clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

PlayStation and Xbox controllers, together in perfect harmony, with this charger

Nyko’s latest charging solution defies the law of the gods and nature

Charlie Hall/Polygon
Charlie Hall is Polygon’s tabletop editor. In 10-plus years as a journalist & photographer, he has covered simulation, strategy, and spacefaring games, as well as public policy.

Make no bones about it, Nyko makes some pretty weird peripherals. I like weird peripherals, and I especially like the ones that Nyko makes. These last few weeks I’ve been test driving their latest product, called the Charge Block. It has a terrible name. I’d already determined that it was pretty much okay, but not particularly noteworthy. That is, until my daughter accidentally smashed it on the ground.

When flinging herself into the wall my youngest knocked the new charger and both of my Xbox One controllers off a shelf. The whole kludge exploded into pieces, and I was pretty sure it was all she wrote for that particular dock. But she actually revealed the Charge Block’s greatest, and perhaps most poorly documented feature.

Turns out it’s a modular system that allows you to charge Microsoft and Sony controllers on the same USB cable.

The Charge Block is sold two ways, as a single or as a pair. On the very front is a plastic blank that, when removed, reveals a male micro-USB connector. On the back is the female connector, and when attached end-to-end they daisy chain together allowing you to mix and match Microsoft and Sony compatible blocks.

Charlie Hall/Polygon

It’s as simple as it is beautiful.

I recommend the Charge Block Duo for Xbox One, which is $29.99, and the Duo for PS4, which is $24.99. With them you’ve got all you need to keep yourself gaming through the holidays and beyond.

These chargers also have a few other quality-of-life features. First, they have a very low center of gravity. So unless you’re spinning like a top and singing Rainbow Connection with your eyes closed, it’s unlikely that you’ll knock them over. The dongle needed to charge the DualShock 4 controllers is semi-permanent and super tiny. I have pretty big hands, and they don’t get in my way at all. Additionally, the Xbox One model comes with rechargeable lithium batteries and a replacement battery cover with a cutout to allow easy access to the charging port.

Pop the whole thing into a spare USB slot on your console of choice and you don’t even need to sacrifice a wall outlet.

Some other goodies are on sale at the Nyko website right now, including the Modular Charge Station for PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Do you need a speakerphone or a keyboard for your controller? How about a little fan that keeps your hands dry? You can find that stuff here, and much of it is on sale for the holidays.

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.

news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news
news