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Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers
What we like
What we don't like
Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers
If you’re like me, you have a drawer or shelf filled with gaming controllers, cables, accessories, and other assorted knick-knacks. It can feel chaotic and annoying if you’re hunting for something specific amidst all that mess. Thankfully, the incredibly inexpensive Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers is here to save the day.
In this Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers review, I’ll tell you all about why this little device is basically a no-brainer if you need a charging solution.
Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers: What is it?
The Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers is a multi-charger for your Switch controllers. You can charge one full-sized controller (such as the Nintendo Switch Pro controller) as well as two pairs of Joy-Con. It’s capable of charging all those devices at once.
Related: Nintendo Switch buyer’s guide: Everything you need to know
Inside the box is a USB-C to USB-A cable. The USB-C end plugs into the back of the Oivo dock and the USB-A end can go wherever works for your setup. You can use a typical wall charger (I’m sure you have plenty of those) or you can even use one of the two USB ports on your official Nintendo Switch dock.
Once plugged in, you can drop your controllers into the slots and get them charging. The images on the front of the dock will tell you when each device is full.
What’s good?
First off, the build quality of this charging dock is exemplary. It’s mostly plastic but features a metal base that gives it a nice weight. Even the plastic feels thick and of high-quality. The weight works well with the rubber grips on the bottom to prevent the whole thing from sliding around while you attach or detach your controllers.
Likewise, the included USB-C cable is thick and well-built. It’s not that long (about 2.5 feet) but will work for most situations. If it’s not long enough, you can use any USB-C cable you like, so no harm there.
Sliding the Joy-Con in and out of the slots works well. I would like to have felt a more satisfying “click” as I do when I connect the Joy-Con to the Switch itself, but that’s not a big deal.
The USB-C dock area perfectly fits a Nintendo Switch Pro controller. However, it’s not specifically shaped for that device, so it can accommodate most any USB-C controller. You can see in the photo above that I was able to attach my 8bitdo SN30 Pro Plus without any issue.
Finally, the dock has various electronic protections to prevent harming your controllers. That includes over-charging, over-discharging, over-heat, over-voltage, and circuit protection functions.
All in all, the basic functions of this device are terrific. It does exactly what it says and gives you everything you need to get your controllers organized and charged.
What’s not so good?
There are two drawbacks to the Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers. The first is the lights on the front. When you turn the device on all the lights turn green. They will stay on and green forever, even if you have no controllers charging. When you slide a controller into the appropriate slot, the light for that slot will turn red. It will then turn green again when it’s full. It doesn’t really make sense to me that the lights should be green even when there’s nothing slotted.
Thankfully, Oivo put a power switch on the back of this dock. If you hate the lights being on all the time, you can just power it down when it’s not charging anything. However, it would make a lot more sense if the lights were blue, orange, yellow, etc. (or even off) when there’s no controller slotted and then green when there’s a controller with a full battery. This is slightly nitpicky, I know, but when you have a shelf filled with always-on lights, it can get pretty annoying.
Related: The best Nintendo Switch controllers for all budgets
The second drawback to the Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers is the full-sized controller slot. Getting my Nintendo Switch Pro controller to dock took a bit of trial-and-error. I had to get the controller to connect to the USB-C link, which took some sliding around. Once connected, I had to awkwardly push the controller down to make it fully connect. This process wasn’t difficult or anything, but it wasn’t nearly as smooth and simple as slotting in the Joy-Con.
Honestly, though, this is nitpicking. Overall, there’s very little to complain about here.
Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers review: Should I buy it?
The list price of the Oivo Charging Stand for Nintendo Switch Controllers is a ridiculous $14.88. For that low price, you’re getting a device that will organize and charge a bunch of controllers all at once. That’s a total bargain.
Honestly, Oivo could have delivered a lot less quality at this price, but it didn’t. This is a high-quality system that will bring a lot of value to your household if only by preventing stuff from floating around your gaming area.