PowerA Controller Charging Base for Nintendo Switch

In this episode, we take a look at perhaps the best and most versatile charging dock for the Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED, the PowerA Controller Charging Base.

Charging controllers and Joy-Cons for the Nintendo Switch can be both easy and challenging. See, it is easy to find chargers for Joy-Cons, I even just featured my new favorite Joy-Con charger from RetroFlag that looks like a Famicom (see that video here: https://youtu.be/UfcTe5aqTKQ). But chargers for 3rd Party Pro-style controllers have been more challenging to find. I have a number of different chargers for the OEM Nintendo Pro Controller, but very few charge 3rd Party controllers as well. On a recent trip to Target, I saw a new PowerA Charger, which looks compatible with more than just the Nintendo Pro Controller.

The PowerA Controller Charging Base charges both a Pro Controller and a pair of Joy-Cons. To connect to the Pro Controller, a USB-C Dongle is included in the base that you insert into the USB-C Port. From here, the back of the dock has a hinged connector that swings in and out to make contact with a trio of pins on the back of the dongle itself. This is the key to the wide compatibility with different controllers, the fact that the contacts swing in and out to make contact.

The side of the charging base houses 2 ports for Joy-Con charging. This is an important thing to call out, it is specifically for Joy-Cons ONLY! I tried charging the NES Online controllers, Binbok and Nyxi Joy-Cons, none of which fit inside the rails. That is unfortunate as that limits the compatibility and functionality of the charging dock.

Providing power is a hardwired USB cable, similar to the Mario charge block I also have. This is unfortunate as, if anything ever happens to this cable, you're stuck and have to throw out the entire charging unit. Having some removable or replaceable cable would have been preferable for me.

I started my testing with a controller I knew would work, the OEM Switch Pro Controller. I connected the dongle and it indicated it was charging right away which was a great sign! From here I got to testing other 3rd party controllers, ones I had not gotten to charge on any other Switch OEM charging base. All of my Retro Fighters controllers charged perfectly, the Brawler64, the Duelist, and the Defender, these all charged perfectly. I also tried out the KMD Pro Controllers, Retro Game Labs Contender, and the Gullikit KingKong2, these all worked as well. I didn't run into any issues until I tested other Joy-Cons from 3rd parties, and as noted earlier, nothing but the OEM Joy-Cons fit. It seems that this was a weird omission as the whole purpose was broad compatibility.

Why it RoX:
- Charges 1st and 3rd Party Switch Pro Controllers
- Compact
- Only $30
- Charges 2 Joy-Cons as well

What could be improved:
- Not compatible with NES Online or 3rd Party Joy-Cons
- Hardwired USB Cable
- LEDs are a bit small and dim
- Additional dongles would be nice
- A version to charge 2 Pro Controllers would be nice

Should you buy one?
I've not been a fan of PowerA controllers in the past, I have felt that they did not offer significant features for the pricing. That being said, this is probably my new favorite product from PowerA, a low bar but it is actually high praise. I have been looking for some sort of charging base for my KMD Pro Controllers for some time, and now I have something that works well. I also wanted something for the Gullikit KingKong2 and this also charged perfectly. I do wish they had not made the rails for the Joy-Cons only be compatible with the OEM units, it seems contradictory to the idea behind this base. But looking past this compromise this is one fine charging base and something you should consider if you use 3rd party Switch Pro Controllers.

#PowerA #NintendoSwitch #ProController #ChargingDock #JoyCon