GEAR REVIEW
Nyko Xbox 360 Charge Base
By Shaun Hatton - February 16th, 2009
It’s a scene all-too-familiar to me. I pick up my Xbox 360 control pad to start up a game. Minutes in, communication with my controller is lost. I reconnect it to the system, realizing the batteries haven’t been charged in weeks.
I glance over at the TV remote. No one will notice if I do a battery swap. I flick open the TV remote’s battery cover. Oh yeah. This thing takes AAA batteries, and I can’t use those in my Xbox controller.
I thought of buying the official play and charge battery pack for the Xbox, but that meant having to sometimes play with a cord connected to the controller. I’ve been using the Nyko charge station for my Wii controllers and have been quite happy with it, so when I found out that Nyko had released a similar product for the Xbox 360, I figured it would be the perfect solution to my low battery woes.
And I was right! The Nyko Charge Base for the 360 keeps my controllers charged and doubles as a stylish stand. The kit includes the charging base that connects to any regular power outlet and two NiMH battery packs. These battery packs snap onto the back of the Xbox 360 controllers. When placed onto the charging base, the battery packs begin juicing up.
It takes a few hours to charge the two controllers the first time around, with subsequent charges taking far less time. Obnoxiously bright LEDs indicate the charge status of each of the packs. Unlike the Wii charge station, however, the lights turn off once charging is completed. A fully charged battery pack will last hours, too – much longer that what I was previously used to using Energizer rechargeable batteries.
The best part about having the charge station is that I don’t have to worry about my controllers cutting out in the middle of a game just because I forgot to charge the batteries. It’s the perfect accessory for forgetful gamers and requires much less effort than the Xbox 360 Quick Charge kit.
