BUILD QUALITY & DESIGN
Venom are an extremely reliable name when it comes to cheaper peripherals, and this twin docking station is another great example of that. Visually, it looks pretty much in line with the Series X – it has a pattern on the front that emulates the X’s ventilation, and a matte finish which stops it from looking too tacky. The dock comes in a bunch of different colours that match Xbox controller colour schemes as closely as possible.
It doesn’t have the smallest footprint – it is possible to get charging docks that take up less space for a couple of controllers, but it does look nice at least. Controllers sit totally seamlessly on top, and thanks to the battery packs/replacement covers, it’s easy to connect them to charge.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
The dock comes with a set of two battery compartment backs and rechargeable battery packs. There are four battery covers in total, enabling the dock to be used with the newer Series X/S controllers or the versions that released alongside the One X/S. If you’re still rocking a classic Xbox One controller, you won’t be able to use this dock – the battery compartments got smaller as the controllers became more refined, so they’re incompatible.
The battery packs carry 850Mah of charge, which seems fairly generous – you’ll get at least five or six hours of play from one full charge, and with the potential to charge two battery packs at once, there’s basically no downtime. The packs charge quickly, too – keeping you playing forever without burning through expensive disposable batteries. In my opinion, accessories like this are basically essential for the Xbox, so you really can’t go wrong with this one.
VALUE FOR MONEY
Venom‘s Series X/S twin docking station currently retails for £19.99 on Amazon. A quick glance through available alternatives shows that this is basically the norm for twin docking stations like this. OIVO have their own version which at time of writing was available for £16.14 – but this is a promotional offer, and it normally runs for the same price tag as Venom‘s version.
OIVO‘s dock isn’t quite as sleek and presentable as this one, though. It does have the added bonus of being compatible with those older Xbox controllers, but it looks like a peripheral from the early 2000s. If I was choosing between them myself, I’d go for the Venom version – not only does it look considerably better, it has the added benefit of a reliable peripheral manufacturer.
As £19.99 seems to be the standard for twin docking stations, I’d say Venom‘s version is probably one of the better options out there for that price.
VENOM SERIES X/S TWIN DOCKING STATION OVERALL THOUGHTS
If you’re looking for a cheap docking station that does the job, performs reliably, and doesn’t look terrible, you could do a hell of a lot worse than Venom. You can stay charged for hours on end, and when it’s time to rest and recover, just drop it straight in the dock so it’s ready for next time.
As I was writing this review, I realised I really didn’t have that much to say about this. That’s not a bad thing – this is one of those accessories you just need to work as simply as possible right out the box – and that’s exactly what it does. Top marks for this docking station that gets the job done.
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