Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsIt's fine... Not great, not bad, just fine
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2019
It's fine... and I mean that; just sort of fine. Guess where I'd net out: think carefully about your own set up before plunking your money down; a roomy desk surface with lots of space is ideal. Just make sure it's going to save you some grief. More detail below.
Pros:
There is a sliding anchor bar in the dock that accommodates any type of PS4 width (standard, slim, pro). It's nice to have both the VR "Black Box" and the PS4 itself vertical; this saves quite a bit of horizontal footprint. The cooling fan should help extend PS4 life if you're into long gaming sessions. There's a built in USB splitter which adds two more peripheral device options for the PS4. I do really like everything all in one place, even if it's a little more work to put everything away.
Cons:
The biggest potential negative issue is the way the PSVR headset sits; it's not very securely anchored up top. It has to sit "just so" and is easy to knock off. I worry the headset could fall off the side and possibly get damaged. I ended up putting mine off to the side; taking up some of the horizontal space I saved.
And tall... this unit is TALL. It's 14 inches in of itself, and mounting the PSVR headset on top adds another 4-5 inches easy. If your TV is on a console, it probably won't fit underneath (I have a roomy 18-inch space under there; it won't fit in mine with the headset on top).
Cord management isn't really helped much; I only "saved" one AC cord (I got to dump two charging dock cords - I had one for my Move controllers and one for my Dual Shocks, but added a cord for the display stand itself that feeds the four chargers in the dock). All the other original cords stay in place (power and HDMI connectors for the Black Box, PS4,) as well as the front connection for the VR headset. This creates a big vertical "cord cluster" at the back. The front cord situation doesn't improve at all. Assuming you aren't setting up the stand lengthwise, but placing most of the cords in the "back" of the unit so they look less messy, the AC plug for the dock is in what you will probably set up as the front of the unit (in order to see the charging icons), plus you've got the USB splitter and the VR connection up there... I note that the product photos don't show all the hardware connected to power and I can see why... It don't look pretty (but can be managed... but still, the situation really hasn't improved rather it's stayed pretty much as is and condensed). This is on me I guess... I saw "display stand" and assumed an aesthetic improvement; visually less cluttered.
The Move controllers fit more securely in their charging cradles without the wrist anchors attached and are a bit wobbly with the straps still on (minor issue for me; I don't use the straps, but keep them in a drawer in case of kids or tipsy buddies). The cord situation in back makes docking my second dual shock a little tougher; I have to reach around and seat it very carefully to make sure it clicks into the charging cradle fully (and isn't being pressed on by a cable; the culprits are the cables coming out of the back of the VR black box). All the controllers being stored so closely together doesn't help make this easier (I'd give up a few footprint inches for intuitive charging docking, no questions asked). And yes, one could make access to the controllers easier by storing the unit lengthwise (all controllers front-facing long side forward as in the product photo) but unless your stand is in a open spot so you can move around to that side, that makes use of PS4/bluray discs pretty annoying (you'll probably have to swivel the unit around so the disc load was front was facing you or lean your head around the side).
So... eh. I won't send it back, but I feel like for the price, it wasn't a solid win. I'm willing to admit the cooling fan and the USB splitter are nice features. I wish it had more built-in cord management (particularly those that interfere with the second Dual Shock dock... the built-in USB splitter up front gives a hint of how slick this could have been done if well designed). I also wish the VR headset anchored better up top; it's iffy folks. It really should have more design features that improve the situation to justify the price tag.
