Dadhack: rechargeable battery packs for the Nintendo Wii.
When it comes to video game systems, I’m behind the times. We still use the old Nintendo Wii, not the newer Nintendo Wii U. The Wii uses controllers that require AA batteries. If the console is played with any degree of frequency, the controllers will gobble batteries. The cost of batteries, even rechargeable batteries, adds up quickly.
To solve this issue, I went to Amazon. As a Prime member (more about Prime benefits here), I found these battery packs for the Wii controllers:
For the cost of about a pack of batteries, it was worth the risk. They came in a two pack along with a USB charger connector, no direct plug in.
If you don’t have a wall charger with a USB charger, you might consider ordering one. They come in handy with all the USB based charging devices we have in our homes today.
After using them for a few weeks, they seem to work well. They battery packs charge quickly and the charge seems to last. I haven’t run any official tests, but they seem to last as long, if not longer, than the rechargeable AAs we used to use at approximately the same cost.
It’s also easier to stick the controllers on the charger than to remove the covers for the controllers and take the batteries out and replace and/or charge.