Hasta La Gadget!

The Gadget: TouchCharge, a wireless charging kit for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii controllers that charge not by docking, but by just being placed on the charging surface. It’s a small difference, since there are other controller chargers who charge by docking into the contacts, but an interesting one.

The Price: $70 for Xbox 360, $60 for Wii, $50 for PS3. Xbox and Wii versions contain two rechargeable batteries.

The Verdict: Convenient. We tested the PlayStation 3 version, which comes in the form of an attachment to the actual controller that you have to snap on to charge. Charging started as soon as we put the controller + attachment onto the pad, and took four hours to get to full. The pad fits either two controllers, or one controller and any other Wildcharge-compatible gadget you may have, like older RAZRs and iPod Nanos that have attachments already made.

The PS3 version is great since the adapter is light enough to keep attached at all times, and offers an alternative to plugging them into the PS3 while playing. The Xbox 360 and Wii versions are actual batteries that you use in place of the default ones, which is why their price tags are a little higher.

Although it’s cool to see your controllers wirelessly charge, similar solutions for Xbox 360 and Wii are cheaper and as efficient, offering to charge via contacts when docked. Is wireless worth an extra $10 to $20 for the 360/Wii versions? Only if you’ve got other devices that are Wildcharge compatible, so you can have a two-for-one deal and two Wildcharge pads around your house (your other device comes with one). Otherwise, probably not. But on the other hand, the PlayStation 3 version is definitely worth $50 thanks to the non-removable internal battery. [XBox 360 and Wii and PS3]