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Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
I have two Dualshocks and I just switch them on the cable. Problem solved.
I could do that with two Xbox controllers, too, if I forked another 25 bucks per controller for the same functionality.

two dual shock controllers are more expensive than one xbox controller with 4 eneloops and the recharge kit.
 

Jakenbakin

Member
Jun 17, 2018
11,795
I wish the PS4 controllers lasted longer, I guess. I like how my Wii U Pro controller could just hold a charge for a fucking month.

But it's never actually bothered me. Play, out on the charger, done. Thousands of hours of play though and they still last longer than I need, so there's really no problem.

So it's just vastly more convenient to me.
 

Deleted member 6215

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,087
I suppose if you treat your game hardware like disposable stuff you'll just toss in the trash one day, then sure, it makes sense that you don't care about proprietary, non-replaceable batteries. If you're wanting to hold on to these things for 20+ years, then standard rechargeable batteries are gold.

OG GBA - two AA Eneloops, replaced whenever I need them, beautiful.
PSP - nearly impossible to find a decent replacement battery these days, bullshit.
 
Feb 10, 2018
17,534
I would too, but that willingness to spend more is probably one reason they don't, because there will unfortunately always be some consumers (like me) that pay the extra for their play and charge kits instead, which when I checked just now are £16.99. That's a tidy extra margin for Microsoft for those that do buy their proprietary P&C kit instead of rechargeable batteries and a charger.

I used to use play and change but they always go faulty and are unreliable. Since i switched to eneloops they have been great, no problems.
But yes what u say is just the way things are. Overall its not a bad way of doing things.
 

Deleted member 46948

Account closed at user request
Banned
Aug 22, 2018
8,852
two dual shock controllers are more expensive than one xbox controller with 4 eneloops and the recharge kit.

K
But then I already had two Dualshocks, and I can play local coop with them, too.
Can I do that with your cheaper set up? I'll have the controller and the other player will control the game with the 4 eneloops? If yes, you've convinced me.
 

Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
PSP - nearly impossible to find a decent replacement battery these days, bullshit.

Speaking of which, I had to pull mine out the other day because the rechagable battery in the PSP had become swollen over time. It was extremely nerve wracking because I had to use a screw driver to pry it out, and the entire time I was worried I'd puncture it and start a fire.
 

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,351
This thread is lowkey full of rechargeable batteries salesmen.

I'll give you a deal on a 24 pack.

450
 

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,935
I have two Dualshocks and I just switch them on the cable. Problem solved.
I could do that with two Xbox controllers, too, if I forked another 25 bucks per controller for the same functionality.
True, and it's not exactly hard to find a cheap or used DS4 these days to use as a secondary either, if you don't already own one

...but for $25 you could also buy a 4 pack of Eneloops and a charger
2 Eneloops = 30+ hours of playtime per charge
and just swap them out once every week or two

or for $25 you could buy just one Play n Charge kit
1 Play n Charge kit = 30+ hours of playtime per charge
and just charge it overnight once every week or two
 

Dekuman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,026
Best of both worlds is a controller with an easily replaceable accessible rechargeable battery . But given how many PS4 congrollers some of my friends go through replacing seems to be what the companies want.
 

Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
It's seems to me that, anything you say, he always has a life experience that contradicts exactly what you're saying, so i suppose you're just wasting your time. A friend of mine was like that with everything Sony, until 2 controllers died then he changed his tune.This after i said several times i was pissed off at them because my mp3 player at the time (expensive as fuck) didn't hold a charge after 1 year of use.

seems very apparent, yup
 

EvilBoris

Prophet of Truth - HDTVtest
Verified
Oct 29, 2017
16,678
I actually refuse to upgrade my Samsung phone, because they moved towards that model. In my experience, my phones stop holding charges very rapidly, I very much value the ability to easily swap out a battery for a new one.

I am actually looking for a newer phone with replaceable batteries for the very reason being discussed. it really sucks.

The EU had recently made some new laws about sustainability and electronic, replaceable parts is part of that. Perhaps we will have a repairable renaissance
 

jelly

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
33,841
You all have TVs right with a remote that likely uses AAs, maybe other things in your home as well. Buying a charger and some eneloops for those and game controllers is so worth it and cheap in the long run. So much less hassle and free to swap out batteries.
 

KingdomKey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,106
I don't like batteries, I have no desire to take them out and replace them with new ones. It's just a hassle really from my point of view.

It's more convenient to just recharge the controller. I have 2 DS4 so if one dies I'll just take the other.

That said, I wouldn't mind a better battery for the Dualsense, one that would last twice as long with faster recharge.
 

CRIMSON-XIII

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,173
Chicago, IL
What if I run out of batteries? Sometimes it does happen. I would rather just plug it in to charge or set it on top of the console to charge if possible then change batteries every month. I have 3-4 that i cycle through and charge. (i try to limit use of the 20th anniversary one but it is open.....i guess you cant really baby them).
 

TSM

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,821
It's all about options and a controller supporting AA batteries means you have a lot more.
 

Crayon

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,580
Besides charging extra on top of a full price controller lacking a battery, the xbox style play and charge kit is a real best of both worlds solution. A controller with a aa bay and a lipo module included would be the best.

Think about how the xbox v2 elite controller uses an internal rechargeable battery. You have to buy the super premium version to get it so it must be more desireable in at least some sense.
 

MatrixMan.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,498
The battery pack in one of my Xbox One controllers died recently, and luckily I had a bunch of unused AA batteries in the cupboard and was able to get right back to gaming.

Being able to charge my controller is a lot more convenient, but that little incident helped me appreciate the benefits of simply having a choice. Both have their pros and cons.
 

dallow_bg

Member
Oct 28, 2017
10,624
texas
I bought a small set of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries like 6 years ago and haven't used a disposable battery since.
They're really only used in my Xbox controllers, Wii controllers, and a couple remote controls.

The Play and Charge kit for the Xbox controllers is best if that's all you need batteries for. No reason to keep buying tons of disposable batteries.
 

pswii60

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,665
The Milky Way
As a couch gamer in the living room, I like to shove the controller in a drawer when I'm not playing rather than plug it in to a USB for charging. I got 48x AAs from Costco for around a tenner and that has set me up for years with the Xbox controller.

I find the DS4 less convenient, firstly because of the short battery life, but also because it's often dead or near dead whenever I come to use it and it's not like I can just shove a couple of batteries in it and away we go. I literally can't play on my PS4 until they've finished charging as the charge cable isn't long enough and I can't be arsed buying an 8 foot+ cable and dealing with that.

Options are best. Everyone will have their own opinion on this. So MS would do extremely well to include a play and charge kit with every console/controller, then the option is there by default and they have the best solution. That said, the Xbox Elite V2 controller doesn't have the option of AA batteries.
 

Crayon

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,580
Best of both worlds is a controller with an easily replaceable accessible rechargeable battery . But given how many PS4 congrollers some of my friends go through replacing seems to be what the companies want.

Actually, yeah. An easily accesable (1 screw) bay for a generic lipo would be my preference. Then I can replace/upgrade with any of my choosing, remove for long term storage, and not even think about it otherwise.
 

julian

Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,748

Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
Meanwhile the AA batteries in my Wavebird haven't died after 6 months of use now.

And let me just find that replacement battery for my PSP...

In actuality, it's probably the people still playing their game boy *cough like me cough* who are aware of how useful having standardized, replaceable parts for things that are volatile are.
 

Kyuur

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,533
Canada
I know lots of people buy various accessories, charging docks, etc for their stuff but I'm a base model and roll with it kind of person. I don't want to buy extra 3rd party stuff.
 

Deleted member 12833

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
10,078
You all have TVs right with a remote that likely uses AAs, maybe other things in your home as well. Buying a charger and some eneloops for those and game controllers is so worth it and cheap in the long run. So much less hassle and free to swap out batteries.
Strangely enough I've basically removed battery remotes from my house. I use the Apple TV for apps and my phone in the rare instances i need to change my tv settings
 
OP
OP

TCG276

Member
Dec 17, 2017
520
almost every other modern device uses a built in battery, it shows its just more convenient.

your choice of having either way comes with a price though. if you want a built in battery thats rechargeable you need to pay microsoft extra. if it was really about a choice MS would offer two types of controllers both at the same price, one with the option for AA batteries and one built in.

i dont see how popping in a wire to your controller is less convenient than opening up your controller, taking out old batteries and putting in new ones while then closing it again. what if you run out of batteries? then your controller is useless. i just dont see how its more convenient

Having a long USB cable running from my couch to the console under my tv is a much bigger inconvenience than replacing the batteries in my controller, which takes about 30 seconds.
 

kubev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,533
California
You know, maybe Microsoft should just ship Xbox controllers with two eneloops inside. I'm pretty sure Logitech did something similar with its rechargeable MX Revolution mouse years ago. It was literally just a single eneloop inside, but you could still plug the mouse in to charge the eneloop.

Also, the argument that you should just have two separate controllers to get around having to wait for one to charge is really dumb. The argument that you should pick up a used rechargeable controller if you're that strapped for cash is even dumber, as the battery is probably already worn down to some extent.
 

Betty

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,604
Built in Battery: "Oh no my controller's running out of charge!" > "plugs in usb charager usually connected to console, continues playing as it charges"

AA Batteries: "Oh no my controllers running out of charge!" > "finds charged batteries" > "opens back of controller" > "removes dry batteries" > "inserts new batteries" > " closes up back of controller" > "inserts old batteries to be charged" > "can finally game again"
 

Iwao

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,781
Bulk? There's still a battery inside rechargeable controllers. There still needs to be space for it. I've just held up both controllers and the backs of the DualShock and the Xbox controller are almost exactly the same size. The back of the Elite controller (internal, rechargeable battery) is exactly the same as the AA controllers. They're certainly not like the old 360 pads.

Just because they're not using specifically AA batteries doesn't mean there's no battery in there!
I get your point, but I'm talking from a design perspective. Internal components can fitted around the internal battery more flexibly and the more unique/advanced features you want to pack in there the harder I imagine it is to design a controller around the placement of the AA compartment which is immovable from the back to anywhere else on the controller. Both controllers you compare may be a similar size but one has features like a touchpad and lightbar, and the other one doesn't. If the DualShock 4 had AAs, you could imagine just how challenging it would be to design around it with these extra features.
 

newmoneytrash

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,981
Melbourne, Australia
Built in Battery: "Oh no my controller's running out of charge!" > "plugs in usb charager usually connected to console, continues playing as it charges"

AA Batteries: "Oh no my controllers running out of charge!" > "finds charged batteries" > "opens back of controller" > "removes dry batteries" > "inserts new batteries" > " closes up back of controller" > "inserts old batteries to be charged" > "can finally game again"
so like 5 seconds vs 30 seconds

what a compelling argument
 

Htown

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,318
that's because the actual, real argument boils down to "this is the way my favorite game company does it, so I'm going to pretend it's the only modern way to do things and you guys just don't understand their vision for technology"

same shit that happens in the phone market
 

Ocean

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,691
Controllers should come with rechargeable batteries which you can easily swap out.

Best of both worlds.
 

Bjones

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,622
It's not. Batteries with an optional recharger pack will always be the superior choice.
 

tzare

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,145
Catalunya
You know, maybe Microsoft should just ship Xbox controllers with two eneloops inside. I'm pretty sure Logitech did something similar with its rechargeable MX Revolution mouse years ago. It was literally just a single eneloop inside, but you could still plug the mouse in to charge the eneloop.

Also, the argument that you should just have two separate controllers to get around having to wait for one to charge is really dumb. The argument that you should pick up a used rechargeable controller if you're that strapped for cash is even dumber, as the battery is probably already worn down to some extent.
Why is it dumb? Many people have multiple controllers, to play with family or friends, so you already have the solution without even trying. Why is it dumber than having to have spare batteries charged just in case? That you may find that have been used by another family member without you noticing when you need them. Or find that those aren't fully charged either
 

newmoneytrash

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,981
Melbourne, Australia
And let me just find that replacement battery for my PSP...

In actuality, it's probably the people still playing their game boy *cough like me cough* who are aware of how useful having standardized, replaceable parts for things that are volatile are.
yeah, exactly this. this isn't an issue today, but in years when we are looking at the current batch of consoles as legacy items built in batteries are going to pose a genuine option

standardised replaceable batteries will always, always be the better option
 

____

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,734
Miami, FL
Some of these posts read JUST like those infomercials that make it seem like the "traditional" way of doing things is literally the worst thing on the planet.

I can see some of you begrudgingly pulling out your USB cable in dramatic black and white.
 

Zeel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,163
My older PS4 controller has absolutely shitty battery life by now and the micro usb charging port is having contact issues all the time so it doesn't even charge properly, so yes, I wish we went back to having exchangeable batteries as an option.
 
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@dedmunk

Banned
Oct 11, 2018
3,088
I don't have to fuck around with recharging them separately, I don't have to buy extra kits, I just dock my controller and its charged fully whenever I want to use it.
 

Cloud-Strife

Alt-Account
Banned
Sep 27, 2019
3,140
I woudn't complain if the PS4 controllers had a AA battery option.

Sometimes you just have no charge and the you sit far from the tv.. the batteries would come really handy in that moment.
 

leburn98

Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,637
Imagine expectations to putting AA batteries into your iPhone lol

Or Surface pro for that matter.

Why do they have built in rechargeable batteries? Because it's higher quality expectations.
People are asking for the option to replace the battery easily, not necessarily for AA batteries. Internal batteries in cellphones is not done to be convenient, it's a strategic move so that companies like Apple, Samsung and Google can charge you an obscene amount of money to replace the battery or worst, force the customer to buy a new device. So many products today are built under the guise of convenience, when in reality it's meant to make it as inconvenient and difficult to self service as possible. There was a time when replacing a battery in a cell phone was as simple as sliding the back off and replacing the battery.
 
OP
OP

TCG276

Member
Dec 17, 2017
520
Both methods need to be charged at some point and I much prefer not dealing with wires. Using a headset is already one wire too many, so having to charge a DS4 because the battery is shit just adds another wire that my dog can lay on while I'm deep into a game. I've seen a lot of people say their DS4 charge is fine after a few years and my only thought is "they must not play much". My friends and I have all had our DS4 batteries tank hard within two years.

I'm looking forward to switching back to Xbox and getting myself a set of Eneloop's. The "hassle" of managing rechargeable AA batteries is literally no worse than having to get up and plug the USB cable in, so I have no idea what people are talking about when they speak of the hardship of dealing with AA batteries.

This is one of my biggest concerns about wanting to switch to a PS5 next gen. I hate the idea of having to plug a long ass usb cable in when the controller dies. My cat would inevitably fuck with the cable running across my living room too, which would be annoying.
 
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Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
AA Batteries: "Oh no my controllers running out of charge!" > "finds charged batteries" > "opens back of controller" > "removes dry batteries" > "inserts new batteries" > " closes up back of controller" > "inserts old batteries to be charged" > "can finally game again"

This reads like the text version of



The scenario you describe re: USB cables is literally how it also works with the Xbox One controller.
 

shoemasta

The Wise Ones
Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,024
OP's framing of this whole thread really doesn't help it. You really don't understand the "logic" behind people liking built in rechargeable over having to buy batteries? Of course you do, stop BSing.
Oh I agree OPs framing doesn't help but I'm kinda surprised how strongly people feel about batteries