Microsoft Explains Why Xbox Series X Controller Still Uses Batteries.

Microsoft have, by now, dropped a great deal of info on the Xbox Series X’s new controller, and we know quite a bit about the iterative improvements it will be making over its predecessor, from the inclusion of a share button to the upgrades its making to things like the d-pad and the analog sticks. One quite interesting piece of info that has emerged about the new controller is the fact that, much like the Xbox One controller (and the Xbox 360 controller before it), it will use AA batteries.

For many, that is a baffling decision, owing to how PlayStation controllers – to name just one of many others – have been using rechargeable batteries for a while- so why is it that Xbox continues to insist on using batteries? Well, according to Microsoft, it’s all about giving players options and being flexible.

Speaking to Digital Foundry, Jason Ronald – partner director of program management at Xbox – said that the split between people who want a rechargeable controller and those who prefer batteries is roughly 50/50, and so giving players a separate option to use a rechargeable battery pack if they want strikes a best of both worlds situation.

“What it comes down to is when actually talking to gamers, it’s kind of polarising and there is a strong camp that really want AAs,” he said. “So just giving flexibility is the way to please both [sets of] people… You can use a rechargeable battery pack and it works just like it does on the Elite, [but] it is a separate thing.”

https://gamingbolt.com/microsoft-explains-why-xbox-series-x-controller-still-uses-batteries

This is some incredible news,i have been attacking this since the PS3 generations.

It would be a blast to know how lemmings stand for this,on this day in age were all of the are fast to call sony anti consumer for even the smallest crap.

This is a disgrace in 2005 with the 360 i could understand it for the first few years,it was the first generations were controllers from the go were wireless,the wii also used AA,by 2013 i complained about this because it was ridiculous to not use rechargeable batteries,the wii U had one so did the PS4 controller and pretty much any electronic device out there.

But on 2020 to see that MS still hold hard to AA batteries is a joke,and that damage controll excuse is pathetic that gamers want AA batteries,and just so you know MS can support AA batteries and include a damn pair of rechargeable ones and a damn cable to charge them,it would be cheap but not they want to sell you a damn rechargeable pack again,and for those who will cry that they own one already those batteries have a certain life spam they will not last for ever,with time the hold less and less charge until they die.

Is sad that MS on its over priced controllers still making people buy batteries is a joke and a real anti consumer move.

Absolutely awesome!!! :D

Thank you based MS for not ripping us off like the others with a no choice low grade built in battery throw away controller. :P

Raise your hands if you really honestly seriously want to swap disposable AAs in and out of your controller?

Don't answer based on the fact you love your Xbox. Answer honestly based only on the specific design choice. I'm genuinely curious how many people actually want this. I have an X1 controller and a Steam controller and its definitely one of their CONS for me, despite liking them well enough, otherwise, for their intended uses

Rechargeable batteries with a few always ready to go at a moments notice. Best of both worlds as I use them for controllers and as well as all around my home. Seriously, smartest way to go. Thank you MS. :P

Lol I remember putting batteries in the freezer in order to play pokemon red longer.

I couldnt imagine needing it for a game console in the year 2000 even.

Lems love having their fam ask to borrow their batteries for their cable remote lol

How to care a lot about nothing.

LOL, I love this one:

Yeah you lemmings! How do you stand for this?!

xD

Very good news.

All batteries lose capacity over time. If it's a built in battery, you're screwed and forced to replace the whole thing. See: smartphones.

Giving us the ability to swap them out is very consumer friendly. I'll continue using rechargeable AA batteries and swapping them out every couple years when they start to lose their charge.

My PS4 pad definitely holds less charge than it did, albeit after a whole gen of solid use. Still, I'd replace it's batteries, if I could.

It's why I have these bad boys...

Great to know.

Still better than being stuck with a controller that you can't upgrade its battery and it dies after every game session.

To be honest I have never had an issue with it and I never really cared. /shrug

I do have the new elite controller which is nice, but I still use the battery version on my computer and it still doesn't both me.

I would imagine Microsoft has done the research and know most users don't care.

Based on current gen I’d choose rechargeable AA batteries all day long,if the ps5 controller has a longer charge life then great but there will be no checking my mattress for piss worrying over batteries HAH

#newworldproblems

so if the ps 5 has even longer battery life because 6 hours of play isn't long enough for you guys. then what will you guys say? im sorry but i should not have to waste more money on a controller when there 60 bucks as is. if ps4 controllers was batteries and xbox wasn't i be so mad. i always hated battery's growing up. getting my parents to get more was a hassle no matter what the toy was.

most of us buy new controllers after a few years anyways because you worn the anolog sticks

I prefer having this option over having an internal battery already in the controller myself. I just purchase the rechargeable plug & play battery pack for it and like that option instead of the all in one approach. I’m happy that Microsoft does this myself.

Exactly.

But hell i am been more open minded,i say let the design stay ok,but how that stop MS from giving us 2 rechargeables AA batteries and a cable to you can charge then using the same controller.

And xbox controllers tent to be expensive even when they don't have as much features as the PS ones.

Yeah i totally get that which is why i say i can comprehend the design choice,but what i can't comprehend is why MS doesn't include a damn pair of rechargeable ones.

You can justify the use of AA but they can't justfity not including them and a cheap cable after all xbox controller tend to be more expensive than PS controllers even with less functions,the PS one even has a touch pad and still is the same or cheaper with battery included.

@lundy86_4 said:

It's why I have these bad boys...

https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-BK-3HCCA4BA-eneloop-Pre-Charged-Rechargeable/dp/B00JHKSL28

But that is my point exactly you pay for that.

When you should not.

Good call by MS. i wish sony and nintendo did the same thing (though i'm not sure how one would get a battery into a joycon).

It's the best of both worlds then. if you want to use disposable batteries then do. want to go rechargeable? go for it. you get the option. if the battery fails? just replace it with an industry standard part. i dont see what the downside is.

with built in lithium ion batteries once the battery is dead (as in has failed) you are screwed. you will either need to leave it plugged in, take the controller apart and hope you can find a new battery or get a new controller. rechargable batteries fail. they wear down. having them built in is just wasteful.

however there is a big miss on the controller. no flappy paddle buttons! what the hell? why are these just relegated to the elite controller? it's 2020 MS....get with the program!

Unless your game session if more than 5 hours long you will be ok,but then again you can ALWAYS plug in the cable and continue playing while charging the controller at the same time.

So no is not better.

Better something than nothing isn't that what lemmings claimed with their broken backward compatibility this gen right?

😂😂😂

If you only were this nice to sony..lol

Or they know lemmings such as your self will keep paying eternally for this crap.

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/batteries-chargers/play-and-charge-kit

On top of what you pay for this over priced ones.

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories

The only research MS has done is the one that tell them that you people will continue to over pay for controllers and battery packs so they will keep doing this to you.

@tormentos: I'd rather pay for that, than suffer at the hands of the PS4 controller battery.

I bought a rechargeable MS battery with my original Xbox One and that thing barely held a charge. Mostly played corded, went for while using AA batteries but then I got a cheap charging kit from Gamestop because my cord was biting dust and needed new cable, but then I noticed how much better that battery was and have been using it ever since. It is nice to have some kind of backup long term. My Wii controller rechargeable batteries stopped working long ago, definitely needed to go back to AA for that.

I don't like non replaceable batteries for controllers, phones, laptops etc. I like when my battery die mid game I can simply swap instead of being tethered. Why are we still acting as if lithium rechargeable are not a thing? The real question is why is this news? Why are we going through the same tire arguments? OP are you lost for real arguments?

And that is the problem.

I don't have a problem with the controller accepting AA batteries i have a problem with MS forcing you to buy rechargeable ones from them or other company or worse keep buying AA ones.

I don’t see that as a problem myself, I see that as an option and quite frankly an option that I prefer to the internal battery one myself.

So you suffer when you have to plug in a damn cable for real?

What phone do you have how much can you use your switch straigh if you have one without charging it? How about the 3DS.?

Come one man that excuse is play out to justify that crap,either charging it every 5 or 6 hours or 48 hours you still charging man.

Worse the PS4 controller does work while charging just plug the cable and move on,but i find this sad because on a full charge you would need to play some 5+ hours before that controller gives up,do you play 5 hours straight without a single break?

https://www.amazon.com/ps4-controller-battery-replacement/s?k=ps4+controller+battery+replacement

Yeah lets pretend you have to meet Thanos in a multiverse and ask him to use the infinity stones in order to be able to get a battery replacement for a PS4 controller.

Hell they cost less than MS play and charge kit.

Most people who defend MS here wont see a problem it has been like that since 2006.

I do because is not the option the problem is MS not giving you a rechargeable pair the real problem.

Sony Fan downplays being over matched in the power game but makes a thread about the horrors of batteries in controllers. Ok dude...........

@tormentos: Keep crying about it all you want, I really don’t care. I’m happy with having that option available to me and that’s all there is to it. 🤷‍♂️

It would be different if Microsoft was forcing you to buy their own propriety battery pack at an increased charge to use their own type of batteries but that isn't the case. I know Microsoft sells that Plug & Charge kit but that is trash and we're not obligated to only buy that when we can use others on the market for much less and longer lasting.

Any double AA batteries or rechargeable ones work and battery chargers go for as little as $12 on Amazon and even come with the batteries themselves to recharge with. My battery pack easily lasts 18+ hours compared to with the Dualshock 4 that legit lasts a few hours before having to plug it in. I hate playing with the cord plugged in; defeats the point of it being wireless...lol.

As mentioned, rather buy a pack of eneloops, oh wait I did.

I am that nice to Sony. Sony's solution works for me also. Please find anywhere I have talked bad about Sony's battery. Yes, the controller has a short life compared to other controllers, but it has never hampered me playing games. I just don't care what solution is used as long as the controller is comfortable and I can play games with it.

Keep calling people what they are not though. Just because you say it doesn't make it true. Just sad your only argument ever is to call someone a lemming when you don't agree with them. That is why you are such a joke on this forum and no one takes you serious.

BTW. Microsoft wouldn't keep using batteries if it really pissed off the people using their controllers. It is obvious people don't care, but fanboys do.

@tormentos: That's fair. They should include some sort of rechargable, removable battery. That'd be the best of both worlds.

Well i knew it would not be long before the first butthurt lemming would show up throwing the xbox series X power into the thread as distraction.

But you care about power now?

https://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/official-cod-ghosts-1080p-on-ps4-720p-on-xone-30892509/?page=4

Lets party like it is 2013.

I always like the optional of putting AA batteries into my Xbox Controller and to be honest, I have my USB cable link to my gaming PC, so it's a no brainier if I wanna switch to AA batteries going wireless down the road.

But really, MS loves giving gamers options if you wanna stick to old ways or upgrade to the new ways.

I recently bought a X1X and when comparing the process between PS4 and X1 I'm much more satisfied with AA charges. They last much longer and can be recharged faster.

DS4 has such a poor life to its charge and I can only play a few hours before having to connect it to a charge cable. Those things don't last, and the newer charge cables that come with the latest DS4s are like two feet long and thin as thread.

I am not crying about it,i am just poiting out how you people have a terrible double standard when it comes to MS doing this things by all means continue to get milk is your money.

Exactly.

They force you to do one of this 3 things.

1-Buy a battery pack from them $25.

2-Buy a battery pack from a 3rd party with prices ranging from a little less to a little more.

3-Keep buying AA more expensive options.

One of this ^^ is forced you know why?

Because no rechargeable battery comes with the xbox controller.

The DS can last 5+ hours its free with the controller and you don't have to pay extra for it,oh and the controll works while charging by the way,you don't need to stop playing.

Not more than having to buy batteries in 2020.

Well if you already have rechargeable battery packs from previous gen controllers you should be all good.

Also those are the same packs used in some 8BitDo controllers.

Also I wish I could replace the battery in my DS4 with a high-capacity one than it comes with.

I see pros and cons on both sides of this one.

@tormentos: You are most definitely crying about it. It’s not a double standard. That would be if say Sony provided a controller that didn’t have an internal battery and I complained about that but liked Microsoft doing it. That’s what a double standard is.

Sony force me to use my USB cable and by that, I had to buy an extension USB cord and the DS4 battery life is so pathetic, I wish Sony would give me the option to use AA batteries or 18+hour rechargeable batteries to say the least. In short, MS is no different from Sony but at least MS has more options to offer compare to Sony.

2020 and beyond, no matter what the year is, batteries will still be a thing. Rechargeable batteries as well.

Yeah, that's true. Like @locopatho said; adding a rechargeable battery with a cable would be best but the pricing is negligible to be honest to be really considered such a big deal; again for as little as $12 if not less.

The Dualshock 4 lasts from 3-6 hours and the short cable it came with was a big disappointment compared to the battery life on the Dualshock 3 which lasted much longer.

Yeah and they force you to pay for electricity too,damn you sony.

The only option you have with MS is PAYING that is not an option is mandatory.

Obtion is when you can chose,if they gave you a controller with built in one and one without then you have an option,what you have is a controller that FORCE you to buy batteries PERIOD either rechargeable or not is not an option is mandatory.

But everyone see things from a different perspetive in this place.🤷‍♂️

It last from 4 to 8 hours depending on how hard to work it.

And the cable that came with mine was 6.

I am a rechargeable AA battery fan. I have invested close to zero in this solution since I already have a bunch of rechargeable batteries and chargers useful for many other things. The PlayStation solution is terrible with crap battery life. There is a reason why half of people prefer rechargeable AAs.

In an era of smartphones shipping with 30-50 fast chargers, why ih why are MS still doing this? They could pack a 4000mah cell in the Series X controller that could fully charge in under an hour and last days. Even the meager battery pack in my Dualshock 4 last for quite a while. And before people complain about degradation of rechargeable batteries I have been using the same controller that came with my Pro since 2016 and the performance has remained the same.

@xantufrog: My hand is firmly up. Absolutely rigid, with Peter pointy finger pointing straight up as well. Absolutely despise having to leave the controller plugged in at night to charge, or have a cable draping across the room as I play.

Give me the option to use rechargeable if you must, just keep the much longer lasting AA solution there if I prefer.

I wish more companies did like Sony and gave us no options and a battery so crappy that basically turned the controller wired for that 90s feeling.

I don't particularly like swapping batteries, but I have gone through multiple PS4 controllers because the batteries stop holding a charge, or the charging port (which is cheap and flimsy as shit) just stops recognizing a connection, so it won't charge anymore. And yeah, they make rechargeable AAs. So, it's not like you're spending hundreds of dollars on several years of batteries, unless you're being stupid about it.

Bottom line, for me, I actually like that Xbox is sticking with it, and that the Steam controller uses them, too. It's not going to make me buy an Xbox, or even a controller, but I wish my PlayStation controllers took replaceable batteries, as well.

I don't care either way I always buy AA and AAA batteries in bulk anyway.

Surprised they went with external after the elite 2 had internal.

I dont think Sony could make a worse controller for me if they tried than the ds4. Cant handle the symmetrical thumb sticks, they feel totally counterintuitive...and it always takes me a good few hours for me to get to grips with them....by that time the batteries have died, thanks to the useless light that i still cant turn off. The light is about as useful as the trackpad by the way, and now we're hearing about more gimmicky crap like sweat sensing on ps5's controller.

Just give me a sturdy pad with the thumb sticks in the right place without useless gimmicks that I can use on PC or previous gen consoles if I want.

Well this thread backfired super hard.

@nfamouslegend: I'm guessing you have no worries about leaving a 4000 mah battery on charge in your living room overnight... personally, I just dont get how it's better than AAs, but to each their own.

@sealionact: what is to worry about?

Good. I would much rather use AA’s than deal with charging a controller every 3 hours. Hell, the PS4 has us back in 1984 sitting 3 feet from our TV because the controller needs to be wired to the console. And with TVs getting so big and so damn bright, you don’t wanna sit that close.