Microsoft's official play and charge kit for the Xbox One controller is very good, and it's a definite improvement over having to swap out batteries every time the control pad dies. The fact the Xbox One controller doesn't just have an internal battery like Sony has on the DualShock 4 is disappointing enough in itself.
The only drawback to the official kit is that you have to charge the battery inside the controller. Without an external charger, you can't stack multiple battery packs and have a fresh one ready to go when you run out.
That's where this third-party kit from Moko has an advantage.
You get two batteries in this kit, meaning one can be charging while you're using your wireless controller so it's ready the moment you need it. Each of these Moko batteries is physically the same size as the Microsoft ones, but with a much lower capacity.
The official battery has a 1,400 mAh capacity good for, Microsoft says, up to 30 hours gaming. I've never really counted, but that feels about right. The Moko batteries have only a 600 mAh capacity each, so the pair combined is still a little short of that one Microsoft battery pack.
This is disappointing, and in real terms only seems to allow six to seven hours of play time before you need to swap in the other. The benefit, of course, is that USB charging dock that the now empty battery can go straight into.
It uses a standard 5V of power and works fine when plugged into the USB ports on your Xbox One console. When charging, you get a small blue LED but other than that it's a simple cradle. You have to use this, too, as these batteries don't have the contacts like the official one to charge inside the controller.
You also have to be a little careful inserting these batteries into the controller, since there are no real markings to show you where to go. If you've never used a battery pack before, the end with no contacts on it goes up against the + and - terminals. The two dot-shaped connectors go on the other side, or the left if you're looking from the rear of the controller.
Despite the shortfall in life, this is a decent kit for the Xbox One controller. The combination of the external charger and the price of just $16 makes it more affordable and more convenient if you're not a fan of having to plug your controller in. They're also available in white.
