nYko is ready to ship its charging station for Xbox360 controllers!
nYko really seems to know what accessories and peripherals gamers want. Just recently they released an Energy Pak for the Wii's Balance Board to prevent gamers from having to replace batteries over and over. This time, it is something similar, yet still excellent. Xbox 360 controllers will eventually have their batteries run out of juice, or you'll have to use a USB charger in order to have your wireless controller up and running again. A charge base will not only recharge the controllers for you, but it also looks pretty cool having the controller docked onto it, almost like a display.
Microsoft has already created an Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit for basically the same purpose. But, with that charging station you must take the battery pack off the controller, and then slide it into the slot, and once fully charged, take it out and slide it back into the controller. With this new charge base from nYko, you won't have to mess with taking the battery pack off the back of the controller and putting it back on later.
The charge base itself is shaped so you can slide two controllers into their snug little slots. What is being recharged? There are two NiMH rechargeable batteries that will provide up to 25 hours of play time each when they are fully charged. An LED light on the front lets you know the charges status also, which should prevent having the charging not take place by showing the user if they slid the controller in the slot far enough. It plugs into a standard outlet, so you won't have to look around the house for a USB port to charge them. As an added bonus, the colors of the charge base match that of the controllers and Xbox360 console. It is expected to start at $34.99 USD.
"Nyko has identified a need among Xbox 360 owners looking for a more convenient way to store and charge their controllers, said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. "The Charge Base 360 eliminates the use of wasteful and expensive disposable batteries and keeps your controllers charged while you store them, so that they are ready to go for an extended gaming session every time you pick them up."