Add ability to use Steam Dock’s USB-C port for video out

[extramediumbeats]

Would love to be able to use one of the USB-C ports in the official dock as a video out- the KVM switch I’m using allowed me to switch between two laptops with USB-C video flawlessly, but the dock doesn’t appear to allow this functionality yet. Hopefully this can be added via firmware

[AndyCalling]

Thing is, the only USB-C port on the dock is for power delivery, so to connect to the PSU. I don't know if its even wired for data. You are looking for a dock or hub that supports DP MST over USB-C pass through. Problem is most docks or hubs that support DP MST don't pass it through to USB, they break it out to DP/HDMI. And by most, I mean 99.99%. I doubt the chipset in the official dock could do this.

Even if it were possible, you then couldn't connect the PSU, so it would be of little use to do this through the dock. May as well just connect your monitor directly to the Deck's USB-C port if you don't mind running off battery.

I suspect you may see more docks that support this in the future, only because it can be useful for supporting AR glasses better. Right now though, very very little hardware can support this. We need to wait for new chipsets with this very new niche AR tech in mind. This may well need patience.

[extramediumbeats]

That’s what I was thinking/afraid of. I just assumed it would work since it was so seamless between two laptops, but I see the difference here.

I don’t really want to run it off of the battery when it’s docked, so I think I’m stuck using a monitor switch or swapping inputs along with the KVM switch for now.

I thought about attempting to split the deck’s usb out between power and data, but products like that seem to be aimed towards audio rather than video.

[nix]

Err... of course the dock's USB-C port is wired for data: the Deck sends and receives both data (to USB mass storage and Ethernet) and video data for the HDMI and DP ports over it. Of course using it for anything else is hard, what with the Deck using it...

[Prezidentas]

Publicado originalmente por nix:

Err... of course the dock's USB-C port is wired for data: the Deck sends and receives both data (to USB mass storage and Ethernet) and video data for the HDMI and DP ports over it. Of course using it for anything else is hard, what with the Deck using it...

you aren't talking about the same port

[nix]

... there's only one USB-C port on the dock?

[Prezidentas]

Publicado originalmente por nix:

... there's only one USB-C port on the dock?

yes, and it only supports charging.

[nix]

Um... It's the only thing connected to the deck when the deck is docked, so it *must* be able to pass everything to the dock that the dock has ports for, including a video signal. This is so obvious that I think I must be misunderstanding you...

[Prezidentas]

Publicado originalmente por nix:

Um... It's the only thing connected to the deck when the deck is docked, so it *must* be able to pass everything to the dock that the dock has ports for, including a video signal. This is so obvious that I think I must be misunderstanding you...

the jack in the back of the dock... not the permanently attached cable that goes into the deck...

[nix]

Oh! Sorry, misunderstanding averted. Yeah the charging socket only supports charging and I'd honestly forgotten it was even USB-C, whoops

[Boblin the Goblin]

Publicado originalmente por Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

Publicado originalmente por nix:

Um... It's the only thing connected to the deck when the deck is docked, so it *must* be able to pass everything to the dock that the dock has ports for, including a video signal. This is so obvious that I think I must be misunderstanding you...

the jack in the back of the dock... not the permanently attached cable that goes into the deck...

But there still has to be data transfer since that is the only way the dock is connected.

If that port only supported charging, putting a dock on it still wouldn't give a video signal or allow data transfer with a USB stick.

What the dock does is split the charge and data signal so that you can charge AND output data/video.

[nix]

Publicado originalmente por KittenGrindr:

Publicado originalmente por Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

the jack in the back of the dock... not the permanently attached cable that goes into the deck...

But there still has to be data transfer since that is the only way the dock is connected.

If that port only supported charging, putting a dock on it still wouldn't give a video signal or allow data transfer with a USB stick.

What the dock does is split the charge and data signal so that you can charge AND output data/video.

Yeah, but the jack in the back of the dock into which you plug the power brick from the wall socket only supports charging: you can't plug a powered hub in there and pass power and data over it.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Publicado originalmente por nix:

Publicado originalmente por KittenGrindr:

But there still has to be data transfer since that is the only way the dock is connected.

If that port only supported charging, putting a dock on it still wouldn't give a video signal or allow data transfer with a USB stick.

What the dock does is split the charge and data signal so that you can charge AND output data/video.

Yeah, but the jack in the back of the dock into which you plug the power brick from the wall socket only supports charging: you can't plug a powered hub in there and pass power and data over it.

Oh, that port.

Yeah, that's locked to just charging.