JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck Dock review: For the tinkerers
JSAUX/DexertoThe JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck Dock has a little surprise up its sleeve, giving it a unique selling point that even Valve’s official Steam Deck Dock can’t match.
It’s been a big month for Steam Deck owners and prospective owners alike after the company announced that its own official dock is finally available, while also confirming that the handheld PC is now available without a reservation.
If you thought that would put off the plucky upstarts at JSAUX, you’d be wrong — and not only because technically we’ve been testing the JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck Dock for a couple of weeks now. It’s an impressive, well-made dock with a killer feature that even Valve can’t match, but it doesn’t come cheap.
Key specs
- 2x USB-A ports, 1x USB-C (100w)
- HDMI 2.0 (4K60 or 1440p/120Hz)
- 1x RJ45 Network adapter
- USB-C power passthrough
- Price: $129.99
- Where to buy: JSAUX
What’s in the box: JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck Dock
Design and Ports
JSAUX/DexertoThe JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck Dock looks almost identical to the company’s standard dock — it’s just significantly deeper.
The tray for your Steam Deck is still ideal for positioning it so the device’s screen is visible, and there’s plenty of grip to prevent any accidental wobbles scratching it. That’s a good thing, too because it’s made from durable metal which is likely to prove even longer-lasting than the deck itself.
On the left side, you’ll find a LAN port for Gigabit Ethernet, while the back houses two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI 2.0 output, and a USB-C port for power delivery from your Steam Deck’s charger. We’d have liked to have seen a charger in the box for this price, though, so we could keep the Deck’s own one as a portable option, but it’s a small nitpick.
The standard JSAUX dock comes with 3 USB-A ports, but the step up to 3.1 is a welcome one for the two on offer here. The only other visible connector is the USB-C cable that goes directly into your Steam Deck.
The increased size of the back of the dock means that JSAUX has added some patterns and decals. We don’t love them, but they’re also behind the Deck itself so it’s unlikely to be an issue. The real magic, however, lies beneath the easy-to-remove panel.
JSAUX/DexertoAs the moniker “JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck” suggests, this dock has an M.2 SSD bay tucked inside. JSAUX is selling both 1TB and 2TB options, but you can also buy it without. Simply undo the screw, attach your drive, reset the screw, and pop the cover back on.
Shaking the dock doesn’t cause any looseness of the drive, either, although it’s not quite plug-and-play. During our review process, we were in contact with JSAUX as the setup required some Linux scripts and a fair amount of fiddling. That’s going to make it a no-go for many, but if you bought your Steam Deck to tinker, you may enjoy the challenge.
JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck Dock vs the Valve Steam Deck Dock
In the time since the JSAUX dock arrived with us for testing, a metaphorical elephant has shuffled into the room — Valve’s official Steam Deck dock is finally available for purchase.
And yet, we don’t find ourselves reaching to place an order thanks to the included M.2 storage. We’ll have a full review of the official dock in the coming days, but for now, the JSAUX does a very good job of matching it blow-for-blow, at least as far as specs go.
Both offer HDMI 2.0 and USB-C Power Delivery, but the Valve option adds a third USB-A port. Both support Gigabit Ethernet, but Valve’s Dock has a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, too. The big boon, though, is that the official dock comes with a second power cable for your Steam Deck so you don’t need to yank it out from behind your TV.
Should you buy it?
The JSAUX M.2 Steam Deck is a great alternative for a PC gamer with a huge library of games for their Steam Deck that’s happy to mess around in Desktop Mode to get the most out of it.
8/10
It’s not “plug and play”, but it is very, very good.
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