A patched $45 USB-C hub now works as a Switch 2 dock, HDR included
About 540 bytes of firmware answer Nintendo's dock handshake and a 108-byte fix repairs HDR. No code is public, and VRR still does not work on the hub.
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A hobbyist has turned a roughly €40 Cable Matters USB-C hub into a working Nintendo Switch 2 dock by adding about 540 bytes of code to the hub's power-delivery firmware. The developer, who posts as mkopec, published the method on November 9, 2026, and Tom's Hardware and Hackaday covered it on November 12.
A second, 108-byte patch fixes washed-out HDR over the hub's HDMI port. No code or patch files have been released, so this is a documented method, not a download.
What's confirmed
The hardware. The hub is a Cable Matters 7-in-1 triple display model with DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA outputs and up to 60 W of power delivery. Inside are a VIA Labs VL103 USB-PD controller, a VIA VL817 USB hub chip, a Realtek RTD2142 DisplayPort-to-HDMI converter and XT25F16B flash chips. Tom's Hardware puts the hub at about $45.
Why stock hubs fail. With stock firmware, the Switch 2 charges, negotiates power and even enters DisplayPort Alt Mode, but shows no picture. Using a WITRN K2 USB-PD sniffer, the developer found the official dock also advertises a Nintendo-specific mode and answers a series of Nintendo vendor messages after DisplayPort is set up.
The fix. The patch adds a responder to the VL103's 32 KiB firmware that answers those messages. Changing only the vendor ID was not enough: TV mode worked once the hub returned the official dock's full identity. Later versions copied the dock's version replies, which removed a pause of about 3 seconds while docking. The patched hub also offers 15 V at 2.8 A, matching the dock, against 2.53 A on stock firmware.
HDR. With HDR on, colours looked desaturated because the HDMI signal labelled the picture as BT.709 instead of BT.2020. The 108-byte patch to the RTD2142 marks HDR output as BT.2020. HDR through the hub's DisplayPort output is still washed out.
Limits. Variable refresh rate does not work: enabling it froze the DisplayPort picture and left HDMI at 60 Hz. The USB ports and Ethernet were not tested in depth. The developer says the hub still works normally with a PC and a phone, and that AI tools were used heavily for disassembly and patching.
Background
Nintendo told Tom's Hardware last year that it does not intend to hinder or invalidate legal third-party dock compatibility. Even so, Tom's Hardware notes that Switch 2 system update 21.0.0 left some third-party docks charging the console with no video until their makers shipped firmware fixes. Accessory makers had also told The Verge that the dock check relies on encryption with a dedicated chip; this project suggests copied identity data and fixed replies are enough, at least for now.
The developer also found a debug string reading "switch2 color space patch" in another third-party dock's firmware, which suggests commercial dock makers hit the same HDR problem.
My take: what it means for players
As someone who cares about what goes in a travel bag, I like this a lot. The original Switch went through the same cycle after its 2017 launch: a proprietary twist on USB-C, a bulky official dock, and cheap third-party docks that ran into trouble after system update 5.0 in 2018. Eight years on the pattern has not changed, and this project shows the Switch 2's "lock" is a handshake, not real security.
But I would not flash your own hub yet. There is no public code, the replies are copied rather than understood, and any future system update could change what the console asks for. The 21.0.0 dock breakage shows that is not a theoretical risk. If it happens, there is no vendor to send you a fix.
For most players, the practical lesson is to buy a third-party dock from a maker with a track record of firmware updates, and turn VRR off if your dock does not support it. For tinkerers, this write-up is one of the clearest explanations of how Switch 2 docking works.
What we don't know yet
- Code release. The developer has not said whether the patches will be published.
- System version. The post does not say which Switch 2 firmware was used, Tom's Hardware notes.
- Nintendo's response. Nintendo has not commented on this project.
- Other hubs. It is not known which other hubs share the same chips and could be patched the same way.
Quick facts
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Hub | Cable Matters 7-in-1 triple display (about €40 / $45) |
| Dock patch | About 540 bytes added to the VL103 PD firmware |
| HDR patch | 108 bytes in the Realtek RTD2142 |
| Works | TV mode, charging, HDR over HDMI |
| Does not work | VRR; HDR over DisplayPort |
| Published | November 9, 2026, developer's blog |
FAQ
Can a normal USB-C hub dock a Switch 2?
Usually not. The console charges and sets up DisplayPort, but it waits for Nintendo-specific replies before showing a picture, which stock hubs do not send.
Can I download this firmware patch?
No. The developer explained the method but has not published code, patch files or a repository.
Does HDR work with the patched hub?
Over HDMI, yes, after the second patch. Over the hub's DisplayPort output, HDR still looks washed out.
Could a Switch 2 update break it?
Possibly. Switch 2 update 21.0.0 broke video on some third-party docks, and this hack copies replies its author does not fully understand.
More: Nintendo DMCA wipes 144 Switch modchip firmware repos from GitHub.
Sources: mkopec (blog.nozomi.space, developer write-up); Tom's Hardware; Hackaday. Image: Tom's Hardware feed image.
