, The Tale Of The Brook Gaming Powerbay.

Overview:

Right from the start when unboxing the Powerbay Ethernet dock, you're going to notice two things straight from the get go, these being the size of the product itself being able to fit into the palm of your hand and that it looks like a super cute little Gamecube. Who would've thought Brook Gaming would've made a Gamecube mini before even Nintendo did, crazy! But the comparisons don't stop there just at it being a little Gamecube, no way, because it also houses two Gamecube controller ports directly on the front of the dock. While I personally might not find much use in it as I'm not an avid user of the Gamecube controllers in general, it still has its advantages, especially for people that are into the Super Smash Bros casual or professional gaming scene. But we'll touch more upon those controller ports very shortly, as I feel we should dive into other aspects of this dock first before revisiting them. So let's power on through!

If you've used products like Rocketfish's tv dock kit for Nintendo Switch or even your original dock that comes with your console, you will know that, while yes they're fairly stable docks and aren't necessarily bad, especially Rocketfish's tv dock that creates less bulk and gives your Switch screen more room to breathe, but both still lack some functionality, features or weird port placement that may give you problems with your cord management. So many times while using my original dock have I got frustrated at having to use the stupid back door slot for the power cord, which either bends my wires or makes the dock fall forward on its face. Port placement for USB's has also been sort of annoyance for me personally as well because I just find two USB's on the side of an already flimsy dock to be more of a hazard than a convenience. But luckily Brook Gaming comes to the rescue and solves these issues for me on a personal level with its practical functionality, added features such as an ethernet port and quality of life port structure to the dock itself. It makes for a much more reliable and stress free experience when playing your Nintendo Switch.

With two USB ports directly on the front of the console, the PowerBay offers you immediate comfort with your cord placement. Instead of having to wrap your cords around the back like the original dock or the sides, you get the option of the frontal approach, which ensures you'll have less strain on your cords and a straight on shot from you to your dock itself. But that's not the only advantage you'll find the Powerbay has over the original switch dock and all other competitors currently out on the market, oh no, the Powerbay also manages to out do everyone else when it comes to adding features such as an ethernet port. Having an ethernet port has always been a gaming essential to me, whether I've been on my Playstation or Xbox, when given the option, I always opt for a wired connection every single time due to it improving my overall internet speed and latency. But the original Switch dock, does not have this feature and you have to ask yourself, ''Why not?''. Wifi is not always the most stable option, especially when it comes to online gaming, but with PowerBay's inclusion of this missing feature, it ensures that you'll get the most out of your online gaming 100% of the time, no questions asked. You're guaranteed a smooth experience. Well.. that is when Nintendo actually stabilizes their servers for once that is. I'm looking at you Smash Bros Ultimate.

So I'm sure you're wondering ''ok great, it has better port placement, ethernet addition, Gamecube controller ports, that's it?''. No that's not it, if it was just that alone with no other quality of life additions or improvements to the user experience then yes maybe there would be a complaint here, but rest assured there's a lot more here that meets the eye and it comes in the form of overall practicality. With the Powerbay being such a small device, it allows you to not only take it anywhere on the go at any time, but fit in places that your normal dock just won't go. Whether it be in your pocket, in your purse, in a backpack or just anywhere you want to store it in general, the Powerbay is the definitive dock currently out on the market and there's nothing that can come close to its convenience of mobility. It's lightweight and less space consuming reason is why it also makes the perfect addition to any fans of Super Smash Bros and even people competing in tournament play. Being able to carry the dock with you at all times will make get togethers or local tournaments a thing of ease due to the port placements, Gamecube port additions and its overall size and weight being a god send compared to the old bulky dock. Seriously, lunking the original dock around with you is headache, I did this once during my trip to PSX and it sucked. But you know, while everything I mentioned is big improvements over the original dock and even RocketFish's Tv Dock, the most underrated feature of the Powerbay dock in my opinion will have to go to it's actual docking functionality itself.

When sliding open the cute little window on top of the console and waving it around as if its saying ''Feed me the switch!'', you'll notice its connection slot for the console itself. Simply place the Switch into the slot made for it and you're ready to go. Same as every other dock right? Um no way, ill explain. I decided to test the actual screen fitting between the original switch dock and the Powerbay dock and found out, to me, that the Powerbay dock has a much tighter and firmer grip on the actual console screen itself than the original switch dock does. I noticed when plugging in the switch to the OG dock that its very wobbly and very easy to push around and move out of place. It does not seem stable at all. However with the Powerbay, it feels like a much more solid grip is being made to your switch and you know what? I actually tested this out! I literally took the Powerbay dock and turned it upside down(with my hand underneath it of course just in a worst case scenario) and held it upside down for roughly ten seconds before I lost my nerve. The OG dock, it didn't last as long, within two seconds of flipping the dock upside down, out came the switch screen. This went a long way for me because I'm a very clumsy person by nature and yes, accidents happen, every now and then I will hit my dock with my hand inadvertently and knock the switch around. But with Powerbay, I don't have to worry anymore about it falling out of place if I happen to mess up, its THAT stable and tight fitting.

So we covered practicality, additional features, mobility and many more advantages over previous versions of the switch dock, but there's just one more thing I would like to mention before wrapping this up. Something I feel might be overlooked by people as a ''small'' feature, but myself, personally, find actually key to the overall health and quality of your actual switch screen in the long run, and that is, screen scratching. A main issue I always have had with my OG dock was I always feel like I'm going to scratch up the screen and ruin it. Trying to fit it down into its little holding slot inside its little cave, you always feel like the screen is going to press up against the inside of the dock when you place it or remove it from the dock itself. There's always that worry and chance of that happening. This is not the case at all with Powerbay. Powerbay completely bypasses the need to dock inside a cave and instead allows your switch to be nude and free(aww yaaa). This ensures that your screen will never get scratched when placing the dock in its connection slot and also offers a 2 in 1 solution that also doubles as a way to play your switch in handheld mode efficiently, without even having to remove it from the dock itself. It's a game changer in my opinion.

Overall:

At the end of the day, the Powerbay Ethernet dock offers many advantages over other competitors on the market and even the main switch dock itself. From its less space consuming design, its port placement for USB's and Gamecube controllers, its stability for screen docking, addition of an ethernet port for better and faster internet connection for online gaming and down to its practical use for on the go play due to its weight and size being perfect for mobile use. Powerbay is without a doubt the best Switch related dock out on the market. The only real negative in my entire experience came with the knowledge that this product does not work with the Switch Lite, but hey, you can't win them all, right?. So with everything having been said, I've come to my conclusion. GameNChick says BUY NOW