Gaming consoles have evolved greatly over the years-from the early days of 8-bit to the modern era of AI-intensive and resource-hungry games that have become a part of our daily lives. The demographics have changed too-from adolescents to teenagers to adults, there is a variety of consoles and gaming accessories out there that satisfy our needs.So here are the coolest accessories for the latest consoles. Now you can have fun while running yourself into debt too!
10. Electric Juicers
The Microsoft Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit is a new product from the Microsoft stables for the Xbox 360. It consists of a USB charging cable and a battery pack, which lasts three weeks on an average charge. Since the kit uses a USB cable to charge the batteries, it can be used both on a PC and while you’re gaming. What’s disappointing, though, is the lack of a button to switch off the charger when the batteries are fully charged.
Price: $20 (Rs 840) Available at: http://tinyurl.com/bn8y6
The Nyko Wii Charger is another innovative product. We all know that the Wii-mote uses AA size batteries that run out before you can say, “Hail Mugambo!”-this is where the Nyko Wii Charger steps in. It features 2 AA size battery packs, 2 rubberised battery covers, and a charging dock for upto 2 Wii-motes. Unlike the Play and Charge Kit, though, this charger may not last really long during marathon gaming sessions-you need to remove the battery packs from the Wii to charge them. The Good: Well, they’re better than swapping batteries
The Not-so-much: Nothing in particular Price: $30 (Rs 1,200) Available at: http:// tinyurl.com/2fy2vp
9. Keyboard Warrior
Microsoft recently announced the introduction of the all-new QWERTY keypad-type attachment to their Xbox 360 controllers. This attachment will eventually be integrated into the Xbox Live system online to be used while chatting with buddies, blogging, and such. The QWERTY keyboard connects to the headphone jack at the bottom of the controller and fits perfectly between its shoulder blades. The Good: Fits the controller like a glove
The Not-so-much: QWERTY isn’t really a thumb-friendly layout
Price: $30 (Rs 1,200) Available at: http://tinyurl.com/2fy2vp
8. Chill Pills
In today’s age of resource-hungry consoles, more and more components are being crammed into the same space than ever before. And with gamers spending more time with their consoles, it’s getting harder and harder to keep these machines cool…
The Intercooler for PS3 was designed for the PS3 (duh). It keeps your system ice-cool during those intense game moments-with five fans located at the rear, top, bottom, left, and right of the PS3. The fans at the left and right suck the warm air out, while the one at the bottom blows in cool air. The cooler increases the overall system sound by a notch or two and looks downright hideous stuck to the back of the PS3, but that’s a good enough trade-off.
For extreme gamers, pro modders, and engineering students alike, Koolance has launched its custom water cooling kit modeled on its Exos LT product line. The Koolance Xbox 360 Water-cooling Kit runs liquid coolant over the CPU and GPU of the Xbox 360 making it super cool. This kit is not for a newbie: Koolance advises that it is not for inexperienced modders, and provide no manual or technical support for it.
The Good: Keeps the Xbox cool, provides bragging rights!
The Not-so-much: Voids warranty, nowhere to go if you get stuck while building it
Price: $290 (Rs 12,200)
Available at: http://tinyurl.com/36qwmj
Looking at the same design and graphics on your console day-in and day-out can get pretty tiresome. That’s why we have case modding-you can change the colours and looks of your console. You could just take the correct paints and go berserk on your console, but if you’re not the DIY type, there are several options to choose from off the Internet. High-quality, vinyl stickers can be stuck onto the console to change its colour and graphics. You get a wide range of stickers at www.decalgirl.com, and they also offer to “skin” your controller with the same design aesthetics!
On the other hand, if you want to completely change the design of your Xbox 360 or Wii, you can do so with the I-Case provided by MCX. The I-Case comes in myriad colours from chrome to semi-transparent blue, and has different case designs too!
The Good: Keeps the Xbox cool, provides bragging rights!
The Not-so-much: Voids warranty, nowhere to go if you get stuck while building it
Price: Varies depending on product
Available at: www.nyko.com, www.decalgirl.com 
6. Yo-Yo Strap
We’re glad someone took those funny images of Wii-motes embedded in TVs seriously enough to make the retractable Wii-mote Wrist Strap. This contraption features a strong cord connected to a retractable device, embedded into a wrist strap, which connects to your Wii-mote. The retractable device will soon get loose, though, making it another plastic projectile that people around you in the room should watch out for!
The Good: The wrist strap looks cool
The Not-so-much: You don’t want to be in the way when your Wiimote makes its return journey
Price: $6 (Rs 250)
Available at: http://tinyurl.com/2tfwsa
