Here's the 30-second review on the just-released Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit.
- FAST: It charges batteries fast (two hours per battery)
- SEXY: It's
sleek, small, and well-designed. It can be placed in an out-of-the-way spot.
- BETTER: The wired Play and Charge Kit that's been available since launch is inferior and
annoying compared to the Quick Charge Kit because the play-and-charge cables muck up the clean look of the
beautiful Xbox 360 controller with a mess of tangled, ugly cords. This kit solves one of our chief annoyances with the
Xbox 360 wireless controllers.
- EASY: Like any good charger, the LEDs indicate when
the battery is charging. Each of the two LEDs (shown above) glows a steady red or green depending on the state of the
battery that's charging. Batteries snick-snap into place easily and are simple to remove as well. The unit is smart
enough to automatically power down after batteries have been topped off.
- BOTTOM LINE: Free yourself from the tyranny and mess of cables and pick up a Quick Charge Kit.
- VALUE: This is worth at least as much as two of the now-antiquated Play and Charge Kits. It's
priced at $29.99 in the United States and is worth the cash, though we wish it had been bundled with the Xbox 360 from
the get-go.
- RELEASE DATE: Available in the US as of April 21, 2006, with worldwide launch in other countries "soon," according to Microsoft.
