Play & Charge Kit

Description

The Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit is Microsoft’s official rechargeable power accessory designed to work with the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. When the Xbox 360 launched, its wireless controllers shipped with standard AA batteries. To address the high battery drain, Microsoft released this optional Kit, which included a rechargeable NiMH battery pack that fits into the controller’s battery compartment and a USB charging cable that plugs into the console or any USB port. This allows players to continue gaming while the battery recharged, effectively turning the wireless controller into a wired one during charging sessions.

The rechargeable pack provides around 25–30 hours of gameplay per charge, and a full recharge typically needs up to 4 hours. The cable is about 2.7 metres (9 feet) long, giving players enough slack to sit comfortably while charging. The kit was sold both as a standalone accessory and bundled with some controllers, making it one of the most popular add‑ons for the system. The cable only carries power, not data. The controller remained wireless in terms of signalling with the USB connection not used to transmit inputs to the console. This means that even when plugged in, the controller still communicates via 2.4 GHz radio, unlike the separate Xbox 360 Wired Controller which used a full USB data connection.

Later, the Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles adopted a new version of the kit that replicated the functionality in their range of Wireless Controllers.