A world of wi-fi Xbox controllers goes hand in hand with a world of rechargeable batteries.
The Xbox Elite Controller Sequence 2 has the very best Xbox controller battery charger resolution in the marketplace, however it should additionally price you a kidney to purchase. Happily, third-party distributors like Gioteck are working onerous to supply rather more reasonably priced options, and we lately had the possibility to check out the Solo and Duo Xbox controller variants.
The good information is that this £15 ($20) dock is completely killer — if it is accessible in your nation, that’s.
Gioteck Solo Charging Dock for Xbox: Availability
On the time of writing I may solely discover the Gioteck Solo and Duo for Xbox accessible on Gioteck’s web site and Amazon UK. Gioteck sells merchandise on Amazon US, however this explicit billing resolution doesn’t look like accessible there as of writing. Let’s hope it makes its strategy to extra markets quickly, as a result of it is fairly cool.
The Gioteck Solo for Xbox prices £15 and the Duo prices £20 respectively. Each include USB-C cables, the dock itself, and particular batteries with magnetic slots for normal Xbox Sequence X|S controllers.
Gioteck Solo Charging Stand for Xbox: Professionals
The Gioteck Solo Charging Dock for Xbox incorporates a customized battery door for normal Xbox Sequence X|S controllers, permitting you to put your controller within the dock for simple persistent charging. Many third-party controller docks handle to screw up at the least one or two of the fundamentals, however the Gioteck dock captures all essentially the most important features of a purposeful charging dock whereas additionally boasting a really engaging price ticket.
My first pet peeve with docks of every kind is weight and stability. Docks can obtain stability with good rubber toes to carry them firmly in place whereas nonetheless having a very good weight. The Gioteck resolution has a large base with protruding rubber toes, that means it sits even on uneven surfaces to a point. It additionally has a good weight to it which suggests you will not unintentionally change its place when inserting the controller.
The Gioteck stand additionally options USB-C, that means it is comparatively future-proofed because the world progressively strikes away from MicroUSB, and even has a second daisy-chained USB-C port if you wish to add pass-through energy to a different system . It is a good contact that I have never seen fairly often in merchandise like this.
The hexagonal sample and construct high quality give the Gioteck Solo and Duo a pleasant end and the controller sits completely within the dock too. Some docks I’ve used at this worth usually have points with connecting correctly to the controller or another important/annoying flaws, however Gioteck nails all the things right here. The web site does not record battery life, however the firm tells me it is at 18 hours per full cost. I discover this to be correct in my testing, though it is onerous to say how lengthy the battery cells will final over time with out some longer-form testing. Examine again in six months for some particulars on this. I’ll say after 3 months, it nonetheless provides me all day juice.
Gioteck Solo Charging Stand for Xbox: Cons
The downsides to this charging dock are few and much between, and largely superficial.
The value of this setting has me nervous that the battery cells will not final lengthy. High quality batteries appear onerous to return by at cheaper price factors, however that is truthfully only a guess on my half proper now. Premium batteries just like the one discovered within the Xbox Elite Controller Sequence 2 include one very The highest worth is hooked up, so it isn’t precisely a giant deal to swap them. I’ll say that this charger comes with a one-year guarantee as customary, so in the event you discover that the cells have certainly died, you can ask Gioteck for a alternative. Proper now, they appear fairly stable to me.
The most important irritation for me is the charging LED on the entrance of the system. It’s by far the brightest LED I’ve in my total workplace/bed room and lights up your entire room at evening. In the event you had been planning to make use of it in the lounge then it would not be essential for you, after all, and I think most individuals would use it that means. However since my Xbox can also be the place I sleep, it could be good to have the choice to show off the LED. Nevertheless, you possibly can take away the entrance plate on the Gioteck Solo and Duo. So I caught a small LED blocking movie sticker (like $5 on Amazon (opens in new tab)) above it as an inexpensive resolution to this “drawback”.
Aside from that, the one draw back is that I am unable to inform whether or not or not it is accessible in america — the place most of you may be studying this from. It additionally does not say whether or not or not the Gioteck has overcharge prevention, which could be a supply of battery degradation. I’ll attempt to get some particulars from Gioteck on these features.
Gioteck Solo Charging Stand for Xbox: Competitors
I would say that as charging docks go, the primary benchmarks are Microsoft’s pretty costly Xbox Play & Cost Package (opens in new tab) and Razer’s Controller Gear Xbox charging pad.
Each of those competing choices are round $35 {dollars}, in comparison with Gioteck’s $20 {dollars}. The Razer Stand additionally has an irritating flaw, which might be discovered on its flat rubbery underside. On a very flat floor, the Razer stand is not really utterly flat, that means it rotates and slides round if you place the controller. Nevertheless, it has a high-quality battery that lasted me years at this level, and the jury continues to be out on whether or not Gioteck’s resolution can meet it or not.
Microsoft’s Play & Cost equipment is only a battery and charging cable, no dock. The batteries are additionally dependable and long-lasting, however you pay a premium and you will even have a dangling cable in every single place.
Gioteck Solo Xbox Charging Dock: Ought to You Purchase It?
All too usually, low-cost equipment imply low-cost high quality, and it is good to see Gioteck bucking the development right here. The charging dock completely accommodates your Xbox Sequence X|S controller, and the battery will preserve you going deep even throughout the longest all-day periods. The burden and rubber toes will preserve it steady on any floor, and the tethered USB-C port is a pleasant contact for individuals who need to cost different gadgets by your Xbox.
The one (very superficial) draw back for me was the brightness of the LED because it’s in my bed room. It could be good if it might be adjusted. Happily, it was simply mounted by throwing a $5 LED blocking sticker on it because the entrance panel is detachable. These planning to set it up in a lounge will not even have this difficulty, most definitely.
It is a charging dock that I might suggest to anybody and everybody who needs a easy resolution to maintain their Xbox controllers open and able to use always. If it is accessible in your nation, that’s.