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Nintendo patents Switch dock with rotating plug hub

It is not yet known when and if the new dock will be launched and for which console it is intended. (Source: Nintendo)
It is not yet known when and if the new dock will be launched and for which console it is intended. (Source: Nintendo)
Until now, gamers have only been able to connect their Switch cables to the dock from one side, which can be quite annoying in some situations. A new Nintendo patent shows a docking station with a rotating plug hub and gives hope that this problem will soon be a thing of the past.
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Nintendo has pushed through a new patent for the Nintendo Switch that could significantly improve the way users connect their consoles. The design, registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office under patent number 11947389, was officially approved and published on April 2, 2024, after being filed on July 12, 2021. The 39-page long patent application shows an ordinary switch docking station with a special feature: a rotatable hub for cable connections is located at the back.

A rotatable connector hub could allow users to connect cables to the console on the left or right side, which is a significant improvement over the previous design limitation that had the dock's connectors facing exclusively to the right. This often resulted in users having to bend their cables or place their console upside down. With a rotating dock, such problems would be a thing of the past. The cables do not appear to be able to be connected from above. As can be seen in the picture, the dock has no opening at the top:

(Source: US Patent Office)
(Source: US Patent Office)

Although the patent confirms Nintendo's rights to this dock design, it is currently unclear if and when it will come to market. It remains to be seen whether the new dock will be built into an updated version of the existing Switch or reserved for the supposed Nintendo Switch 2, which is not expected to hit the market until 2025.

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Marius Müller, 2024-04- 5 (Update: 2024-04- 5)