If you have any experience playing on a console with a wireless controller, chances are you’ve had to do a quick battery swap at a time that isn’t quite ideal, and then you lose connection and have to reconnect your controller to your system. Well, Otterbox’s latest charging accessory, the Xbox Power Swap controller batteries, helps to remedy that by providing a continuous connection to your console, even when swapping batteries. Hit the video below to see a short hands-on demonstration.
When you’re in the heat of the moment, swapping batteries can cost you a match. Otterbox is aiming to help the issue by providing a continuous connection even when you remove the battery pack from the controller to make the battery pack reloads faster. It’s like a quick-swap mag for your Xbox controller.
Otterbox has some other great accessories for Xbox gamers as well. Be sure to check out our hands-on look at some more of the product line.
Otterbox Power Swap batteries: Design
While physical battery appears a little smaller than standard battery packs, the Power Swap batteries quickly snap in and out of the adapter. There is a button that will display how much battery life is left through the four small LED lights on the bottom of the battery.
One other handy feature is an additional LED light that will illuminate red when the controller battery is getting low. This way, you have a better idea of when you need to reload your controller battery.
Included in the box are two adapters that will work with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S controllers. The adapters are labeled 1 and 2 and can fit in the battery compartment for the different-sized controllers. Unfortunately, it appears that the Xbox Elite controller, at least the first generation, is not compatible with the Otterbox batteries.
Otterbox Power Swap batteries: Video
Otterbox Power Swap batteries: Battery life
You can expect at least 10 hours of battery life from a single battery. While that may not be a huge improvement over the stock battery setup, Otterbox is looking to enhance the battery swap rather than the battery life so that you never really have to lose connection by powering off the controller.
Power Swap batteries: in-use
Compared to other charging docks, the battery charging dock is also pretty small and discrete. This makes it easy to store on a side table or someplace nearby, and it won’t stick out too much.
Once you get a feel for how the battery connects to the adapter, it’s easy to swap the batteries with one hand.
Other battery options
Coming in at $60, the battery pack is an investment compared to something like the $19 OIVO battery and charging station, but it’s from a much more reputable brand with a limited lifetime warranty. And, not having to resync a controller makes it even easier to stay in the game.
9to5Toys’ Take
Overall, the Otterbox Power Swap batteries are a handy way to make reloading batteries even easier. Of course, if you plan out charging and playtime, then you probably never need to worry about inopportune battery swaps, but the Otterbox Power Swap batteries definitely make it more convenient when you do need that crucial reload.
Buy Otterbox Power Swap batteries
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