Razer Handheld Dock Chroma Review

The thing in hand docking stations is that basically these are only USB docti with a diminutive corner on the steam deck, ROG ally or MSI claw to relax. They are not thrilling. Sure, some may have more ports than others, some Rock Ethernet ports, and usually support higher charging efficiency than ordinary docti, but you basically buy an intermediary between the manual and any screen you connect it to. You do not obsessively refresh the mail tracking site when one of these children is hostile. Maybe so far?

Go on the left, Razer Handheld Dock Chroma. This is the first attempt, if I can say, make a manual aesthetic dock. While most of us are satisfied with our meat and Potato Jsaux or Sabrent, and the fancy among us can prefer inexplicably steep Dok Valve, this Razer is the first to rock RGB. In other words, this is the first who even made a half -attempt to look fancy.

But first we will remove the basics: in this dock it has three USB ports at the back, a USB-C charging port, serving up to 100 watts, one HDMI 2.0 port and Ethernet port. As usual, the device makes a hand with a string, which reaches at the back of the DOKA to the USB-C port at the top of the device. In other words, it will not smoothly work with any conveyor that has its own USB-C port at the bottom of the device, such as Nintendo Switch. Although it basically works with a switch, though awkward.

Chroma arrives as a rectangular box. With the hinge, the front panel can be lifted and rotated vertically and at an angle, thus creating a corner in which the conveyor could rest. Unlike the majority – if not all – Doksy, the Chromat offers support for the entire hand rear, which definitely develops some concern about the vision around the conveyor. warrant.

This rear panel rests on a rib and modular floor. In other words, it is possible to adjust the corner according to the conveyor size. This is useful because although the steam deck is 18 mm bulky (near the screen; the drain button performances do not rest in the dock), the recent claw MSI 8 AI+ is 24 mm bulky. In general, the Chroma docking station can accommodate conveyors up to 28 mm bulky with a good fit and without hesitation.

But this is not practical, why are we here, right? Handheld Dock Chroma is attractive mainly because of the appearance. Along the lower part of the device there is an RGB belt, which turns on when the manual device is powered, drawing from the same power source. The button on the right side can switch between six built -in effects, from “breathing” and “wave” to “static”, which you will need if you operate steam deck, because more detailed adjustment provided by Razer software and chroma software will only work on window conveyors.

Picture 1 With 5

RGB is nippy when it comes to RGB. This is quite circumspect, giving only a little talent for what is usually inconspicuous, functional equipment. I particularly like the portability: although it is greater than, say, the Jsaux 6-in-W 1 docking station, it sticks into a rectangular box that does not move so awkwardly in the backpack. I would like the attached rope to be somehow hidden in the box, because I am always worried that the strings are excessively bent and worn in transit.

One thing that concerns me is that the resting surface, which is much higher than the manual norm, may hinder the ventilation of the rear air inlet on most manual devices. With steam deck, the rear plate hinders slightly less than half of the rear ventilation opening.

If I have nothing against symmetry, I can put OLED in the dock a bit on the right to remove all obstacles, but on the ROG Ally X and MSI Claw 8 it will not be possible: there will be a certain obstacle no matter what. My solution with a steam deck was to extend the seat as far as possible and place the device in a cradle less cozy than possible, but this will not work for thicker conveyors.

At the Steam waist I tested with the last few games, including Kingdom Come Deliverance. I could not design a situation in which the partially hindered rear fans contributed to the immediate difference, but I decided that the valve decided about ventilation dimensions for some reason, and hindering them disturbing me by long -term problems.

This is not a problem only for Razer’s dock: my main place, Jsaux 6-in-1, also partly hinders inlet ventilation, but to a much lesser extent. The first painting in the gallery below is the Razer unit, and the second is the Jsaux unit:

Picture 1 With 2

There is also the fact that connectivity is aged at this price: HDMI 2.0 is not HDMI 2.1. A single USB-C port, which you will probably operate for charging, seems scanty when many peripheral departs from USB. These restrictions are essentially the norm on the developing market dock market on board Steam (save the latest BenQ model), but in the case of a device worth 79 USD I would expect a larger premium offer at the functionality level. At the moment, additional money really gives you a fancy delicate strap and branding razer.

Yes, yes, it seems to me that this delicate belt is quite good, but given the price and some of the major fears, it is complex to recommend a handy dock Razer. Considering the probability that in the next few years the portable market will develop, more and more competition will appear in space: for now I would stick to something cheaper.