So what if I told you there’s a way to put rechargeable batteries into your Quest 2 controllers that never need taking out and charge simply on a neat docking station. That’s the premise of the Nexigo Quest 2 Charging Dock. It even includes a status LED to let you know when it’s all ready to go again.
Contents and Assembly
The NexiGo Charging Dock includes quite a bit of stuff in the box:
Quest 2 and controller stand, consisting of one large white base piece and two translucent top pieces, that all push-fit together. 5V 3A USB-C adaptor White magnetic charge cable and USB-C adaptor Two rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries Two replacement battery covers
Unfortunately, there’s an excessive amount of packaging here: two individual rigid PET structures for the main stand, plus polythene bags and a shiny white cardboard box for every single individual component. That’s just not needed.
Putting everything was simple enough, the only minor difficulty being threading the small white charging cable neatly into the stand.
On the rear of the charging stand, you’ll also find a spare USB-A port, which you could use to charge other accessories. Though to be honest, it would ruin the aesthetics; as it is, the NexiGo stand is quite elegant, matching the white plastic of the Quest 2. It all looks rather nice.
Controller Charging
Adapting the controllers is a little more complex. You’re provided with two replacement batteries; one for each hand. These are custom made and include some small metal plates on one side, which must be aligned to face toward you.
You also need to replace the stock battery covers with those supplied, which make contact with those plates on the batteries and create an electrical connection to the pogo pins at the base. This is where the magic happens when you dock the controllers into the charging station, enabling you to charge the controllers without taking off the battery cover.
Each battery holds 1850mAh, which is roughly the same as regular rechargeable AA batteries, so your expected time between charges remains the same. A full charge should take around 2.5 hours. The batteries are rated to 500 cycles, which should last you a few years. That said, it’s not clear if you can purchase replacements, as they have custom fittings attached.
Headset Charging
The headset rests on the central stand, but since the battery inside can’t be changed, the only charging option here is a short cable. However, NexiGo has made this as easy as possible by including a magnetic USB adaptor. This reduces the physical wear and tear on the port and lets you use their custom “MagSafe” type charging plug instead. A fully charge of the headset takes around 3.5 hours.
Another neat feature is a small metal disc on the side, just below where the headset will sit. The magnetic charging cable clamps onto there when not in use, preventing it from dangling down.
It’s still backward compatible, of course, so if you need to charge the headset while out and about, you can pull out the magnetic adaptor and use a standard USB Type-C cable. However, it’s a tiny adaptor, so make sure you keep it somewhere if you are going to remove it.
Charging Status LEDs
When fully charged, the status LEDs change from orange to blue; this operates independently for both controllers and the headset. It’s very useful to let you know when you’re ready to go again, but I have one minor complaint here: the headset LED is absurdly bright.
I put this in the bedroom for testing, and it was like I’d left an RGB smart bulb on in the corner. It was easily enough to illuminate the entire room at night. That’s not to say it’s using a huge amount of power wastefully: LEDs are extremely efficient, and the spread of light is caused mostly by the translucent stand, but still.
Personally, I can sleep through anything; flashy lights, lasers, thumping bass tracks—none of this fazes me. In fact, I actually appreciated the blue night light. But if you’re one of those sensitive types that insist on taping over even the smallest of light sources, you’re going to hate this. If you’re the sort of person who believes that blue wavelength light will cause your melatonin levels to explode (it won’t, but whatever), then prepare for a mental breakdown.
Of course, you could just not put it in your bedroom, and certainly not on your bedside table.
NexiGo vs Anker Charging Dock
Anker also produces a similar charging dock, which is the only officially certified third-party charging accessory—so what’s the difference?
For a start, the NexiGo model is cheaper, at $86 vs $99. There’s not a huge amount in it either way, but that $14 difference can buy you a few great VR games.
The second difference is that the NexiGo has charging status LEDs, and these are a useful visual feedback that might even encourage you to use your device more.
The one downside to the NexiGo solution is that if you use the Elite head strap, the elevated stand means it’s prone to falling off. For most people that won’t be a problem. The charging of the headset is also slightly more elegant on the Anker dock. It uses a similar magnetic adaptor, but you don’t need to touch a cable at all, as it automatically connects upon placing it in the dock (in theory anyway, I haven’t tried it personally).
Neither solution is going to work if you have additional straps or covers attached to the controllers, such as silicone sleeves.
Should You Buy The NexiGo Quest 2 Charging Dock?
If you hate having to change batteries, the NexiGo Quest 2 Charging Dock is an essential upgrade. There’s nothing worse than booting up the Quest 2 to find a controller is dead. If you want a stylish display stand with built-in status LED to indicate when it’s ready to use again, the NexiGo Dock is also a fine choice.
For commercial venues that are using the Quest 2 and need a durable charging solution after each customer, I can also see this being an ideal solution. Constantly pulling off battery covers and the mechanical stress of inserting a charging cable is not good for the lifetime of the product, so in that respect, the NexiGo should ensure your Quest 2 lasts longer.
On the other hand, if you’ve already modified your stock controllers with an additional grip or silicon cover, they won’t work with this dock. The same is true of the headset; if you’ve swapped it out for the Elite strap, or even cobbled together the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap, it’ll be too heavy for the delicately balanced NexiGo stand.
Finally, there’s no getting away from the fact that $86 is still a lot of money to pay for convenience when you’ve already paid $300 for the Quest 2. You could pick up a set of rechargeable AA batteries, and a charger, for around $20. If you’re a light user, you may only need to change them once a month, at most, so the cost of convenience might be a little too high for you.
For frequent gamers and commercial users, the NexiGo Quest 2 Charging Dock is an ideal alternative to the official charging dock. It’s cheaper, better, and makes jumping into VR even easier than ever.
