While any other console controller on the market uses internal rechargeable batteries, the Xbox still allows you to use AA batteries to power them, and the new remarks of a Duracell spokesperson shed some light on why this is the case. .
“There has always been this partnership with Duracell and Xbox … it’s a constant agreement that Duracell and Microsoft have in place,” said Duracell UK marketing manager Luke Anderson. said Stealth Optional in an interview spotted by VGC.
Anderson continues:
[The deal is] for OEM to supply the battery for Xbox consoles and also the controller battery. Such that [deal is] it’s going to work for a while … it’s been going on for a while and I think it has to work for a while [more].
This partnership seems to be supported by Duracell’s online marketing campaigns which frequently features Xbox controllers. The new Xbox X and S series, launched in November last year, also come with two Duracell AA batteries, rather than the Microsoft Xbox brand rechargeable battery packs,
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Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for Kotaku for comment, but said MCV / Development in a statement,
We intentionally offer consumers the choice in their battery solutions for our standard Xbox wireless controllers. This includes the use of AA batteries from any brand, the Xbox rechargeable battery, charging solutions from our partners or a USB-C cable, which can power the controller when connected to the console or PC.
I was surprised when Microsoft revealed last year that its state-of-the-art controllers will still come pre-packaged with AA batteries. It is true that the option to choose between the use of removable rechargeable batteries and disposable batteries pre-packaged on the go offers pleasant flexibility.
At the same time, we’ve been through several AA battery packs since we launched the S series, and the fact that rechargeable packs need to be purchased separately is another barrier to actually taking advantage of this freedom. Why not pack new controllers with both options?
The premium Microsoft controller, Xbox Elite Wireless 2, costs $ 180 and does not come with any. Like the DualShock 4 controller, Dualsense and Nintendo Switch Pro, it only has an internal battery that you charge by connecting it. There is no freedom of choice, but sufficiently direct and convenient. Less wasteful potential.