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TCG276

Member
Dec 17, 2017
520
EDIT: As some have pointed out, the wording of my below question could have been better. As a result I have slightly changed it to be less obnoxious.

Can someone please explain to me why you believe a controller with a built in battery is better than a controller that uses AA batteries?

I think having a built in battery is far less consumer friendly than a controller that uses AA batteries. If we are looking at Xbox vs PS, you can purchase a charge kit for the Xbox controller so you have that choice. With the PS controller you don't have that choice, and when the built in battery starts to no longer hold a charge, you have to either buy a new controller or DIY replace it. How is that a better solution?

As someone who is planning to switch to PS next gen, the built in battery, and the controller battery life, have me the most concerned.

EDIT: I am referring to NI-MH rechargeable AA batteries. This is the same tech used in built in controller batteries. Saying they are worse for the environment makes no sense. They should technically last as long as a built in battery before needing replaced.

EDIT 2: As some of you have mentioned in this thread, another reason that user replaceable batteries are good is hardware preservation. Internal batteries will all eventually die, and eventually aftermarket internal replacement batteries will dry up.

I have also thought more about the environmental argument surrounding batteries. I think we can all ageee that tossing out batteries is bad for the environment, but is it worse than all the cell phones, laptops, tablets, headphones, and controllers that are tossed out simply because the non-replaceable internal battery no longer holds a charge? I am referring to rechargeable batteries. Standard batteries should be banned imo. There is no reason for them to still exist.

EDIT 3: I do agree that the Xbox controller should include a set or Eneloops, a play and charge kit, or be sold cheaper than a DS4. Charging $60 with no included rechargeable batteries is BS.
 
Last edited:
Oct 27, 2017
5,862
Mount Airy, MD
I've never had to replace a controller for that reason, so it just isn't something that occurs to me.

On the other hand, having to worry about batteries over just plugging in when I'm done is annoying.
 

Cess007

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,116
B.C., Mexico
With the PS controller you don't have that choice, and when the built in battery starts to no longer hold a charge, you have to either buy a new controller or DIY replace it.

This is true.

Last month I'd to change the battery of a PS controller for the firs time, and it was a hassle. Ofc, it was a PS3 controller that has lasted me almost 14 years!!
 
Oct 28, 2019
5,974
What is there to argue? To each their own preference. Some prefer the convenience of a built in battery, others prefer the convenience of not having to charge the controllers with a cable, etc
 

Le Dude

Member
May 16, 2018
4,709
USA
Yeah, makes no sense. I have a set of eneloops and they work wonders. There's charging docks too if people really want convenience.
 

sn00zer

Member
Feb 28, 2018
6,095
I have literally not changed a battery in years. I have had to do it 4 times since I got a wireless X1 controller that I have finished two games with.
 

Misterhbk

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,313
Never had to replace a controller because of a bad battery. When I'm done playing I plug my controller back in. Maybe I'm an outlier though, my sessions never fully drain my controller and its fully charged every time I turn my console on.
 

Sirhc

Hasn't made a thread yet. Shame me.
Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,053
If batteries are built-in they should be easily replaceable, not some garbage where your controller has a 4 year lifespan.
 
Oct 30, 2017
931
Could be argued built in batteries are better for the environment? I mean, not by much but still.
I imagine you'd have to change the AA batteries more often than replacing the entire controller when the batteries finally give up the ghost.
 

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,968
I don't understand why a controller that can do both isn't seen as the clear winner on this front.
 

Bundy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
20,931
Changing AA batteries.... yeah, no. I'm not in the 90s anymore. No thanks.
 

DJ_Lae

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,870
Edmonton
Perceived convenience?

I mean, the act of replacing AAs is not very difficult, but the charger is one extra bit of hardware to have lying around...I guess. I don't think it's a big deal, though, and I'll take being able to pop in a fresh pair of AAs when my controller dies rather than having to play wired or pause and pick up the game later (or worse still, fire up a completely separate controller).
 

Lowrys

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,398
London
Your average gamer probably doesn't ever have a built-in battery die, so for them it's more convenient to just charge the controller.

But I prefer rechargeable AAs by far. Got 4 pairs I cycle through, so never caught short.
 

Clive

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,095
Between my PS3, PS4, Wii U Pro, Wi U Pad and Switch I have replaced zero internal controller batteries. If it's an issue 20 years from now when I play my PS3 once every other year then I will survive playing with a controller plugged in during those sessions.
 
OP
OP

TCG276

Member
Dec 17, 2017
520
What is there to argue? To each their own preference. Some prefer the convenience of a built in battery, others prefer the convenience of not having to charge the controllers with a cable, etc

My point is that many people argue that not having a built in battery is essentially laughable behind the times and I don't really get it. To me the choice of using batteries or a charge kit makes it a more consumer friendly option.
 

Regulus Tera

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,458
You can tell who never had to replace batteries for his GameBoy every two weeks back in the day.

Wired is superior to either anyway.
 

Rotobit

Editor at Nintendo Wire
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
10,196
If they included the charging option in the box, that'd be great

When it's a separate peripheral it's a whole 'nother hassle

Plus I play games on a computer monitor at my desk so even if the battery dies I can just make it wired again, not a big deal for me

But yeah the ideal solution would be making it all part of the package
 

digitalrelic

Weight Loss Champion 2018: Biggest Change
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,124
If you have a rechargeable controller, you can just put it in its dock every night and you never have to worry about your controller dying in the middle of a play session, unlike rechargeable batteries.

Also, I end up having to buy rechargeable batteries every year because my wife and kid end up using them for random stuff and I don't know where they end up.
 

Nabs

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,695
I find it far more convenient to toss in a fresh pair of batteries than to have to stop my session because my DS4 died again.
 

Abuguet

Member
Apr 23, 2019
312
It's a matter of convenience. A controller's battery will last you the entire generation and works plugged in (if you accidentally forgot to charge it or are playing for extended periods of time).

When you don't have to worry about batteries you'll see exactly the benefit. That doesn't mean that we can't have rechargeable batteries that are also easily replaceable. We should have both, but in the meantime I'd rather have the convenience of a rechargeable battery over the difficulty of eventually, maybe, one day, having to replace it.
 

Devilgunman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,456
when the built in battery starts to no longer hold a charge, you have to either buy a new controller or DIY replace it.

I can't speak for everyone but this has never happened to me. My day1 PS3 controller is still holding charge as well as the DS4 controller. What happened to me quite often is that I misplaced my rechargeable AA battery or it's charger and it drove me mad when I couldn't find one when needed. I'm not saying one is superior to the other but I much prefer the built-in battery.
 

Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
If you have a rechargeable controller, you can just put it in its dock every night and you never have to worry about your controller dying in the middle of a play session, unlike rechargeable batteries.

Also, I end up having to buy rechargeable batteries every year because my wife and kid end up using them for random stuff and I don't know where they end up.

there are rechargeable, replaceable batteries in standard shapes.
 

StudioTan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,836
Rechargeable batteries are much better than built in batteries and I don't understand the convenience argument,having to constantly plug in my ps4 is way more inconvenient than just swapping to a fresh set of batteries.
 

Deleted member 22750

Oct 28, 2017
13,267
convenience

by far

I loathe having to buy them for xbox
 

Green

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,411
AA are basically future proof. Can't guarantee my controller will have propriertary batteries in the future and DIY is annoying compared to just popping in new AAs.
 

Jayembi

Member
Jun 19, 2019
283
How interesting it would be if all smartphones come with AA batteries instead of built-in batteries. There I want to see what would be the reactions to these ridiculous defenses in the XXI century to AA batteries.
 

Swift_Gamer

Banned
Dec 14, 2018
3,701
Rio de Janeiro
My point is that many people argue that not having a built in battery is essentially laughable behind the times and I don't really get it. To me the choice of using batteries or a charge kit makes it a more consumer friendly option.
AA batteries are way more harmful to the environment than internal batteries simply because you buy lots of them and have to discard lots of them over the course of years. With internal batteries you discard them on a span of 2 to more years depending on the product. Let's not even enter in the realm of design, since AA batteries suck for product design. So, yeah, there's no reason for using AA batteries nowadays.
 

Yarbskoo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,980
Controllers are expensive enough that they should have easily swappable rechargeable built in batteries.
 

Abuguet

Member
Apr 23, 2019
312
I find it far more convenient to toss in a fresh pair of batteries than to have to stop my session because my DS4 died again.

Just plug it to the USB port. No need to stop playing. Get a really long USB cord if needed. I'd rather connect the controller to the USB port for half an hour (seriously, they re-charge super quick) that finding out that I just drained my last set of batteries and have to stop playing.
 

Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
How interesting it would be if all smartphones come with AA batteries instead of built-in batteries. There I want to see what would be the reactions to these ridiculous defenses in the XXI century to AA batteries.

AA batteries are not the only type of replaceable batteries. Smart phones should have standardized, easily replaceable batteries. It absolutely sucks that they don't, it hurts the consumer in the end.
 

Red

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,698
I favor swappable rechargeable batteries. I am not a huge fan of non user replaceable batteries.

I don't know that I'd love for controllers to use AAs though. Just have some swappable battery packs with decent capacity.