Android Central Verdict
Bottom line: There's nothing groundbreaking about the DualSense Charging Station, but it works exactly as intended. It can charge two controllers at once in about 3 hours, and it can stand beside the PS5 as a nice little accessory. Is it unnecessary for most people? Sure. But for anyone looking for a charging station, you can't go wrong.
Pros
- +
Charges two controllers at once
- +
Easy to use
- +
Full recharge takes around 3 hours
Cons
- -
Does not charge faster than charging through USB-C
- -
Glossy plastic makes for fingerprints galore
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Sony released a handful of accessories alongside the PS5, and I was eager to test them all out. I recently reviewed the Pulse 3D wireless headset and found that while it provides great audio, the mic is less than adequate. I now had the chance to test out the DualSense Charging Station that Sony offers on the side for an additional $30. For what it is worth, it's another great accessory that does its job. I don't see it being useful for everyone, but I think it's worth it for its price.
DualSense Charging Station What I like
It's not a complicated piece of tech, so there isn't too much to say. The charging station comes in a sleek design to complement the PS5 console itself. It charges two controllers at once and takes just 3 hours to charge them fully. While I only have one DualSense controller to test it out with, I found that 3 hour charging time to be accurate.
The DualSense controllers are placed upright on the charging station and connected through the charging terminals on the bottom next to the 3.5mm jack, and they snap in place easily. Once the DualSense is on the station, the light bar around the touchpad will start to glow to indicate its charging status. It slowly blinks orange for the duration of the charge and will turn off when it's fully charged.
For all intents and purposes, it works exactly as it should. It's a near-perfect charging station.
DualSense Charging Station What I don't like
The fact that the charging station doesn't charge any faster than plugging the controller into the console through USB-C is a huge downside for me. If I'm going to pay extra for a charging accessory, I'd like the added benefit of it charging noticeably faster. I personally don't need to free up the USB slots on my PS5 for much, so the charging station really only acts as a cool accessory to place next to my console. That said, I can understand why it could be convenient for people with more than one controller.
Going with a glossy plastic black was also a poor choice, in my opinion. It definitely matches the PS5 well, but it's also prone to a lot of fingerprints. Unlike the console, the charging station is something that you'll be physically handling frequently, whether to move it from one area to another or just to place your controllers on it. This is a minor gripe on my end because I know most people can probably ignore this, but I found myself having to wipe it down too often for my liking.
The competition
When it comes to DualSense charging stations, the competition isn't really anything special. You can find third-party charging stations on the market for a bit cheaper, but they provide essentially the same functionality as the official charging station from Sony.
Collective Minds offers a DualSense charging station that's a bit taller than Sony's but still charges two controllers at once. This one boasts that two controllers can be charged in just under 5 hours, and it's $10 cheaper than the official station, coming in at $20.
If you're looking for something less conspicuous, there's also the Benazcap Charging Station. This one is a flat pad with USB-C plug-ins jutting out and a slightly raised surface to cradle the controller while it's charging. Coming in at $19, it's about as much as what Collective Minds offers. You should see controllers fully charge in 3 to four and a half hours with this one.
DualSense Charging Station Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
- You want a cheap charging accessory
- You want an official product from Sony
- You own two DualSense controllers
You should not buy this if ...
- You're ok with using the USB-C cord to charge the controller
- You don't want to spend $30
- You only have one controller
Most people probably won't need to buy this. I think the USB-C cable that comes with the console should suffice when charging, especially since the charging station doesn't offer an advantage in terms of faster charging times. That said, if you have more than one controller, I can definitely see the charging station coming in handy.
There are cheaper charging stations on the market, but I wouldn't call $30 expensive, to begin with. It's definitely worth the asking price, and it's a nice accessory to go next to your PS5.
