Review: Nyko’s Wii Wireless Sensor Bar

Product: Wireless Sensor Bar (aka Cordless Infrared Emitter) for the Nintendogs Wii
Price: $19.99
Rating: 95/100
Pros: Slightly wider area of sensitivity, increased distance, easy to install and portable.
Cons: Batteries eventually run out.
Overall: A well-priced, easy to use product that Nintendo should seriously consider shipping with every Wii console.

When I first connected my Nintendo Wii, the biggest annoyance (OK, only annoyance) was the sensor bar. It has a long, very thin wire that I had to run behind all of my already messy conglomeration of wires.

With that single annoyance quickly over once installed, I later found another problem – depending on the time of day I was playing, I had to move my sensor bar to get optimum performance. During the day it works pretty well if I move the bar a little to compensate for the daylight reflecting off the sensor bar and knocking out some region of the screen. (In other words, the cursor would disappear in certain areas). At night, however, the lights on top of the TV reflect from the WiiMotes, making it nearly impossible to get accurate control. To fix it I either have to make my room completely dark – which is a strain on my eyes and results in plenty of bumped knees – or majorly reposition the bar.

This wireless device by Nyko, however, makes it all very easy, untethering the sensor bar so I can put it on my coffee table when I am playing alone (sad, I know), or back on top of the TV and tilted at just the right angle when more gamers are in the room. As you might have noticed, I decided not to use the sticky tabs and adhere it to a single spot (and I suggest you don’t either).

For the price, this is clearly a worthwhile purchase. Not only did it sole a few problems but also helps to make the Wii a more wireless device (we’ll never really get around that power cable). At only $20, this is a no brainer purchase. In fact, Nintendo should seriously consider shipping this with the Wii from now on.

Design – Weighs 6.2 oz (175 g) with a matte silver body and shiny black front that looks pretty dern similar to the wired Nintendo version except for the increased height and Nyko logo. It is slightly longer than the Nintendo sensor bar. It also requires four AA batteries to operate.

Features – Blue LED on the front indicates the unit is powered on. A small speaker on the top emits a tone when on and can be set to a one-hour, two-hour or no audio alert. It will also auto shutoff when on for too long to save power. Installation involves simply unplugging the Nintendo sensor bar and turning on the wireless bar. Two sticky tabs are on the bottom in case you want to adhere it to a surface.

Performance – For gaming performance, it works just as well as Nintendo sensor bar. As for distance, it offers a slightly wider sensor region but much further distance (up to 25 feet). It has worked well for me for approximately ten hours of play and claims to work up to 30 with new batteries.

Overall – This was so easy to install I thought I had done something wrong. I like it so much better than having to run that tiny wire around my entertainment components and really appreciate the mobility of the device. I highly recommend that you get this if you have a Wii. If you have any lighting/reflection issues that impede your controller precision, simply move or change the angle of the wireless sensor bar and it’ll solve all your problems. As with any wireless gaming device, I recommend getting twice as many rechargeable batteries so you have one at the ready when the others wear out.