What It Is
The Xbox 360 wireless controller is a hungry little critter. It eats AA batteries like nothing else I have ever seen. I understand that there is quite a bit more going on than with other wireless controllers, but having to change the batteries every three weeks or so is pretty ridiculous. My Nintendo Wavebird has been going strong for about 18 months and my Logitech PS2 and Xbox controllers lasted about a year before they needed new batteries and I used them a ton. So, after three battery changes since I got the Xbox 360 in mid-November, it became apparent that Microsoft’s rechargeable battery pack was the way to go in order to save money in the long term.
How It Works
You get a rechargeable battery pack and a USB recharge cable in the kit and when you first get it you have to charge it for a good 5-6 hours. At first it will lose its charge fairly quickly, but the more you use it and the more you charge it you will eventually get up into the 20-25 hours of use per charge range that is advertised on the box. That is par for the course for rechargeable batteries.
The way it recharges is by plugging the USB cable into either your Xbox 360 or into your PC’s USB port. Your 360 has to be on to charge the battery (and with all of the reports of overheating and what not I would rather not just leave it on for hours at a time if I’m not using it …) so I’m much more fond of using my PC to recharge. I spend several hours a day on my PC working so just plugging my controller in while I work when I know it is getting low is a good way to make sure it is ready for me when I need it, methinks. If you recharge with your 360, you can play and charge at the same time (hence the name). It draws more power than it uses so you’ll still be recharging while you are using it. It’ll just take longer.
Bottom Line
Basically, if you plan on using your 360 a lot the play and charge kit is a must have accessory. The wireless controller eats batteries and in the long run you are much better off with a rechargeable battery set up. It is easy to use and charges fairly quickly and you can use your PC rather than your Xbox 360 to recharge which is a great feature in my book. The play and charge kit (which includes the USB cable and battery pack) is $20 and extra battery packs are about $12. It is pretty cheap and does its job well so the play and charge kit is highly recommended.
