Xbox controllers apparently still use AA batteries due to an ongoing deal with Duracell



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Illustration from article titled Xbox Controllers Apparently Still Using AA Batteries Due to Pending Deal with Duracell

Photo: Microsoft

While every other console controller on the market uses internal rechargeable batteries, the Xbox still allows you to use AA batteries to power them, and further remarks from a Duracell spokesperson may help to understand. Why.

“There’s always been this partnership with Duracell and Xbox … it’s an ongoing deal that Duracell and Microsoft have put in place,” said Luke Anderson, Marketing Director of Duracell UK, Told Stealth optional in an interview spotted by VGC.

Anderson continues:

[The deal is] for OEM to supply the battery product for the Xbox consoles as well as the battery for the controllers. So that [deal is] it’s going to last a while … it’s been going on for a while and I think it must last a while [more].

This partnership appears to be supported by Duracell online marketing campaigns which frequently feature Xbox controllers. The new Xbox Series X and S which launched last November also come with two Duracell AA batteries, instead of Microsoft’s Xbox brand. rechargeable battery packs,

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for Kotaku for comment, but Told MCV / Develop in a report,

We intentionally offer consumers a choice of their battery solutions for our standard Xbox Wireless Controllers. This includes the use of AA batteries of any brand, the Xbox Rechargeable Battery, our partner’s charging solutions, or a USB-C cable, which can power the controller when plugged into the console or PC. .

I was surprised when Microsoft revealed last year that its next-gen controllers will still come pre-packaged with AA batteries. It is true that the option of choosing between the use of removable and rechargeable batteries and disposable prepackaged batteries on the fly offers a nice flexibility.

At the same time, I’ve used multiple AA battery packs already since I got my launch S series, and the fact that the rechargeable packs have to be purchased separately is another hurdle to really enjoy this freedom. Why not pack some new controllers with both options?

Microsoft’s premium controller, the Xbox Elite Wireless 2, costs $ 180 and it doesn’t come either. Like the DualShock 4, Dualsense, and Nintendo Switch Pro controller, it only has an internal battery that you charge by plugging it in. No freedom of choice, but quite simple and practical. Potentially less waste too.



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