Verdict
The Dockcase Chizha Mount Ling Dock for Steam Deck is a fantastic accessory for Valve’s handheld console, with its own fan, expandable storage, and useful touchscreen display. However, its price point alone could be enough to put off some potential users, especially when there are so many cheaper options, even if this feature-heavy alternative is one of the best of the bunch.
- Feature-packed
- Cyberpunk-style aesthetics
- Easy to use
- Feels premium
- Expensive
- A bit bulky for some
- No power cable included
Since the arrival of Valve's Steam Deck back in 2022, we've seen plenty of hardware brands try their hand at developing accessories for the handheld. The latest is the Dockcase Chizha Mount Ling Dock for Steam Deck, which I was fortunate enough to receive a review unit of ahead of its launch. It's a premium offering that makes a lot of the alternatives, including some of the top picks from our guide to the best Steam Deck docks, look almost primitive. There's a bit of a sticking point, though.
In terms of design, the Chizha Mount Ling Dock looks more like the Steam Deck's rightful throne than a lot of the more underwhelming alternatives. As the name suggests, the mount sits at the front, proudly displaying the handheld. On the back, you've got a power button for the display and lighting, plus those all-important inputs, and this dock is pretty generous when it comes to inputs, with everything from an Ethernet port for wicked-fast download speeds to an optical audio output for the highest possible sound quality. It's a pretty cool-looking piece of kit, though it's a bit bulky, which is worth keeping in mind if your gaming setup is already low on space.
Speaking of space, the mount is pretty generous with it, so even if you've got a case attached to your Steam Deck, it should still easily slide in. From there, all you need to do is plug the USB-C cable from the box into the back of the dock and the top of your Deck, plug in your HDMI from your TV and your Steam Deck charger at the back, and you're good to go. It's very easy to set up, and I was playing Balatro on the big screen within five minutes of opening the box. The cables all fit neatly in the back, too, so you're not dealing with a mess of wires whenever you want to use the device.
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One of the key differences between the Chizha dock and the countless alternatives is that this thing has a three-inch touchscreen panel, which you can use to control your settings and tinker with the RGB lights on either side of the display. I thought it might be a bit of a gimmick at first, but I'll admit, the touchscreen is pretty useful. You can use it to easily adjust your settings on the fly, and it's got just the right amount of options so it never feels overwhelming.
While it's simple enough to tinker with your settings, you shouldn't need to worry about it all that much, as I didn't have any issues that I had to use the display to solve. I don't have a 4K monitor, so I couldn't test that, but except for one game that's still in early access, everything looked as bold and brilliant on the big screen as it did on my Deck's OLED display, and there were no performance issues to report.
Another impressive factor for the Chizha Mount Ling Dock is its thermal management capabilities. For a start, there's enough space inside the mount to allow you to angle your Steam Deck so it's not pressed tightly against the back of the device, which in turn gives the handheld some space to breathe. If things do get hot, though, it's not a problem, as the Chizha Mount has its own in-built fan, which you can turn on or adjust using the touchscreen display. You can either set the fan to auto mode, where it turns on and off depending on the heat of the SSD, or you can use a manual slider to keep things cool. That's exactly the sort of feature I want from a premium Steam Deck dock.
As well as the fan and the display, another highlight of the Chizha Mount is its SSD slot, enabling you to boost your storage by up to 4TB. It's slightly annoying in that you have to use a screwdriver to remove the panel on the bottom of the dock to access the slot, but it's still easier than soldering the extra storage into your Steam Deck yourself. Considering the size of some game files these days - I'm looking at you, Baldur's Gate 3 - the option to have extra storage is always welcome.
One of my few complaints about the Chizha Mount Ling Dock is that it doesn't come with a charger in the box. Sure, you can use your Steam Deck charger, but like with the Nintendo Switch 2, that takes some of the convenience out of docking your console, as it means setting the dock up with the charger every time you want to use it. That is, unless you pick up a second charger yourself.
There is, however, that sticking point I alluded to earlier that's harder to ignore than a lack of an additional charger and a slightly bulky design. I'm talking about how much the Chizha Mount Ling Dock costs. According to a video on the brand's own YouTube channel, the super early bird price is $109, which is around $30 more expensive than the price of Valve's official Steam Deck dock. That's not so bad, but the regular early bird price goes up to $129 before a full launch at $199.
It's tricky because the Chizha Mount has a lot more features than your regular Steam Deck dock, so I'd say it's worth up to $129, but that's just the early bird price. In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd be prepared to pay more than that to hook my Steam Deck up to my TV or a monitor, even if all the bells and whistles are pretty impressive. Especially, as I said earlier, if you're not getting an extra charger for that added touch of convenience when going from playing handheld to docked.
All in all, the Dockcase Chizha Mount Ling Dock for Steam Deck is easily one of the more impressive docks I've used, but it's also the most expensive. If money isn't an object and you're looking for the most premium option you can get your hands on, I'd recommend checking this out in a heartbeat, and I'll be using it for my Steam Deck needs going forward. However, if you're on a budget or you're picking up a dock for the occasional multiplayer moment rather than everyday use, you might be better served with a cheaper alternative.
There you have it, our Dockcase Chizha Mount Ling Dock for Steam Deck, following the launch of the product's new Kickstarter campaign. If you're looking for something new to play on your Valve handheld, be sure to check out our guide to the best Steam Deck games while you're here. Or, for more great tech, see our guides to the best gaming phones and the best gaming tablets.