GamerNode: News - Psyclone Wii-mote charger stirs up a big storm

Psyclone Wii-mote charger stirs up a big storm

Category: Wii, Posted: 12/31/2007 at 03:32PM EST by Frank Ling, Content Contributor

wii charger A charging device for WiiMotes may not only be faulty, but may also cause damage to the motion controllers as well, as many found out during the Christmas holidays.

The Psyclone Essentials Recharge Station for the Wii, which is sold by many big box retail stores such as Circuit City and Target, has been reported to melt or damage WiiMotes if left in the charger too long or in less sever cases-simply does not charge the controllers at all.

According to reviews of the Psyclone recharing station on Amazon.com, almost all of them have warned that the unit is a fire hazard or a product that will permanently fry your Wii controllers. Apparently, the warnings and high disapproval rating of the Psyclone charger has had its availability status on Amazon changed to ‘currently unavailable.'

However, the makers of the charging station state on their website:

"WARNING - Rechargeable batteries left unattended in the recharge unit for an extended period of time may cause the batteries and/or unit to overheat. If the Wii (TM) remote doesn't charge properly or begins to heat up, please stop the charge process and contact our customer service line to prevent further damage..."

Psyclone states that they will be happy to assist any customers who are having problems with their charger. For the full details, log on to their official site.

However, if the numerous negative reviews on the Psyclone charger are true and you are interested in a product like this, it will probably be safer to just avoid this particular brand althogether.

[via qj.net and amazon.com]

Posted by Shika_Sage on 12/31/2007 at 11:04PM

And that is why I am perfectly happy with simply changing the batteries.

Posted by Mercer on 01/01/2008 at 04:23AM

I'm not really surprised, it's just a charging station first of all, not a stand and second of all, third party stuff when it come to Consoles is (almost) never a good thing

Posted by rtanger on 01/01/2008 at 12:14PM

So, a safety shutoff system was too hard to figure out? They've only been standard in chargers for the past...oh...20 years or so, what a ridiculous oversight on their part.

Posted by lskennedy on 01/01/2008 at 05:13PM

I got the nyko charger, pay the extra 10, the stand looks better, the grips are comfy (dont work with the zapper though, gotta switch the grips) and comes charged, its friggin sweet.

Posted by Archem on 01/01/2008 at 07:43PM

^ This man speaks the truth. Get the Nyko charger if you want a charger that won;t ruin your Wiimotes.

Posted by Cobra951 on 01/04/2008 at 02:36PM

It's not an oversight, artanger. It's money-grubbing cheapness. Only when the government steps in and requires chargers to have a safety cutoff when the temperature goes up will you see this feature implemented in all chargers instead of only the better ones.

I use NIMH batteries, and I have to watch out for my cheap-ass charger myself. (Note to self: find a better charger.)