LOS ANGELES — You've got to hand it to Nyko, it makes products that people want. The popular gaming accessory manufacturer rarely produces the flashiest gear or the biggest announcements, but their products have an amazing way of making you slap your forehead and asking, "Why didn't I think of that?" For instance, why wouldn't you want a tiny keyboard to plug into your controller? The company's latest line of peripherals mostly targets the Xbox One to streamline your gaming experience.
I took a look at Nyko's new lineup during E3 2015, and the new products all looked like potentially useful things to own. Just as the company announced upgrades and enhancements for the PS4 during CES 2015, this round of add-ons focused mostly on the Xbox One, looking to expand its storage space and helping gamers type faster on it.
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The Nyko Type Pad for Xbox One will launch around October and retail for $30. You simply plug a small keyboard into the bottom of your Xbox One controller, then attach a USB dongle to your Xbox One. The Type Pad allows gamers to type in Web addresses, login details and messages to friends much faster than selecting words one painstaking letter at a time onscreen. There's also a small scrolling nub to jump easily from text field to text field.
The Data Bank for Xbox One is another very simple idea that could solve a rather pernicious problem. If you're running low on space on your console, you can install an external hard drive, but there's no good place to put it. The Data Bank supports any 3.5-inch hard drive, connects it to the Xbox One via USB, and provides its own dedicated power cord. This way, players can buy large, cheap hard drives, and secure them in place with a handsome black enclosure that sits neatly on top of the system. The Data Bank costs $40 and will launch in October, along with the Type Pad.
Nyko also shared a few smaller non-Xbox announcements. The Cygnus is a controller for Android devices, and represents a stripped-down, no-frills alternative to the expensive, rechargeable models on the market. The Cygnus runs on AA batteries, has a full complement of buttons, and costs only $25, but don't expect any fancy features beyond that.
Finally, Nyko's PS4 modular charging station is getting a small upgrade. This add-on plugs into the PS4's USB ports to provide an easier method of charging controllers. Fans wanted a way to recharge controllers without losing the USB ports, however, and Nyko has developed a new version of the modular charge kit with two USB passthroughs. This model will ship once the current model's stock runs out, likely between August and October.
Amidst trailers for Tomb Raider, The Last Guardian, Star Fox and the like, a few gaming accessories may not seem like much. However, you can't play games without a gaming system, and these peripherals could help some players get a little more out of theirs.
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Marshall Honorof is a senior writer for Tom's Guide. Contact him at mhonorof@tomsguide.com. Follow him @marshallhonorof. Follow us @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.
