It's that time of year again. People are coming together for food, family, and fun and nothing kills the fun faster than a dead controller or device. When I started building my Game Room I wanted to make sure everything was as pick up and play as possible. This meant if it took longer than two to three minutes to start up and play a game it wasn't going to be worth it. To make sure everything is pick up and play ready I invested in some batteries and chargers that I'll explain here.





The first stop was batteries. So many devices these days eat up batteries quickly and I wanted them to last. I researched batteries and chose Eneloop (Panasonic) rechargeable batteries for their reliability and durability. They work well for day to day things such as a wireless controller, or a PDP pixel Pal. Eneloop batteries are great for daily usage but aren't ideal for use in portables as they are still susceptible to leaks. To make sure battery leakage wasn't an issue I bought some Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries. These batteries while not rechargeable are guaranteed not to leak. These are perfect for the Dot Matrix Gameboy (DMG) Game Gear, and Turbo Express.


When I originally looked at controller chargers I found the Nyko chargers to have good reviews and reliability. They were a little expensive at around $20 per system but I placed an order. When they arrived I set everything up only to find that they required original controllers and wouldn't work with third-party controllers. This was a deal breaker for me as I own several third-party controllers and wanted to have a solution that would work with everything. It wasn't until I went grocery shopping at the local Aldi that I found a solution that would work for me. In the Christmas aisle, they had a Bauhn charging Tower Pro for $13. This tower claimed to be able to charge six high powered devices at once as it outputs 5V DC or 2.4A per port for a total of 7.1A max. I quickly bought two and brought them home for testing. It quickly charged my 2DS, PS3 controllers, and PS4 controllers from a dead state. The PS4 controller charged in an hour and thirty minutes beating the average charge time of 2 hours. While impressive the device does have a downside. The controllers or 2DS didn't shut off after fully charging I would have to set a timer to make sure I unplugged it when it was fully charged so I didn't risk overcharging.

By using a combination of Eneloop batteries, Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, and USB charging towers I can make sure everything in my game room is ready to pick up and play and keep the fun flowing all throughout the Holidays.

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