Charging stands have always seemed a little out of place to me. Their goal is to fit your console and all its various bits and bobs into one compact space, but you can do it without spending any extra money. Large displays can also take up a lot of space, which seems to defeat the purpose of their existence – to keep your fancy Switch 2 in one neat place.
I recently purchased a DLX2 charging stand and even after just a week the LED light came on. Switch 2 accessoryI'm starting to understand what we're talking about. Sure, the space in my living room closet has never been more claustrophobic, but having my laptop, my current headset of choice, and even a bunch of games safely in one place at all times has brought a little extra organization to my space that I can't help but be grateful for—especially as someone whose home is almost always cluttered with gaming gear.
Much to my annoyance, the charging cradle I was provided with from iMP Gaming is only available in the UK, so those of you in the US will have to turn to alternatives such as the FastSnail charging dock, available for $34.99 on Amazon for now. Their design and layout are different, but the DLX2 has a stand for your Nintendo Switch headsetfour charging bays for up to two additional pairs of Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers, a slide-out tray that holds up to nine physical games, and a main base that holds the Switch 2 dock securely in place.
Despite the stand's many features, its installation was extremely simple. The headset stand easily fit into the base, and everything else was already part of the base. The only step you had to do to get it running was to plug this little red adapter into the two USB ports on the side of the Switch 2 dock. It's a small accessory that not only holds the dock securely in place, but also uses power from the Switch 2 (which you leave plugged in as usual) to power the LED lighting that runs throughout the entire cradle.
What I was a little disappointed at first was that this little adapter requires two USB ports, meaning that using other accessories such as a wired Nintendo Switch 2 controller wouldn't have been possible, but iMP thought of it smartly. There are two isolated USB cables on the back of the stand that can be used to connect controllers, and there are even two additional ports on the side for peripherals. The genius thing about this is that the adapter can be adjusted in height to be compatible with older Switch docks, so you can get this stand for your Switch or Switch OLED if you're not ready to invest in the pricey Switch 2 just yet.
I've only had this device in my living room for a little over a week, but I've really come to appreciate it and would like to get one for my old Switch. As the team's resident headset specialist, I test a lot of earcups. Now, every time I finish testing, I have a safe place where I can hang a pair, and the next day after work I'll know exactly where I left it. In my home, where tech clutter is the norm, it's nice to have that extra reassurance.
The pull-out tray is also a very nice feature. I'm pretty notorious for having no choice, so I fill my portable case with a ton of games and always have the looming fear that I'll lose the tiny carts. I now keep most of my favorite games, from Donkey Kong Bananza to Super Mario Party Jamboree, on a little red tray at home and on the counter. This way, they'll always be close to my Switch 2 whenever I'm about to watch some action on the connected TV.
As much as I love spending time with the charging stand, it's hard to ignore the fact that it takes up a lot of space that I don't have much of. Right now it's sitting on my turntable, which isn't ideal, and just typing those words I'm willing to bet I made a lot of audiophiles cringe. I'll need to rethink how and where to place it before I bring it up for full review in the coming weeks, but it's definitely going to be an integral part of my gaming setup, especially because it looks great with the LED lighting.
It helps that the LED glow isn't too bright, so it doesn't distract me too much when I'm sitting under the mounted TV. The lighting can also be turned off completely with the press of a button, but I like it when it's on to give my main room a bit of “wow” factor, and because it acts as a light sign of where I left my current gaming headset – something this headset geek is forever grateful for.
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