We've rounded up the best Steam Deck accessories, including docks, and there's now a new entrant that aims to do so much more than just provide additional ports. The naming is unconventional to say the least — it's called the Chizha Mount Ling Dock — but if you look past that, you'll see that it is uniquely great.
The dock is made by Dockcase, a Chinese brand that's known for rolling out USB hubs and docks. I used a half-dozen of its hubs in the past, and the brand is now venturing out into the broader world of accessories with this Steam Deck dock. Like its other products, Dockcase is using the crowdfunding model, with the Chizha Mount Ling Dock listed on Kickstarter for $109 — a $90 discount from its eventual $199 retail price.
This dock has a unique sci-fi design
While it's on the costlier side, the dock has plenty going for it. There's the unique design; it differentiates the dock by quite a margin, and the triangular design is stylized after Lingshan, a mountain that's a part of the Taihang Mountains located outside Beijing. The angular design makes the dock grab attention immediately, and the base has a rubberized texture that ensures your Steam Deck doesn't pick up any scratches.
Oh, and did I mention there's RGB lighting? There are dedicated lighting zones on either side at the front, and they get pretty bright. The angular design continues over here as well, and I like the attention to detail Dockcase lavished on this dock. While the dock is bigger than similar products I've used, it has built-in active cooling, and the design is such that it doesn't block the Steam Deck's rear-mounted vents.
All the ports you need — and then some
Coming to connectivity, you get all the ports you could ever need. The dock has two USB-A and two USB-C ports, one HDMI 2.0 out, Ethernet connectivity, and even optical out. There's a dedicated USB-C port that lets you connect the dock to the Steam Deck, and you get an angled USB-C 10Gbps cable to do so.
What I like the most is that the underside of the dock features an M.2 2280 slot, giving you the ability to add up to 4TB of storage — there's the provision to slot in M.2 2230 or 2242 drives as well. You can then connect the dock to the Steam Deck and make use of the external storage, and this is a pretty cool addition. Outside of formatting the drive to ensure it's detected by the Steam Deck, I didn't run into any issues in this area.
Another cool feature is the built-in panel at the front; it shows the connectivity status of all the ports, including HDMI, SSD, and power. On that note, the dock gets 100W USB PD passthrough, so you can easily charge your Steam Deck while using the dock. I didn't see any issues while using the dock with my Steam Deck, and I was able to connect a mouse and keyboard, slot in a 1TB SSD, and connect it via HDMI to a monitor with ease.
The built-in fan is audible under full load, but it isn't so loud that it becomes a bother. And considering the use case of the dock, it's not like you're going to be sitting right next to it. I like the extras, and while the built-in panel is frivolous to the usage of the dock, it's a fun addition nevertheless.
Overall, the Chizha Mount Ling Dock is a great choice if you're looking to pick up an accessory to get the most out of your Steam Deck. And with the crowdfunding pricing valid for another three days, you may want to act soon if you don't want to shell out the full retail price when it debuts.
The "Chizha Mount Ling Dock" doesn't really roll off the tongue, but as Steam Deck docks go, this is pretty special.
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