" It's bloody rare that an accessory actually forges new ground in the console market, but WoW has managed to do just that. "

      Title: Without Wires (WoW) adapter by Saitek

      Format: PS2 wireless adapter for your existing controllers

      Reviewing Monkey: Our Ape Masters

      The Hype: Yes, there are a myriad of wireless controllers for the PS2. Some of them work well, some are crap, but all share a few fundamental flaws. They eat up battery life, they often can't be used once the batteries are dead, and you need one per person playing. Without Wires by Saitek offers an innovative approach to the problem by acting as an adapter for your existing controllers, allowing them to plug into a remote receiver up to 30' from your PS2 and functioning as normal.

      What This Monkey Thought...

           If you didn't gather from the Hype section, WoW isn't a controller itself but rather an adapter bridge that turns your current controllers into a ranged system. It comes with a core and a remote unit, with the core plugging into the PS2 and the remote sitting on a table or the floor up to 30' away. You plug up to two controllers into the remote and they function as though they were in the PS2 itself. It gives you an amazing amount of flexibility in where you want to sit in the room around your tv and is a great solution to the pain in the ass two foot cables most PS2 controllers have. Plus, unlike extension cables which mean stringing wires across the room (wonderful as tripping hazards) and occasionally have lags in response, WoW is virtually unblockable thanks to its radio (RF) technology and we never had a response problem of any kind.
          Power is supplied via 4 rechargeable batteries that come included with the unit. On their own they will give you about 8 hours of play time with rumble on (more if you turn rumble off) and will charge from empty to full in about 6 hours. Best of all, though, they charge not in an external charger but in the core unit which draws power straight from the PS2. But just in case 6 hours of down time sounds unappealing to you addicts out there, the WoW manual suggests picking up another 4 batteries at your local electronics store so that, in effect, you can have non-stop wireless play-with one set in the charger while the other's in your unit.
          All in all, Without Wires is really an amazing innovation and actually has changed the way we play games around the office. No more sitting way too close to the tv…now we can sit across the room with our wheels, pads, and sticks and jam until the wee hours of the night. It's bloody rare that an accessory actually forges new ground in the console market, but WoW has managed to do just that.

      The Verdict: