GuliKit's all-in-one handheld dock looks like a Super Nintendo

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Gaming accessory maker GuliKit has introduced a Super Nintendo-themed docking station that's compatible with a variety of leading handheld game consoles. It doesn't yet have an official name but it is loaded with features.

The all-in-one dock is said to support Valve's Steam Deck, the Asus ROG Ally, the AyaNeo Next II, and the Nintendo Switch. Features include 4K 60Hz video output, Gigabit Ethernet, three USB 3.0 ports, and HDMI out, plus an AC adapter connector, USB-C out, and up to 100W max power delivery. The company said your handheld should work even if it is in a case, so that is a plus.

The device has a hidden storage compartment for up to four microSD cards located on the removable top housing (under the purple sliders). There is even a sliding door that completes the SNES vibe and if you look closely, you can make out a "1991" stamp which represents the year Nintendo launched the SNES in the US (it first arrived in 1990 in Japan as the Super Famicom).

New docking station. Support Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Switch and Ayaneo' consoles. pic.twitter.com/wfpu7pH39b

– GuliKit (@GuliKitDesign) August 23, 2023

GuliKit said its new dock will be available starting in September but stopped short of announcing pricing. For reference, Nintendo's Switch dock retails for $59.99 while the Steam Deck commands $89.

GuliKit is a Chinese gaming accessory maker that is perhaps best known for its replacement Joy-Con joysticks based on the Hall effect. As Adrian noted earlier this year, standard analog joysticks use potentiometers to translate inputs into measurable changes in electrical resistance. It works, but this method introduces friction between components and is susceptible to debris buildup.

Hall effect joysticks, meanwhile, use magnets and an array of sensors to translate inputs into small changes in voltage across a conductor. There is no friction involved between those parts, which makes the overall mechanism less prone to wear and tear over time.

GuliKit's Joy-Con sticks are a drop-in replacement and consume about half as much power as Nintendo's OEM part. A pack of two will set you back around $25 over on Amazon.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/99938-gulikit-all-one-handheld-dock-looks-like-super.html

 

[ZedRM]

Correction. It looks like the North American Super Nintendo. For everwhere ELSE in the world the SNES looked like what can be found at the links below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super.../media/File:Nintendo-Super-Famicom-Set-FL.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Nintendo_Entertainment_System#/media/File:Wikipedia_SNES_PAL.jpg

So the dock shown in this article is not exactly nostalgic or even desirable for most of us. And let's face facts, a fair number of North Americans dislike their own version of the SNES and would have preferred the look the rest of us got.

 

[corrosive23]

How long before Nintendo sues this guy into the ground?

 

[ZedRM]

How long before Nintendo sues this guy into the ground?

Very unlikely. Making something that resembles something else is not infringement, unless it is an exact copy and attempts to exactly mimic that something in both appearance AND function. The item in the article is a dock for the Nintendo Switch. There's nothing Nintendo can do about that. It's ugly, but legal.

 

[corrosive23]

Very unlikely. Making something that resembles something else is not infringement, unless it is an exact copy and attempts to exactly mimic that something in both appearance AND function. The item in the article is a dock for the Nintendo Switch. There's nothing Nintendo can do about that. It's ugly, but legal.

I still wouldnt put it past Nintendo to at least try. They file a suit for an insane amount and force him to.

 

[ZedRM]

I still wouldnt put it past Nintendo to at least try. They file a suit for an insane amount and force him to.

While that's a fair point, Judges have a habit of sticking big companies with the legal fees if it's shown that they were using the courts to "bully" someone. Nintendo has had to pay very large sums of money for such things in the past, so they try to avoid it unless they know they have a solid case for complaint.