I’ve always been a fan of trendy looking gizmos which actually work as expected, if not better. I appreciate the design aspects of any good accessory but I’m always a bit cautious as to the potential to then overlook key functionality features by making it look nicer. Thankfully, this is not the case with the OIVO Xbox One Controller Charger.
Firstly, I must comment around the box and packaging. Very nicely put together, and compact. I was worried, initially when it arrived, as it seemed very small, but as you'll see later in the review, this was not a negative.
Also, credit where credit is due, the manufacturers OIVO provide a lovely little welcome card in their box, with support numbers and expectations from their side as to how they hope you will love their product. As someone who is familiar with the gaming industry and the greediness which takes place here, it's a nice and welcome change to see a company care about the opinions of their customers.
In addition to its stylish design, this not only works and functions like you would fully expect with a charger, but it also tells you (very explicitly) when the charging has been completed, which for someone like myself is a massive bonus, and I’ll tell you why.
I have a semi stylish looking charger stand for the PS4 and that still pales in comparison to this. The easy to work application as well as the ability to slot the controller for charging without feeling like you're going to snap something, which is something I've seriously struggled with in the past! (I've had charger stands which literally wanted me to force the controller in!) Let’s go back to the element of it telling you its charged, just for a moment.
It’s light and easy to read design of red controller meaning not charged and green controller meaning charged, is not just simple and to the point, but brilliant to look at. Now, with the PS4 charger I mentioned, though it “tells” you it’s charged, it does so in an ambiguous and non-explicit way, which is why I like the OIVO styled products a lot better than your normal mainstream ones.
The price of the item is not extortionate either, coming in very nicely at just under 20 pounds, you could be forgiven in thinking it’s not top tier – which it certainly is. It's quite tempting to judge a product based on its initial asking price, but I’m glad to have gotten past that biased and managed to truly try and use this product, before making a call as to if it's worthy or not.
And this charger overall, putting it plainly, is one of the best, if not the best controller stand feature for my consoles that I’ve used to date. It’s not hard to figure out how to set it up, nor does it take up too much room. Those of you with limited space will be grateful for its nicely overall design, which makes perfect use of its purpose and why you would want to be purchasing it in the first place (No OTT side bites that don't add value!)
Playing Devil’s advocate here, I try to always put something constructive on anything I look to review. In the chargers case, the only thing I can even begin to critique is the fact it doesn’t come with a plug socket wire, only the USB. This is of course, easily rectified by spending an extra few quid and ordering one.
To summarize - If you’re looking for something affordable, stylish, and does what it says on the tin, then this product is for you. I’ve had a fair few controller chargers in my time (Which I hate to admit) and this is most certainly the nicest one I’ve come to experience. Just ensure you purchase a USB plug adapter if you intend to plug it into the mains, otherwise, you can simply plug the USB into the console.
Overall score – 9/10
