We’ve all been there; you’re closing out a tight round of Slayer on Halo Infinite, or protecting your precious Sea of Thieves loot from the eldritch might of a Kraken and you’ve had to start frantically trying to remember where you’ve put your USB-C cable for your slowly dying controller.
When you can’t find it, and having ignored the Xbox Series X’s low controller battery warning for an hour now, it finally happens: your gamepad fully runs out of juice. Your Needler-brandishing Spartan awkwardly freezes in place, and your friends are wondering where the hell you’ve disappeared to at such a crucial moment.
It’s moments like these that render the PowerA Duo Charging Station for Xbox such a lifesaver. It’s a ‘Designed for Xbox’ charging solution that, much like Sony’s official DualSense Charging Station, lets players charge up to two controllers simultaneously. And it does so at an attractive price tag of just $29.99 / £24.99, making it one of the most affordable Xbox Series X and Series S accessories out there.
The use case
The PowerA Duo Charging Station will be most useful for players who own at least two Xbox Wireless Controllers, as the accessory features a couple of docks to charge your gamepads. If either the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S is your primary console then the charging station offers a way to continuously swap out controllers without fear of running out of battery.
I put the device to the test with a recent playthrough of Elden Ring on Xbox Series X. Yes, it’s one of the best Xbox Series X games out there, but it’s also a lengthy one, making it an ideal candidate for controller charging and swapping when needed.
I began the playthrough with one Xbox Wireless Controller set in the Duo Charging Station’s dock. As I enjoyed my revisit of Elden Ring, in anticipation of the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, I patiently waited for that low battery warning. And when it happened, I simply walked over to the charging station, swapped the controllers, and had a fresh 40-hour charge ready to go.
Of course, this whole charging problem can be circumvented by simply wiring up the gamepad to the console via USB-C. And that’s a fine solution, especially with the reduction of input lag offered by wired connectivity. But as an owner of a particularly curious and mischievous cat, having a stray wire run across the living room floor only invites him to take a nibble when he thinks I’m not looking. But I am looking, Ozzy. I’m always looking.
I was also surprised to discover that the PowerA Duo Charging Station comes with two additional rechargeable batteries, each offering a further 20 hours of playtime at full charge. While it’s entirely possible to stick with the batteries that come with the Xbox Wireless Controller, this adds even more value to the already relatively low price of the package.
Since owning the PowerA Duo Charging Station, I’ve not run across a single low battery warning. And I’ve found this to be a valuable thing as someone who routinely plays relatively longer games and makes use of Xbox Game Pass - which has recently seen the arrival of lengthy titles like Persona 3 Reload and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
So if you’re also keen on waving that low battery warning goodbye, I highly recommend checking out the PowerA Duo Charging Station. Especially as they’re aren’t many other charging solutions like it for Xbox Series X|S at this juncture of reliability and affordability. It’s a new fixture in my gaming setup that I can’t imagine living without now, and it could be one of your new favorite accessories.
Interested in a broader range of Xbox-focused hardware? Consider checking out our guides to the best Xbox controllers and best Xbox Series X headsets.
