TheUgreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck dockoffers nine slots for fast charging, a stable connection, and higher-speed transmissions. While not a direct performance enhancer, the benefits of added connectivity open up more possibilities for a Steam Deck, whether at home or when traveling.
Ugreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck Dock
The Ugreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck dock offers one input and eight output options to connect to a variety of devices for use, data transfer, and viewing. The compact both is both foldable and adjustable, so it can be tucked away easily, and your Steam Deck can be disconnected via one cable when not in use. Two USB 3.2 Gen 2 interfaces support data transfer up to 10Gbps, and it supports a display of up to 4K (3840x2160) @60Hz while also being backwards compatible.
Price and Availability
The Ugreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck Docking Station is available now for $59.99 on Amazon and Ugreen’s website. Additionally, Ugreen offers a slightly cheaper 6-in-1 dock for $49.99 on both platforms.
Specifications
Learning the Dock
While foremost a utility item, the portable, foldable nature of the dock needs a good balance in build quality to survive repeated use. With this dock, there’s a balance between metal and plastic, with the adjustable stand, in particular, having a good amount of resistance as you adjust it between the 45-degree and 90-degree positions. This keeps your Steam Deck solidly in position according to the user’s preference.
Additionally, the anti-slip silicone grips allow for additional safety in fitting. If you’re placing the Steam Deck off-center to give full access to its vents, this helps add an extra piece of mind that both ends support it.
Major ports for transmission, charging, and display output are located at the back to prevent any issues with plug-in use. Meanwhile, SD and TF card slots are located on one side, whereas USB slots for keyboard, mouse, and controller connection are placed on the other.
Testing the Dock’s Speeds
With this dock, there’s a variety of max speeds given the user has the set-up for them. For the gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port, I was able to hit the maximum of my rural ISP’s download speed range of 50 MB/s with the potential for much higher.
When testing with an assortment of USB 3.1 drives with a maximum write speed of up to 250 MB/s, the dock also hit the maximum range when transferring a mixture of photo and video files directly to a Steam Deck. For those with faster external drives, there’s a max transfer rate of up to 10Gbps.
Similarly, when testing the SD and TF card slots, a transfer rate of up to 104 MB/s was achieved. The only downside with the side ports is that they proved more cumbersome to access with the Steam Deck docked, especially with a larger pair of hands at work.
Swapping Between Gaming and Desktop Use
Beyond transmission rates, one of the largest dock appeals is the option for video output at up to 4K@60Hz via HDMI. As noted in the Ugreen manual, you’ll want to access desktop mode on your Steam Deck to configure the resolution settings and ensure everything supports the maximum output. However, the dock is also backward compatible with lower resolutions, so you can adjust to the needs of your set-up.
While the dock doesn’t come with its own power supply, users can still plug in their default Steam Deck charger. However, the USB-C charging port supports PD 3.0 with up to 100W max; you’ll want to note the Steam Deck only has a max charging speed of 45W.
A trade-off of the dock is because of its compact nature, you’ll have to place your Steam Deck off-center for the best venting conditions due to the size difference. If you don’t make note of it and instead center the Steam Deck on the dock, you’ll notice the dock can become quite hot, especially when pushing the Steam Deck’s hardware limits.
For those looking to simulate a desktop set-up, the side ports of the dock allow for easy connection of two wired peripherals. So, if you prefer to plug in a keyboard and mouse or want to optimize for a game that benefits best from it, the deck allows for a quick plug-and-play solution. The only downside is that, as with the TF/SD card slots, if your Steam Deck is already docked, fitting two USB-A plugs in can prove a bit awkward or if you wish to swap to another device during use.
Should You Buy the Ugreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck Dock?
TheUgreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck dockprovides a solid third-party solution for those looking to optimize their Deck and nudge it further in the direction of an on-demand mini gaming PC. The lack of an included 100W charging cable and wall charger may lower its value for some, but this Deck dock is an easy purchase for those looking to connect quickly to a wider range of outputs.
Whether you’re looking for an affordable dock for a new Steam Deck purchase or want one that can easily travel with you and support other devices, it’s worth a look.
