We confirmed Nintendo's Switch 2 TV dock supports VRR — so why doesn't it work with Switch 2?
The Nintendo Switch 2 has a VRR screen — and originally, Nintendo advertised that the Switch 2 would also work with your VRR-capable TV. But Nintendo soon scrubbed mentions of docked VRR from its website, and on May 16th, it apologized. 'Nintendo Switch 2 supports VRR in handheld mode only,' the company told Nintendo Life, apologizing for 'the incorrect information.'
But I've just confirmed that the official Nintendo Switch 2 dock does support VRR — by plugging the Steam Deck into it.
In fact, we found multiple rival handhelds can output 4K at 120Hz with both HDR and VRR if you plug them into the Nintendo Switch 2 dock. I saw the same with the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS, and an Asus ROG Ally X with Bazzite. We got the idea from Reddit, where u/DynaMach and others have reported VRR working this way.
It's not particularly practical to play a PC handheld via Nintendo's dock, because you'll need a female-to-male USB-C extension cable and you'll need to continually hold it against Nintendo's spring-loaded platform to keep it from getting ejected — but I just so happened to have one of those cables lying around.
And before you ask, yes, I did actually test that 4K VRR actually works at up to 120 frames per second — I didn't just trust SteamOS's flag that it was supported. I downloaded the open-source VRRTest tool and messed with framerates to see intermediate framerates between 48fps and 60fps and 90fps all stayed smooth on my TV, compared to the judder when VRR is disabled.
So if the Switch 2 supports VRR, and the dock supports VRR, why does Nintendo not offer VRR display output from the Nintendo Switch 2?
It would be a boon in many games, whether we're talking about games like Cyberpunk 2077 that don't run at 60fps on Switch to begin with, or even games that only occasionally dip below that threshold (say, 55fps) where that dip currently manifests as a big stutter in your gameplay.
Personally, I think it's possible Nintendo just doesn't think the Switch 2 is ready to put it on the big screen.
Last month, Digital Foundry found 'clear problems' even in the Switch 2's handheld VRR mode, including judder in Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man's Sky's 40fps 'performance' modes, and even in Hitman: World of Assassination's unlocked-but-capped 60fps mode — even though Nintendo's own Welcome Tour showed proper VRR support.
'Clearly the feature is in there and working, because the Welcome Tour proves it, but the actual implementation in other games so far is disappointing,' Digital Foundry's Rich Leadbetter explained on a podcast.
But if you're looking for technical reasons why Nintendo might not pass along VRR to the official dock, Leadbetter tells me he hasn't yet heard a good theory. He does believe, however, that Nintendo probably made an honest mistake when it wrote, then apologized for writing, that the Switch 2 would support VRR in TV mode. He doubts that Nintendo axed the feature at the last minute.
This is just the latest technological weirdness around the Switch 2's launch, like we saw when testing the Switch 2's semi-locked-down USB-C video output and why the best webcams didn't work.
But as before, Nintendo is staying silent: it didn't have a comment for our story.
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That's not its main purpose though. When you flip the Viture Pro Mobile Dock over, you're greeted with several ports including three USB-C ones and an HDMI port. While the two USB-C ports on the right allow you to plug in two pairs of Viture's AR glasses, the one in the middle plugs into your source device which can be a phone, a tablet, a laptop or in this case, a game console. Meanwhile, the HDMI port on the left is for connecting one of the best streaming devices such as a Roku or an Amazon Fire Stick or even a game console without a USB-C port, like the PS5 or the Xbox Series X. With support for two pairs of AR glasses simultaneously, you can do things like watch a movie with a friend from the same device. Likewise, you can also play local multiplayer games in the same way that you would in front of a TV in your living room, but both people have their own screen. I still need to try this out myself but I could really see it coming in handy on a long flight or even on the couch during those times when your TV is otherwise occupied. When the Switch 2 launched, the Viture Pro Mobile Dock wasn't compatible with the new console. You could connect the Switch 2 via HDMI using Nintendo's official dock but not directly over USB-C. Following a recent firmware update though, Viture's Pro Mobile Dock now works with the Switch 2 in the same way that it does with the original Switch. You just plug the console into the USB-C port with the blue and red ring around it and a pair of Viture's AR glasses into one of the other USB-C ports on the right side and you're good to go. I have to admit, I had my doubts at first too. Would I still need to connect my Switch 2 to an AC outlet? Would doing so damage my brand new handheld? Well, I'm happy to report that the answer is no on both fronts. Updating the Viture Pro Mobile Dock was easy enough via my browser and once the new firmware was installed, I now had a plug and play way to use the Switch 2 with AR glasses. Since Viture's Pro Mobile Dock is designed to work seamlessly with all of its AR glasses, I used the Viture Pro XR glasses with it to test out the dock's new Switch 2 compatibility. However, the dock also works with smart glasses from other manufacturers too, including ones from Xreal and RayNeo. My favorite thing about the Viture Pro XR glasses is that they use a magnetic connector instead of a standard USB-C port. Not only does this make taking them out and getting everything set up faster but it also prevents the glasses from being ripped off your face if their cord gets snagged. With the Viture Pro Mobile Dock updated to the latest firmware (version 1.03.0.02_20250613) and my Switch 2 in hand, it was time to try to play some Nintendo games in a brand new way. As I was heading out on a family trip to the beach, I decided to bring Viture's Pro Mobile Dock and its Pro XR glasses with me along with my Switch 2. Normally, I prefer playing on the big screen in docked mode when possible instead of in handheld mode. However, since there isn't a Switch 2 version of my favorite third-party dock—the Genki Covert Mini—yet, I figured this setup would let me play on the big screen without having to bring Nintendo's larger dock with me. At the same time, I wouldn't have to mess with the TV in the place we rented for the weekend. In AR, the whole experience of dealing with Fury Bowser felt even more intense, especially when I turned electrochromatic dimming on and couldn't see anything outside of what was on the screens of the Viture Pro XR glasses. After getting everything plugged in, much to my surprise, the Switch 2's home screen suddenly appeared on the Viture Pro XR glasses. 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This also comes in handy if you want to play games or work in a room with other people without being completely cut off from the world around you. Think passthrough mode on one of the best VR headsets but with it enabled while you're playing a game. Since the full-featured USB-C to USB-C cable Viture includes in the box with its Pro Mobile Dock is definitely on the short side, I put my Switch 2 down on the table next to me and played with its Joy-Cons in their controller grip. You can use any of the best Nintendo Switch controllers with this setup if you want but as I haven't had a chance to try out Nintendo's new Joy-Con 2 Grip as I've mainly been playing with the Switch 2 Pro Controller, I figured now was the perfect time to test it out. Although you do need to carry a bit more gear than you would if you were playing the Switch 2 in handheld mode, as you can see here, it doesn't take up that much space at all. The Viture Pro Mobile Dock is just over 6.5 inches long, about 3.5 wide and less than an inch thick, which makes it even easier to slip into a bag than the Switch 2. Honestly, the Joy-Con 2 Grip was more awkward to bring with me and for a more portable setup, I'd probably use a detached Joy-Con in each hand. After a few races in Mario Kart World, I decided to boot up an original Switch game that I still haven't finished on a whim. Although I beat Super Mario 3D World back on my Wii U, I had just scratched the surface on the standalone expansion Nintendo included with it when the company brought the game to the Switch. If you're a Mario fan that hasn't played Bowser's Fury yet, you owe it to yourself to give this cat-themed open world take on 3D Mario a try. I won't go into all the details but what I really enjoy about the expansion is that besides being the first truly open world Mario game, it has a unique mechanic that really shakes up the tried-and-true formula Nintendo's been using since Super Mario 64. Around every six minutes, the sky turns dark and Fury Bowser appears. Unlike in past games, Bowser is absolutely massive in this form and it really feels as if you're running away from a Kaiju like Godzilla instead of from a normal boss. In AR, the whole experience of dealing with Fury Bowser felt even more intense, especially when I turned electrochromatic dimming on and couldn't see anything outside of what was on the screens of the Viture Pro XR glasses. Playing this way instead of in handheld mode or in traditional docked mode was also more comfortable too as I didn't have to strain my neck while looking down or take up the entire TV. 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