I had a chance to sit down with Chris Arbogast from Nyko to go over a couple of their new products for the Xbox 360. While we have all come to know that Nyko is all about providing products for consoles that can make life a little easier, the two products in particular that I focused on are all about convenience: The latest version of the Intercoolr and the new 360 Charge Station.
The Intercooler has gone through a few different changes over the lifespan of the 360, primarily due to subtle changes in the actual hardware of the 360 itself. Due to these design changes, Nyko is forced to change the way the unit clips onto the back of the system itself. This version of the Intercooler, however, has gone through more than just a change in design for clipping in. The unit itself now runs more efficiently. It doesnt take up nearly as much power as its previous versions, which is never a bad thing. The unit still clips onto the back of your 360 and keeps the internal components nice and cool with the strong fans that are built into the Intercooler itself. Its not nearly as noticeable on the back of your unit this time around as well, although bulk was never really an issue in the first place. The newest Intercooler retails for around $25.
The other product that I reviewed was the new 360 Charge Station. While Nyko has done a great job providing different ways to charge our controllers and even provide their own batteries, they are now taking it a step further, eliminating the cables that run from the controller to the 360 and giving you a simple base to plug your controllers in. The Charge Station itself can house two controllers on the base, providing you with a quick connection to charging your overworked 360 controllers.
Nyko provides you new rechargeable batteries inside each package, good for two controllers, of course. You replace the batteries on your current controller, which will now have three connectors on the backside of it. These connectors line up with the charge station and plug straight in. On the front of the unit are two lights, which will go from red to green once the controllers are fully charged. There is no concern of leaving the controllers plugged in for too long, as the unit will go into a standby mode and not charge the controller any more than needed. The Charge Station 360 retails for $35-$40.