Although familiar with the concept of a joypad charging dock, I’ve never owned one and so never fully apricated the advantages.
Due to owning multiple devices powered by Micro USB, my living room is home to numerous chargers I could easily, and readily, plug an Xbox One controller into. “Surely a dock means more surplus plastic cluttering up the place?†I thought to myself.
It so transpires that the opposite is true. The Xbox Series X brings with it a re-designed controller, now powered by USB C. My original plan was to use the Switch Lite’s charger to power-up the new Xbox controller; then came along Snakebyte’s Twin: Charge SX which managed to simplify things.
Cable sharing and trying to find a free plug socket are no longer issues – the dock is permanently connected to the Xbox Series X itself, with cables hidden. While not necessarily compact, it’s smart and stylish, and it makes me wonder why I put up with trailing cables.
Snakebyte’s Twin: Charge SX comes with two 800 mAh battery packs, the dock itself and the required (2m) USB power cable. Joypads aren’t required to be physically inserted into the dock, as per some devices, but merely placed on top. The indicator light(s) show when they’re charging (red) and ready to go (green), with the light placement and dock itself designed to mimic the Series X.
The battery packs add a bit of weight to the controller, being heavier than two AA batteries, but not distractingly so. Another advantage to the dock is that it serves as storage; instead of cluttering up the coffee table or stuck down the side of the sofa, my controllers are now always sat neatly on the dock when not in use. The only downside is that I now have to get off the sofa to retrieve them. It’s like the SEGA Master System’s pause button all over again.
Of course, I joke. If you’re making the transition to a new console, I’d recommend investing in a dock at the same time, especially if you’re keeping hold of your previous consoles too. Chances are your gaming room doesn’t need another bunch of cables cluttering up the place.
Snakebyte’s Twin: Charge SX is available now in black or white. Review sample provided.