One of the bad points the Wiimotes have is that they lack of a rechargeable battery.  A console that did this right was the Playstation 3, with controllers that just need to connect to the console USB to recharge.  Luckily, some manufacturers such as Nyko have worked to bring us these docks that will not only help us with the battery issue but also will keep our controllers in place and protected.

There are different types of Wii charge docks; the main difference is the amount of controllers they can charge at the same time.  The most popular are the Wii dual chargers, but of course if you like to play along with the family or group of friends, you can find a quad charger station.

Having tested different Wii charge docks, I can say that the time a battery can last is the same as the time AAs can last.  Now this doesn’t mean they are equal.  Having a rechargeable battery is immensely more convenient in the long run.  The time it takes to charge will also vary.  The most popular Wii charger out there, made by Nyko takes 1.5 to 2 hours to fully charge an empty battery, and if you need to charge two controllers at the same time, that time will multiply by 2, because the energy will be shared between the two controllers.

These Wii charge docks that we see on the market are very well designed and can fit any gaming environment perfectly.  Some of the designs have kept in mind the original Wii design and you’d think they were designed by Nintendo, when in fact they are not.

Are Wii charging docks a necessary accessory for a gamer? I’d say yes, especially if you or your family plays Wii a lot. Not only will a Wii remote charging station save you money on batteries in the long run, but you’ll also have a nice holder to put your Wiimotes and they will stay protected.  Most gamers tend to leave controllers on places such as the floor, or on the top of the TV, where they can suffer an accident.

The Nyko Wii charge station has a design that combines perfectly with your Wii, in fact if you take a good look at it, it has followed the same design guidelines s the Wii, ti even looks like it was designed by Nintendo! Even the LED light that shows you the device is charging the batteries is blue like the consoles’ LED light.

This charger needs you to take out the rubber protection that now comes with Wii controller, but if you don’t wish to put it again you can enjoy good gripping.  The part where the battery goes has rubber on it so it will enhance your grip -  a pretty nice detail! Just be sure to use also the strap on the controller to avoid smashing your brand new LCD TV!

The battery that comes with the charge station is high-quality and it comes as one piece with the rubber top, so it is very easy to put in your controller. From there you can just forget it because the Wii remote charging station will be charging on the battery at all times. The rubber door has a cut with the metal contact for the charge station. Through this contact the batteries will get charged.

So now, you just connect the Nyko Wii charge station and put on your controllers.  If the light is blue, it means that the battery is still charging, once the battery is fully charged the LED light will turn to green – and you are ready to play! Notice that in order to charge the controller it must be turned off.

How much time does a battery needs to recharge? Well, according to Nyko, it depends if you are charging one or two controllers.  If you are charging just one controller, it should take up to 1.5 – 2 hours to fully charge an empty battery.  If you have two controllers, time would be doubled to 3.5 – 4 hours.  Although Nyko doesn’t clearly state how much time will the batteries endure, according to our tests the time is pretty much the same as regular AA batteries. You can find the Nyko Wii Charge station for $24.99.