Microsoft Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit user reviews (white)

Pros It makes the rumble feature a little better. A long lasting battery life between charges.

Cons Long charging time (Recommend getting Quick Charge kit if you are not patient). Makes the Wireless Controller into a Wired Controller.

Summary I play Halo 3 and the only time I play good is when the vibration is strong. Ever since I bought this product, I have seen a vast improvement in my gameplay.

Pros Charge while you play, Wired gameplay incase you're screwed (?)

Cons Takes WAY too long to charge

Summary This product would score much, much higher, but after waiting over 6 hours for this thing to charge (while connected to the xbox 360 all night) took much too long to charge. I was expecting maybe a 2-3 hour charge, but why does it take the "Play & Charge Kit" so damn long to charge?! I left the Xbox 360 on all night without playing games on it either (standby mode).. I thought I could keep playing till' it was fully charged, but I was too tired to continue on.

I wish I would have looked at more reviews online before making this purchase. I've read elsewhere that the "Xbox Quickcharge" set is a much better product. All you do is pop in a battery and it charges it in just a few hours. Sure, it's costs a little more, but it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. The "Play & Charge Kit" has given me little value and taken a lot of my valuable time. So, my advice goes to you, fellow gamer, unless you wanted a wired controller, do NOT buy this product!

Pros Charges your Wireless Controller

Cons Makes your Wireless a NON Wireless

Summary For the price, between $15 to $20, it's a GREAT deal. You get a rechargable pack for your 360 controller and the USB cable to plug into the XBox itself. The battery pack is good for about 12 hours of play time before it needs to be plugged in, at whicih point it takes about 2 hours or so to charge, but WHILE it is charging, you can still play with it. The length of the cable provided is plenty long enough to sit comfortably on your couch or easy-chair and continue to play your games as the controller charges.

Even after you power down the XBox 360, the controller will continue to charge while plugged in. When you are done charging, simply unplug the cord. The cord can be plugged in / unplugged mid-game, so you don't have to worry about stopping.

It has a no-nonsense LED in it that shows RED while charging and GREEN when it's fully charged.

An interesting side note. Another accessory that you can purchase for your 360 is the Nyko Intercooler. It is a 3 fan cooling addition that connectes directly onto the back of your XBox and appears as if it was part of the initial structure. It requires no extra power cables, as it plugs directly into the 360 power port, and the power cable then plugs in directly to the Nyko Intercooler. It powers on with the 360 and shuts DOWN with the 360. THIS is where the Play & Charge system gets interesting, if you shut your XBox down but leave your controller plugged in to charge, the Intercooler will remain on, so the fans continue to blow until the charger is done, and then it shuts down.

All in all, the Play & Charge kit is a MUST.

Pros Battery life is excellent

Cons Cannot charge the unit unless Xbox 360 is on

Summary It works like a charm; you plug one end into the controller and the other end into the Xbox 360's USB port. The controller reaches full charge in roughly 2 to 5 hours, depending on how much you use it; charge is slower if your using it. Works as advertized. HOWEVER, what's the point of having a wired charger on a wireless controller and making it so that you have to either be playing the Xbox, or leave it running while the controller waits to charge? This inly leaves one rediculous alternative; plug the game controller into you home PC and leave THAT on while it charges. In my case, I keep a box of 8 AA/NMH batteries charging at an AC outlet. That way I always have a ne set that's rady to go.