It’s not often that the mundane action of opening a box can make me chuckle, but when opening the top flap of the Snakebyte TWIN:CHARGE 5 controller docking station, that’s exactly what happened.
As well as the Snakebyte logo and web address printed on the flaps, there was also the greeting, “Hi!” emblazoned over the left flap. It’s a nice personal touch, which is exactly what the product feels like too.
The design is in the same vein as the PS5, with a central main body flanked by two flaps flaring out from either side. The version I was sent to review was the all-black option, which is pleasant to look at, but the black and white variant, with the central body finished in a matt black and the flaps painted the same white as the PS5 console, most certainly fit the aesthetic of the PlayStation hardware family better.
The build quality of the chassis feels strong, solid, and dependable. The controllers when in place felt secure, as did the connection lead that slotted in with a reassuring tightness.
The controllers sit in the two cradles atop the chassis and have a small plastic guide that fits in the PS5 controllers 3.5 mm jack port. This guide ensures that the controller is in the correct place for charging via two exposed pieces of copper connecting the controller to the charging station. The controller must be in the correct position on the station to charge. Whilst a controller is being charged, one of two orange lights appears, corresponding to either the front or back station, and when fully charged, the orange light turns a PlayStation blue.
To use the dock, simply connect the to the PS5 via the included 1-metre USB type -C cable and, with a couple of flashes of the orange bars, it is ready for use. Then, just line up the jack hole node, drop the controller on, and wait.
Sitting next to the PS5, the controllers, and the 3D Pulse headset, it most certainly looks part of the PlayStation hardware family, but unlike the PS5 console itself, is not big or gaudy at all. To put it simply, it is a stylish, very effective, and useful piece of hardware, highly recommended to anyone who has been lucky enough to acquire a PS5 and two controllers.
