Swappable batteries mean your rechargeable gaming controller isn’t knocked out of commission for a few hours when the battery dies, but that also means you’ll have to disconnect from a console for a few moments to pop in a fresh one. Or does it? OtterBox’s new Power Swap Controller Batteries can be swapped in and out of a gamepad without it ever losing power or the connection to your console.
Having to momentarily pause a game to stick a fresh battery into your controller doesn’t sound like the most pressing issue, but the process of doing so and then having to reconnect your controller to an Xbox console afterwards can take you out of an online multiplayer battle long enough to hinder your progress. So OtterBox designed a solution for Xbox One and Xbox X/S controllers that replaces its power pack with a two-part solution: a rechargeable battery and a quick-release insert that includes its own backup power source that gives gamers about 30 seconds to complete the swap before the controller dies and disconnects.
OtterBox promises the batteries can be quickly swapped on the fly with a simple one-handed motion. To ensure gamers have as much heads up as possible when that needs to happen, they feature a bright red LED that illuminates a player’s hands with an eerie, impossible-to-miss glow when a battery is close to dying, in addition to a series of status lights on each battery.
Available through OtterBox’s website as well as Amazon and Microsoft starting June 15, the $US60 ($77) Power Swap Controller Batteries includes two in the box, each providing around 10 hours of gameplay, as well as a two-unit charging dock that you can leave at home when travelling as both batteries also feature a USB-C port for the same purpose. OtterBox also promises that, despite the extra technology, the Power Swap batteries and the controller insert together weigh the same as a pair of AA batteries, so the upgrade won’t make your controller feel any heavier.