The Hacker News discussion revolves around several key themes related to LTT Labs and the complexities and frustrations of the USB-C standard, particularly in relation to the Nintendo Switch.
LTT Labs and its Role
A significant portion of the discussion centers on the new LTT Labs and its relevance to Linus Tech Tips' primary content. Some users expressed surprise LTT would invest in such a venture, viewing it as unnecessary for their "mass market entertainment" content, with one user stating, "I'm surprised it continues to exist at all. The main content ltt puts out these days is purely mass market entertainment." This sentiment was countered by others who believe the lab is integral to their content, as "Labs is the source of all benchmark and performance data they show on the main channel productions." Another user pointed out a practical benefit: "if it's a slow tech news day, and they can't think of a video concept they want to try, they have a ready-made set of labs content they can base a video on." The value of the lab's data was also highlighted, with appreciation for the availability of full testing tables: "They put up a video the other day with the summary of this testing, but it’s cool that the full table is now available."
USB-C Dual-Role Port (DRP) Ambiguity and Issues
A major point of contention and discussion is the behavior of USB-C's Dual-Role Ports (DRP), which allow devices to act as either a power source or a sink. Users shared frustrating experiences where devices incorrectly negotiated power roles, leading to unexpected behavior. One user recounted, "I own a Switch 1, and the other day I wanted to play on the train, but the battery was low. I figured "no problem, I can connect it to my laptop and let it charge off is battery". Nope. The MacBook Pro started charging off the Switch instead."
The underlying technical mechanism was explained, with a user highlighting the race condition involved: "According to https://superuser.com/a/1773195 ... The DRP then alternates the sink advertising (5k1 pull-downs) with pull-ups (source advertising) about 10 to 20 times per second. If another DRP is connected, they both will toggle their advertising until a correct (pull-up - pull-down) combination occurs. Then CC controller(s) will stop toggling, and the end that happens to be in provider mode will provide +5VSAFE VBUS. The process will end in one or other direction, which will happen at random (since frequencies of toggling are independent)." This led to the observation, "A protocol designed on who wins an race condition? That's wild."
The user-hostile nature of this ambiguity was a consistent theme. "Us usb C has an awful lot of user hostile fallout considering it's stated goal of "a cable that just works for everything"" was a strong statement. Workarounds and potential solutions were discussed, including unplugging and replugging, specific device policies (preferring source or sink), and OS-level overrides: "If you do connect two laptops together for data transferring, the OS should be able to let the user override the power flow direction - or even disable charging altogether."
Nintendo's USB-C Implementation and User Experience Concerns
A significant portion of the discussion focused on Nintendo's implementation of USB-C with its Switch consoles, specifically the perceived lack of support for third-party docks and video output. Many users felt Nintendo's approach was intentionally restrictive and user-hostile. One user stated, "The current behaviour is completely unacceptable and needlessly user-hostile. There's no way around it: their USB-C implementation is broken."
The LTT video on the topic was seen as implying intentionality, even if carefully worded to avoid explicit accusations: "The video did very much suggest it was intentional but did so implicitly. It explicitly stopped short of explicitly suggesting it due to a lack of evidence." This was further elaborated with, "They had to tip toe around this to avoid lawsuits. In practice, they made it quite clear they think this is on purpose."
The rationale for Nintendo's behavior was debated, with some suggesting it was due to a lack of advanced USB-C implementation or a desire to differentiate their product: "The Switch 1 had more of an excuse since it was released just as USB-C, particularly the more advanced parts like video out and PD were still very new." Others countered, "Switch 1 was released in 2017. PD 1.0 was 2013 , and Display Port out was 2014. Both were supported by numerous devices by the time the Switch 1 was out." The argument that Nintendo "cheaps out on parts and has no incentive to increase compatibility" was also put forward.
Concerns about Nintendo's proprietary approach led to broader criticisms of the company's customer relations: "Just one more reason not to buy a Switch 2. Seriously, Nintendo has become worse than Apple when it comes to treating their customers." and "Nintendo was and is primarily a toy company. ... You're pretending it's a general purpose computer to make a point about interoperability, but it's neither." This sentiment was echoed by another user stating, "With the behaviour Nintendo has been 'in the last few years' - I no longer will purchase Nintendo consoles."
USB-C Standards Compliance and Safety Concerns
Beyond the Nintendo-specific issues, the discussion touched upon broader concerns regarding USB-C standards compliance and the potential for devices to be damaged by non-compliant chargers. Users reported instances of devices being "bricked" or damaged by chargers that did not adhere to USB Power Delivery (PD) protocols. One user shared, "I've bricked a samsung phone (galaxy s10+) using the switch usb c charger so that doesn't surprise me at all."
The lack of robust enforcement of standards was also a point of frustration: "This is non compliant in the EU, but when I reported it to the responsible authorities, they didn't feel like doing anything about it." This led to concerns about device safety, especially in products aimed at vulnerable users: "We are talking about a charger that can fry any device and potentially cause a fire, coming with a product aimed at people with babies, that's clearly non compliant to be sold in the EU, and they are doing nothing at all."
The complexity and potential pitfalls of USB-C were summarized as a "minefield," with a call for users to be cautious: "Not even. Early devices were things like the OnePlus 2 and there were plenty of phones out before the Switch even hit the market in 2017." and "I consider having a cheap USB power meter a necessity at this point." The discussion concluded with many expressing a desire for a return to more reliable, albeit proprietary, charging solutions if the "universal" aspect of USB-C could not be reliably implemented, or a strong preference for manufacturers who demonstrate good practice: "If anything, manufacturers that are able to provide working, compatible solutions should be preferred by consumers to those that don't, and the laws of economics will take care of the rest."