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Xbox controllers are still using AA batteries ‘because of long-term Duracell deal’, spokesperson claims

I had my white DS4 controller for about 5 years and there was no noticeable difference. They may not last forever but they will last you the entire generation and then some.

This battery argument is extremely silly console wars ammo. How stupid do you have to be to believe the battery in Sony controllers only last two years and will burn your house down?
Console wars?
1) I play on PC and have both sets of controllers
2) I have 2 DS4's, one is atleast 4 or 5 years old, one is only 6-8 months old. While neither has any problem holding a charge for long enough for a gaming session or two the newer one lasts noticably longer, only needing to be charged 2-3 times a month. The older one in contrast has to be charged much, much more regularly. It's not something you notice as it happens, it's a slow creep, but make no mistake, the degradation IS there and compoaring a new pad to an old one makes that abundantly clear.
 

FranXico

Member
Xbox dudes got to convince themselves they're not getting screwed paying the same and getting less
They're not paying the same though. When you add up all the batteries bought over the years (a couple of them last about 4 to 6 days), I'm pretty sure they have spent enough to buy another controller.

And many of these guys collect controllers anyway, including the much more expensive Elite controller.
 
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When you add up all the batteries bought over the years (a couple of them last about 4 to 6 dsys)
4-6 days of constant straight gaming with no breaks, perhaps. Or maybe that's true if you're buying dogshit dollar store batteries. Before I got a P&C pack for the One pad I was using AA's with it and I was only replacing them around once a month.
 

FranXico

Member
My personal experience: I have had a DS4 for 6 (almost 7) years, and the battery is indeed degraded and lasting less time.
It runs for about 5 hours by my estimate (I turn vibration off, light dimmed). It's still serviceable. Won't buy a replacement just yet.
 

phil_t98

#SonyToo
My personal experience: I have had a DS4 for 6 (almost 7) years, and the battery is indeed degraded and lasting less time.
It runs for about 5 hours by my estimate (I turn vibration off, light dimmed). It's still serviceable. Won't buy a replacement just yet.
So
You have to make adjustments to make the battery last inside? Shame it wasn’t easy replaceable.

I get that it looks cool to not have a controller where you don’t change the battery but the practicality of that in the real world ain’t great
 

Jethalal

Banned
So
You have to make adjustments to make the battery last inside? Shame it wasn’t easy replaceable.

I get that it looks cool to not have a controller where you don’t change the battery but the practicality of that in the real world ain’t great
My DS3 never had any problem for 5 years I had it, that degrading doesn't seems to be ubiquitous.
 

Hugare

Member
I'll never understand why some people preffer batteries when you could just, you know, connect your controller to your console when you are not using (sleep mode) and charge it (I do it with my PS4)

Done. No extra batteries, no nothing. Will be fully charged next time you use it.

"I preffer having to buy 2 pairs of batteries, so I will have to change between them and remember to charge the other pair when its not being used"

... Ok, you weirdo

Would you also preffer having to do that to your cellphone? Wireless headphones and etc.?

I just dont get it
 
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What do you think happens to the disposable batteries packed in with every single controller and console sold?
They get binned. Good thing then that unlike Li-ion packs common alkaline batteries aren't remotely environmentally dangerous and can safely go to landfill. They're also much easier to recycle, so there's that.
 

GHG

Gold Member
They get binned. Good thing then that unlike Li-ion packs common alkaline batteries aren't remotely environmentally dangerous and can safely go to landfill. They're also much easier to recycle, so there's that.

They are easier to recycle but rarely if ever do they get recycled (just 4% in 2015):


They end up in landfills which are 100% bad for the environment.


For long life applications disposable batteries have their place but for frequent use consumer electronics rechargeable batteries have proven to be better for the environment overall.

The person would have a point if the controllers didn't ship with disposable batteries at all.

The best all round solution would be a removable rechargeable battery, much like what we used to get with mobile phones back in the day. Advocating for AA batteries in 2021 is nonsensical.
 
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FranXico

Member
So
You have to make adjustments to make the battery last inside? Shame it wasn’t easy replaceable.

I get that it looks cool to not have a controller where you don’t change the battery but the practicality of that in the real world ain’t great
I turn rumble off because it I don't particularly care for it. I didn't use rumble much when playing PS3. I doubt I will use haptics for long when I get a PS5 either. I'll probably turn that off after finishing Astro. The lightbar is a pointless waste of battery indeed, but less significant overall than people believe.

I get that it looks cool to defend that supposedly "smart convenient solution", but it's really not.
Batteries are an additional expense that costs quite a bit of money over time. Not to mention having to remember to repeatedly buy batteries in order to avoid running out. Either that or buy a play-and-charge kit that also costs extra (still better than sticking to buying batteries over and over though). But that's also hidden cost to end up with a similar use as the Dualshock controller.

Don't be so condescending.
 
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FranXico

Member
My DS3 never had any problem for 5 years I had it, that degrading doesn't seems to be ubiquitous.
It's there, but depending on gaming habits, you may or may not easily notice it. I didn't really notice anything until around the end of the PS3 generation.
 
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Bought a stand and 2 recharable packs for £15. Don't get all the fuss.

Iv had PS controllers who's batteries got so bad the charge didn't last very long at all.

They both have their pros and cons. I don't know why xbox gets the brunt of it all.
 

Pidull

Member
Hopefully this deal continues forever.

This is why I recently bought a GBA with a modded IPS backlit display. Instead of a GBA SP and a deteriorated internal battery, I'm able to swap new AA's in with ease.

I love the Wii U but mine has seen so much use the battery of the gamepad only lasts 45 minutes, and replacements haven't been any better. Battery freedom is huge.
 

Edgelord79

Gold Member
This doesn't make sense. Most likely because it's not true.

Looks like a case of misinterpreting market-speak.
 

GenericUser

Member
This is one aspect of the Xbox controllers that I prefer. Sure, you have to buy the rechargable battery pack separately...but you can buy the rechargeable battery pack and replace it without having to tear your controller apart, which, speaking from experience, is incredibly fiddly.
I agree. I'm mostly a playstation gamer, but I never understood the obsession with the built in battery. When I had an xbox 360, I didn't use non-rechargeable batteries, I didn't buy the recharge-kit from microsoft, I just used my standard rechargeable batteries that I use for all kind of devices troughout my home. Doesn't everyone have these at home? With the dualshock, once the battery is getting old, you're fucked, simple as that.
 

Jethalal

Banned
If XBOX wants to implement the dualsense features as hinted in the feedback form by Microsoft, won't they have to do away with batteries? Those features would likely consume a lot of power.
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
Another corporate move that serves the interest of the corporation but that through brain washing, consumers were made to believe that it was in their best interests.
 

FranXico

Member
Now imagine her frustration if the battery ran out at a particular moment and she couldn't just reach for the fabled eneloop batteries and swap them out.
If the battery runs out, the battery runs out. Alternative err.... massage methods will probably be required. 🤣
 
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Shmunter

Member
I agree. I'm mostly a playstation gamer, but I never understood the obsession with the built in battery. When I had an xbox 360, I didn't use non-rechargeable batteries, I didn't buy the recharge-kit from microsoft, I just used my standard rechargeable batteries that I use for all kind of devices troughout my home. Doesn't everyone have these at home? With the dualshock, once the battery is getting old, you're fucked, simple as that.

Yah, but the likelihood of an inbuilt battery going bust in a decade are pretty slim. Even if it’s happened to you, you’re an outlier
 
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Well sure. But you were insinuating it wasn't possible on PS4. It is, and is fairly straightforward to do.
I never said it was impossible. I said the Xbox does it better because more options are better. And why talk about the dual shock 4 which already wasn't easy? How about Sony's latest controller? Just a simple little internal battery swap?
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
LOL sure, 2 years, sure.
Mobile Phone batteries def are worse after 2 years.

you think dualshock controllers are immune to this shit?

Maybe you should actually play on your ps4 instead of defending their shit online.

then you would have noticed that the controllers get worse.
 
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Jethalal

Banned
Mobile Phone batteries def are worse after 2 years.

you think dualshock controllers are immune to this shit?

Maybe you should actually play on your ps4 instead of defending their shit online.

then you would have noticed that the controllers get worse.
It's not like Sony has a choice. AA Batteries won't work on their controllers for a long time unless they strip off the mic, speaker, dualsense features,lights etc.
 

Jethalal

Banned
Confusion Reaction GIF
 
If XBOX wants to implement the dualsense features as hinted in the feedback form by Microsoft, won't they have to do away with batteries? Those features would likely consume a lot of power.
Alkaline has a very similar energy density range to Li-ion (0.31 - 0.68 vs 0.32 - 0.79). Lithium Iron disulphide (Energizer Ultimate Lithium) on the other hand blows both out of the water with an energy density by mass of 1.07.
In other words...no. A good pair of alkalines will last as long if not longer than a Li-ion pack, and EUL will shit on both from a great height. When I was using EULs in my Xbox One controller I only had to change them after a month to a month and a half.
 

TheContact

Member
User serviceable batteries is great. The battery in controllers degrades much more rapidly than other parts of the controller. Being able to easily swap out with new AA or even a rechargeable pack is awesome
 

Jethalal

Banned
Alkaline has a very similar energy density range to Li-ion (0.31 - 0.68 vs 0.32 - 0.79). Lithium Iron disulphide (Energizer Ultimate Lithium) on the other hand blows both out of the water with an energy density by mass of 1.07.
In other words...no. A good pair of alkalines will last as long if not longer than a Li-ion pack, and EUL will shit on both from a great height. When I was using EULs in my Xbox One controller I only had to change them after a month to a month and a half.
XOne controller has none of those features though, how much do you think an Xbox controller with similar features would last?
 
XOne controller has none of those features though, how much do you think an Xbox controller with similar features would last?
It's kind of irrelevant, no? With a P&C kit I don't get anywhere near the same kind of battery life as I did with the EULs (not surprising considering their energy densities) and alkalines were beating the P&C kit handily too, that will translate over to an Xbox controller with the same features as the DS5. Maybe you're looking at 3-5 weeks instead of 4-6 but you're still not going to have to worry about your AA's draining all that fast. Now granted, Lithium-iron disulphide batteries are non-rechargeable and as far as I know the only company that manufactures them is Energizer, they might even own the rights, so they are a bit more pricey...but you get what you pay for.
 

Woo-Fu

Banned
That moment when you remember all the debates about rechargeable VS AA batteries only to find out that all this time you've had to use batteries because of a marketing deal...

Name a wireless controller that doesn't have some sort of battery in it? Rechargeable batteries are still batteries. If your distinction is rechargeable vs. non or removable vs. non you need to say that. As far as "had to use" well that's either true for all controllers if you're not making either of the distinctions I've mentioned or it's not true if you're differentiating between the types. There's always been alternatives, even Microsoft-produced alternatives.

As far as it being a marketing deal I suspect Microsoft is getting the better end of that one, I've never seen advertising from either company pimping the other. Not saying it doesn't exist, just saying their reach isn't very good.
 

Jethalal

Banned
Sigh. Longer than the Dualsense because 2 AA has more capacity than the battery Sony put in. See my post in this thread for details

It's kind of irrelevant, no? With a P&C kit I don't get anywhere near the same kind of battery life as I did with the EULs (not surprising considering their energy densities) and alkalines were beating the P&C kit handily too, that will translate over to an Xbox controller with the same features as the DS5. Maybe you're looking at 3-5 weeks instead of 4-6 but you're still not going to have to worry about your AA's draining all that fast. Now granted, Lithium-iron disulphide batteries are non-rechargeable and as far as I know the only company that manufactures them is Energizer, they might even own the rights, so they are a bit more pricey...but you get what you pay for.

same as the ps5 controller?
My main point is , if by using AA, a supposedly Dualsense-esque Xbox controller doesn't provides a much longer battery life than the Dualsense then the advantage of having AA batteries diminishes. Presently, if the xbox controllers can last for 1-2 months or so then that justifies purchasing new AA batteries over simply recharging IMO. But if it gives something like 1 week or few days then that advantage doesn't justifies the cost of getting new batteries.
 

phil_t98

#SonyToo
My main point is , if by using AA, a supposedly Dualsense-esque Xbox controller doesn't provides a much longer battery life than the Dualsense then the advantage of having AA batteries diminishes. Presently, if the xbox controllers can last for 1-2 months or so then that justifies purchasing new AA batteries over simply recharging IMO. But if it gives something like 1 week or few days then that advantage doesn't justifies the cost of getting new batteries.
The point is when the battery’s degrade in the dual sense you can’t replace them you have to buy a new controller. It’s better to have options reguardless of the controller
 
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