★★★★★ 4
Expensive, but it works
The good parts:
Yup, this works with DP alt mode, single cable use works for most devices I tried (steam deck, laptop, odin mini 2) even without the hub powered through the power in on the hub, I even got it working without external power to either the hub or my small usb-c monitor. However, some devices like my phone likely didn't give enough power for it to work without another power source. On my phone it worked for some usb devices without external power, but the dp alt mode didn't do work. DP alt on my phone works just fine with external power connected to the hub. Powering it with a small but powerful power bank worked fine, but lower power power banks might not keep up especially if the monitor isn't getting it's own power. It only takes a watt or two of power for the hub itself from some quick and dirty measurements charging my laptop through the pd-in on the hub.
As for the rest of it, the three usb 3 ports means you should be enough to get by for any use case, though you may need more dongles or adapters to get the type of connections you need, but quite usable as-is for a lot of purposes.
Basically it does what it says, there really is no other hub currently that can do pd alt mode, only big docks which need power supplies.
The ok parts:
*When it isn't powered* I noticed that with a monitor already plugged in, plugging it into a device would lead to the monitor not being initialized. But plugging the hub into the device first before connecting the monitor worked. No issue when it was powered. You can use this to get display out and charge with a Nintendo switch, but if it's not powered through the pd-in it probably wont switch to TV mode and output video, not sure if that's because of power or software reasons.
This is a nitpick, but if you care about the feel or aesthetic it's noticeably bland. The case is plastic and there seems to be no weighting on the inside, it's very light, which can feel cheap but it's not like adding weights would functionally make it better, the case also has a bit of a harsh feeling where it's joined, but it does feel solid and durable enough. It's clearly function over form, just barely meets the minimum bar imo.
The bad part:
You already saw, but the price is a bit steep for a hub (at $80). I'd love to see it at 60 or even 40 instead, I hope more similar hubs pop up for competition.
In summary:
It does what it says, if you know you want this and what it is then get it, I feel like it shouldn't cost this much, but it's quite usable and for now it's the only option for a DP alt mode hub.
Minus a half star each for subpar presentation and price 4/5
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Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2024