• Interview
• Video

Powercast shows off their wireless Joy-Con charger

Powercast's first consumer product is using RF energy to charge your Joy-Cons.

Blake Morse

January 30, 2019 4:45 PM

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There are few things in life worse than having a controller go dead on you in the middle of an intense gaming session. Having to find a charging cable or put in new batteries can waste precious moments, especially when playing something competitive online. Such inconveniences may soon be a thing of the past though if the people at Powercast have their way. The company is currently working on wireless technology that allows consumers to charge things like game controllers and cell phones wirelessly.

During CES 2019, the team at Powercast showed off its first-ever consumer-level product: a wireless charging grip for Nintendo Joy-Cons. The grip charges the Joy-Con via a built-in battery that is constantly receiving RF Energy from a local power transmitter. As of right now, this is the only consumer product the company has ever made, but it seems like they have plans to take this technology even further.

In an on-camera interview we conducted with Powercast principal engineer Eric Biel he was quick to point out that the technology is completely safe: “If you’re comfortable using a cell phone than you should be comfortable using this.” Apparently, the power bricks themselves broadcast much less energy than your average smartphone.

You can check out our full demo of Powercast’s wireless chargers as well as our interview with Eric in the video below:

There’s no word yet on whether or not they’ll be bringing this technology to PS4 or Xbox One controllers or other consumer products, but it would definitely be a welcome advancement. Anyone interested in learning more about Powercast and how their wireless technology works can check out the company’s website.

Be sure to check out all latest and greatest gear from CES 2019 and other tech and video game gear over on our Shacknews and Gamerhub YouTube channels.

Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot