Introduction
Today we are looking at the Collective Minds VR Showcase, which allows you to charge up to five PlayStation 4 (PS4) accessories whilst also providing a neat storage solution. The charging stand is designed for owners of the PlayStation VR (PS VR) headset.
Is this the perfect charging and storage solution we’ve been looking for? Read on to find out.
Features
The charging stand has the following features (version purchased in the UK):
It should be noted that Sony have recently updated their PS4 Move motion controllers to feature micro-USB charging ports. This charging stand does not connect to the Motion controllers via the mini/micro-USB ports; instead it uses tabbed connections. It therefore accepts both the old and new models, although we have not tested it with the new version of the Move controllers.
Each charging port features an LED indicator which shows whether the controller / headset is in the process of charging or is fully charged.
Assembly and use
The stand itself comes in five pieces which are slotted together, and the manual shows clearly how to assemble the stand. We are pleased to report that assembly was quick and easy, and the connections between each component feel very sturdy.
The stand feels very solid, and the materials and construction feel of a high quality. The bulk of the stand is a matt black plastic, with accents in a shiny black. The surface does not appear to show fingerprints easily like some matt finishes, and the controllers fit into their docks with a satisfying click. The layout is logical, meaning that the stand is both easy to use and nice to look at.
Once you click the controllers into their respective docks the LED indicator will light up; a red light shows that the controller is charging, a blue light shows that the controller is fully charged. The same is true for the headphone port. It’s useful to know at a glance which accessories are charged, so we really liked this feature.
There is a hook at the rear of the stand on which you can hang your headphones, and the headphone charging port is directly underneath for convenience. We used the new Sony Gold Wireless Headset in our testing, which fitted onto the hook perfectly and matched well with the design of the stand. These headphones come with a short charging cable which is perfect to connect them to this stand – i.e. there is no long cable trailing behind. If you don’t use headphones you can remove the hook, making the stand a little more compact. Alternatively, you could use the hook to hang the cable from the VR headset.
The PS VR headset sits on the very top of the stand, but it doesn’t restrict your access to the charging ports underneath. If, like us, you use your PlayStation 4 for both regular and VR gaming this is a useful feature.
Overall the charging stand looks fantastic, and blends seamlessly with the official PlayStation 4 accessories.
Conclusion
Anyone with a PlayStation VR set-up will inevitably find themselves with a lot of controllers, all of which need charging. To complicate matters, the older Move controllers have a different charging port to the Dualshock controllers, so even if you only charge one device at a time you need at least two cables, all of which can be messy and time consuming.
As far as we are aware, the Collective Minds VR Showcase stand is the only stand on the market that allows you to charge this many accessories, plus act as storage for your VR headset and headphones. It’s a great solution to the problem of charging multiple devices simultaneously and keeping everything tidy whilst doing so.
In terms of downsides… very little springs to mind. This charging dock does not support the PS VR Aim controllers, but given their size this is not surprising.
The Collective Minds website gives a UK RRP of £44.99 ($34.99 for those in USA), but confusingly it also says that the “product is not available in your country” when viewing the page in the UK. However, this charging stand can currently be found on sites such as Amazon for less than £30.
Overall, we were very impressed with the Collective Minds VR Showcase charging stand. It does the job perfectly and gives very good value for money.
Today we are looking at the Collective Minds VR Showcase, which allows you to charge up to five PlayStation 4 (PS4) accessories whilst also providing a neat storage solution. The charging stand is designed for owners of the PlayStation VR (PS VR) headset.
Is this the perfect charging and storage solution we’ve been looking for? Read on to find out.
Features
The charging stand has the following features (version purchased in the UK):
- Rapid AC charging
- AC adapter with both USA and UK plug fittings
- Charging ports for two PS4 Move motion controllers
- Micro-USB charging ports for two Dualshock 4 wireless controllers
- USB port for charging Bluetooth headphones (separate cable required)
It should be noted that Sony have recently updated their PS4 Move motion controllers to feature micro-USB charging ports. This charging stand does not connect to the Motion controllers via the mini/micro-USB ports; instead it uses tabbed connections. It therefore accepts both the old and new models, although we have not tested it with the new version of the Move controllers.
Each charging port features an LED indicator which shows whether the controller / headset is in the process of charging or is fully charged.
Assembly and use
The stand itself comes in five pieces which are slotted together, and the manual shows clearly how to assemble the stand. We are pleased to report that assembly was quick and easy, and the connections between each component feel very sturdy.
The stand feels very solid, and the materials and construction feel of a high quality. The bulk of the stand is a matt black plastic, with accents in a shiny black. The surface does not appear to show fingerprints easily like some matt finishes, and the controllers fit into their docks with a satisfying click. The layout is logical, meaning that the stand is both easy to use and nice to look at.
Once you click the controllers into their respective docks the LED indicator will light up; a red light shows that the controller is charging, a blue light shows that the controller is fully charged. The same is true for the headphone port. It’s useful to know at a glance which accessories are charged, so we really liked this feature.
The PS VR headset sits on the very top of the stand, but it doesn’t restrict your access to the charging ports underneath. If, like us, you use your PlayStation 4 for both regular and VR gaming this is a useful feature.
Overall the charging stand looks fantastic, and blends seamlessly with the official PlayStation 4 accessories.
Conclusion
Anyone with a PlayStation VR set-up will inevitably find themselves with a lot of controllers, all of which need charging. To complicate matters, the older Move controllers have a different charging port to the Dualshock controllers, so even if you only charge one device at a time you need at least two cables, all of which can be messy and time consuming.
As far as we are aware, the Collective Minds VR Showcase stand is the only stand on the market that allows you to charge this many accessories, plus act as storage for your VR headset and headphones. It’s a great solution to the problem of charging multiple devices simultaneously and keeping everything tidy whilst doing so.
In terms of downsides… very little springs to mind. This charging dock does not support the PS VR Aim controllers, but given their size this is not surprising.
The Collective Minds website gives a UK RRP of £44.99 ($34.99 for those in USA), but confusingly it also says that the “product is not available in your country” when viewing the page in the UK. However, this charging stand can currently be found on sites such as Amazon for less than £30.
Overall, we were very impressed with the Collective Minds VR Showcase charging stand. It does the job perfectly and gives very good value for money.
- Product Rating
