My biggest gripes about the Pro Controller you can buy for the Nintendo Switch only bother me when I'm not using it. Charging via USB-C is awesome, but Nintendo doesn't make a great dock for it so I'm left with a dangling cord on my entertainment center. There's also no obvious charging indicator or external battery indicator, which means I am frequently grabbing this controller after my kids have been playing only to discover it's dead well after I'm comfortable on the couch.
Nyko heard my complaints and brought its Charge Block system to the Switch just for me. Just kidding, it's for everyone and it's easily the best Pro Controller dock I have seen so far.
This setup couldn't be simpler. You connect a small USB-C adapter to the back of the controller to add some magnetic pins, and now when you set the controller down on this dock you know the Pro Controller is being charged. The dock connects right to the back of the Switch, or into a wall outlet if you're not using the dock near the console, and then everything just sort of works.
It's a simple accessory, doesn't charge the controller any slower than the cable included with the controller, so as long as you're ok with the accessory protruding from the top of the controller there's nothing else to do.
If you're not fully onboard with the added plastic, the included charging LED should be a great added selling point. As soon as the controller is set in the dock you see the small LED glow red to let you know it's charging. This way there's no confusion, and you know your Pro Controller is charged when you go to pick it up.
For $18 on Amazon, there's not a lot to think about here. If you're already shelling out for a Pro Controller to go with your Switch, you should have a nice dock to go with it. Nyko made the dock look nice, didn't go nuts with its own branding, and the magnetic charging mechanism just plain works. It's a win all around, and I'm seriously considering a Charge Block Pro for all of my controllers after using this one.
