Heads(ets) above the rest?
One of the best things about a new generation of game consoles is the innovations they come with. For the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) we had the Robotic Operator Buddy (or R.O.B for short). When the PlayStation arrived we saw the PSOne Screen that turned the entire console into a semi-portable gaming solution.
One of the best things about a new generation of game consoles is the innovations they come with. For the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) we had the Robotic Operator Buddy (or R.O.B for short). When the PlayStation arrived we saw the PSOne Screen that turned the entire console into a semi-portable gaming solution.
The GameCube allowed us to play games using the Donkey Kong Bongos which, to this day, have a huge cult following still. The innovations kept on rolling, with each generation bringing more and more to the table. But, it was not until players would take a step back to look at their sea of peripherals that they were really in the need of a storage solution. It’s easy enough to put most of them into a box, however, when Virtual Reality headsets came into the scene it was not so straightforward. Nobody in their right mind would store a £500 headset in a storage container along with Wotsits encrusted controllers and folded-up dance mats. That’s where this product comes in, the “AMVR Controllers Charging Dock for P-SVR2”. Offering not only a handy and sleek storage solution but also the ability to charge the PSVR2 controllers wirelessly.
Upon opening the box, you would be mistaken for thinking that there is no way this piece of kit would hold the weight of the PSVR2. However, after slotting the three pieces of it together in a really straightforward manner, you will be pleasantly pleased to know it not only holds its weight but does so with no wobbles or stresses whatsoever. The headset sits on a plinth atop a metal pillar, that has a small ridge at the back for the headband of the PSVR2 and a wedge shape at the front that goes where the player’s nose would sit. Overall it does the exact job you would expect it to, and it really cannot be faulted for this. The downside to this is having to completely readjust the headset each time it is used. This is not a huge issue, but this can lose some of those sweet spot settings that players may have found.
Next is the wireless charging section. Those of you that have used the PSVR2 will know the pain of having to charge each controller via a cable, and if you only have one spare USB-C cable around you are in for a long wait to get stuck back into the action. Thankfully AMVR has a solution right here. Inside the packaging is a small container with four USB-C connectors in it. These slot into the ports on the bottom of the controllers and when lined up with the charging points on the dock, allow the controllers to charge wirelessly and effortlessly. Once a connection is made to the dock, an indicator on the front will charge to a pulsating orange light to indicate that the corresponding controller is charging. Once fully charged the light changes to a pleasant blue colour. Really easy and clear to understand the current state of your controllers. Is it annoying to have to take them out to charge the controllers with a wire? Probably. But, the real question is why would you go back? Unless Sony pushes a software update for the controllers that requires a physical connection to the PlayStation 5 console there’s no logical reason to ever need to remove them. Speaking of cables, the included charging cable is a USB-A to USB-C one, which is handy however it only measures 80cm in length and you do not get a plug included in the box, so users will have to find a spare 5V (or more) plug they can use with this charging dock.
Now, this is not the only wireless charging solution for the PSVR2 on the market. Sony themselves have a wireless charging docking station that is available to purchase. They both use similar USB- C charging adapters (for those wondering, no they’re not compatible with each other), but how do the two offerings stack up side by side? Firstly, the AMVR option has a mount for the headset which is a feature the Sony docking station is lacking. This is a huge plus when it comes to saving space and creating a display piece out of the PSVR2 when it is not in use. Then there are the charging indicators themselves. Sony’s offers a subtle white glow at the front of each controller’s dock which, albeit a classier and more subtle approach, can also be hard to see in comparison to the blue and orange glow of AMVR’s option. Lastly, there’s the aesthetics of the pieces. This is where Sony comes into their own, which is what we would expect from the manufacturer of the product this dock is designed to charge and work with. Sony’s charging dock looks sexy, it looks sleek and is very in keeping with the design of the PS5 console itself. The AMVR dock, however, the functionality definitely took precedence here. That’s not to say it is an ugly piece of kit, far from it. But it does look more generic and average than Sony’s docking station. With the angular docks and the less-than-sexy stickers and branding on the front, AMVR loses some points here.
With all that said, which docking station should you choose? Sony’s offering is a very attractive piece of technology, but for all, it has in style and aesthetics, it lacks in features. The simple addition of being able to store the entire PSVR2 on the charging dock makes the AMVR offering the obvious winner here. Yes, it is not as stylish as the Sony dock, and yes it looks a little generic. But all that pales when you consider that it can hold all of your PlayStation 5 virtual reality gaming needs in one place. Considering the pricing of each piece of kit being very similar too, it almost feels like a no-brainer that the AMVR charging dock should be the go-to docking station for the PSVR2.
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