While a little on the pricey side, the BenQ beCreatus GR10 USB4 Steam Deck Dock is a worthy addition to your arsenal for both at home and while you're on the go. Disclosure: BenQ sent over the device for review, I did not need to send it back.
There's a lot of docks out there now including the official one from Valve, multiple from JSAUX, UGREEN and the list of companies doing them goes on for a while. Valve basically created another little accessory industry here. Most of them are quite similar but BenQ are at least doing something a little different.
It has some nice specifications to begin with including:
- USB4 Type-C cable for device connection. This comes with a removable 90 degree USB-C adaptor already attached.
- USB-C PD charger (input max 100W).
- USB-A Connector (10 Gbps, 4.5W charging) x 2.
- USB-C Connector (10 Gbps, 7.5W charging) x 1.
- 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45.
- HDMI 2.1 (4K 120Hz/8K 60Hz).
So with it you get a reasonable amount of ports, that all work great and have a good fit with various connectors. The fun part though? The stand for your devices folds out from it. Making it easy to fold back and pack away for any travels you're doing. A bit of a novelty perhaps, but for anyone who does travel a fair bit, this will make it quite a nice space-saver for docking it wherever you go. The device connection cable also folds away into the device as well keeping it all safe and secure.
Having the device connector with a removable 90 degree USB-C adaptor is a nice touch too, if you're planning to hook it up to other devices when the stand is folded away, doubling it up as a decent USB HUB for other devices too. BenQ say the beCreatus GR10 will be plug and play across iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux devices.
BenQ certainly aren't the first to have a stand that you pull out, I believe JSAUX got there first with their RGB Docking Station, but that's a little flimsy feeling and wobbly as it does not sit flat as there's a gap under it. Not a problem at here, as the designers at BenQ made sure the foldable stand actually folds out flat onto the surface. So it feels a lot sturdier than the competition. The build quality overall is fantastic too. Feels solid and looks nice while staying out of your way — not much more is needed than that.
Other docks I've looked at before had ports that were a bit overly snug when connecting / disconnecting wires, which I'm pleased to say is not a problem here at all. The cuts for the ports are as snug as they should be, but not where it may cause issues.
I've been testing this constantly for about a week and a half now, and I haven't had a single problem with it. While I only have a Steam Deck to test with it, BenQ note it will fit and work well with other handhelds too including the ROG Ally, MSI Claw and the Legion Go thanks to the spacious 21.5mm size of the foldable stand.
You can see their own video on it below:
Direct Link
The only downsides really are the price and shipping. At $109 it's a bit more than most other docks, and it seems they're only shipping in the USA right now. For the price though you get rather nice specifications and the useful foldable stand that sits nicely. I'll also say personally I think it's a bit silly that BenQ so prominently list 120Hz and 4K for it, despite the Steam Deck not performing well at 4K for really anything. But hey, that's great for other uses!
Overall this is easily one of the nicest docks I've had for review and I've been through quite a few now. For me personally it's going to be my own go-to for when travelling between places, which I actually do a fair bit of recently, so it came at a good time. And it actually works better than Valve's official dock, which I still at times have issues with displaying on my main TV whereas this as it should — just works. You don't get a better recommendation than that right?
This is a premium dock with the price, build quality and ease of use to match with the added bonus of being good for travel. If you have yet to get a dock for your handheld, or you're looking for a better one, the BenQ beCreatus GR10 would be a great purchase that I'll happily recommend.
More info on their website, their store page also on Amazon.
Quoting: PyrateIt should be a crime to have the usb C cable sticking out from the side like that.
Probably because it is just a notebook dock with a glued Steam Deck stand.
Last edited by kokoko3k on 5 November 2024 at 2:07 pm UTC
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