We’ve used a lot of gaming accessories over our time, from headsets to thumbsticks, to adaptive controllers and full-on personal gaming environments. But mostly we’ve used charging docks. You see, ever since the cord from console to controller was cut in the move through the generations of consoles, the freedom that wireless connectivity can bring has been a godsend.
No more have us gamers been tied down to one position, left to sit close to a screen, crossing fingers and toes forever hoping that the kitten doesn’t take interest in our cables. Instead though, those wireless capabilities have brought about another problem – charge.
Obviously there are ways around this. You could go old school and utilise a play-and-charge kit, putting that physical connection back in place, or you can constantly pop to your local shops in order to stock up on stacks of Duracell AA’s (other battery brands are available, but honestly, if you’re not in with the Duracell bunny, what are you doing with your life?!). The best solution to the gamer’s charging needs though comes in the form of a charging dock – preferably a dual charging dock – as this will mean you rarely ever find yourself without any form of juice. And that’s where Gioteck come in with their AC2 Ammo Clip Charging Dock for Xbox Series X|S. And it’s not just the name which is great about it.
The AC2 Ammo Clip is just one of a plethora of charging docks on the marketplace, going up against the likes of OIVO, PDP, Venom and more. Honestly, no matter which one you choose, you’ll be absolutely sorted in terms of ensuring your gaming sessions go without a hitch, yet that means it could all boil down to the aesthetic look and space saving designs that dictate your cash spend.
It’s here where the AC2 Ammo Clip looks to excel. A tiny unit that is easily half the size of anything else we’ve used in the charging sector, the Ammo Clip connects and powers two Xbox Series X|S controllers at one time; all with pretty much no fuss nor bother.
You can see from the images how tiny this unit is, and it is this delicate size that allows it to stand out from the crowd. It’s basically a single black plastic unit, hexagonal in shape and measuring in with a height of 6cm, a width of 7.7cm and a depth of just 6.95cm. Yep, it’s tiny.
With four rubber feet on the bottom, ensuring it stays in place when needed, two cutouts on either side of the Ammo Clip allow for integration with your Xbox Series X|S controllers. These fit nicely via USB-C connections, with just a replacement battery/cover unit required to be fitted to the controllers in order to allow charging to take place.
These batteries are only 600mAh in size, and so they aren’t the biggest you are ever going to find available, but they hold their charge well, easily allowing for a couple of evenings’ worth of playtime. And when they do start to run down, the joy of this being a dual charger means that you’ll most probably have a second ready to roll the instant any power outage is found.
The battery packs themselves fit onto any Xbox Series X|S controller with ease, delivered via a tight, but secure, fit. They can easily be switched out should the time ever call for it too, although honestly once they are fitted, unless you are changing your charge dock there should be no reason to ever remove the batteries and the cover again.
Attaching the controllers to the Ammo Clip is fairly easy and whilst it’s not quite as simple as just chucking it down onto a connective pad like with the PDP Ultra Slim Charge System or Venom’s Twin and Single Charge units, once you work out the little knack to lining up USB-C port with connector, they fit well. They stay solidly connected too, with only a yank of the controller enough to part it from the Ammo Clip again.
There are a couple of nifty little depressable buttons on the top of the Ammo Clip which push out a couple of prongs from the unit to allow for easier removal of any controller, but in use this is rarely needed. With these buttons accompanied by pulsing LED lighting to signify charge statuses, and a full 1.5-metre-long USB-C to USB-A cable included in the box (even if the box does say it’s 2m), everything you could need from a charging dock is included here. Gioteck are keen to stress that fast-charge capabilities are present yet what and how this ‘fast-charge’ is when compared to other docks is up for debate. In layman’s terms though, we’ve had no issues with the power provided nor the speed in which these deliver.
In fact, the Gioteck AC2 Ammo Clip is most certainly one to consider if you are looking for new charging solutions for your Xbox Series X|S controllers. The only real downsides are that it’s not quite as easy and quick to attach your controllers to than with other units, and it would have been nice if Xbox One compatible battery packs and covers had been included for those who still haven’t made the switch to the newly restylised Series X|S options. But that’s being pretty picky and maybe that rant should be aimed at Microsoft for making such a tiny, but significant, change to their battery cover design.
For a penny shy of £20, anyone in the market for a new Xbox Series X|S charging dock should well consider the Gioteck AC2 Ammo Clip. It’s more than capable of keeping you gaming into the wee hours. And it’s helped by the fact that it’s got the best name of any charging dock too…
Massive thanks to Gioteck for providing us with a review unit of the AC2 Ammo Clip Charging Dock for Xbox Series X|S. If you wish to pick one up for yourself, head over to the likes of Argos.
Related: Gioteck AC2 Ammo Clip Charging Dock for Xbox | UNBOXING, FIRST LOOK, REVIEW