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I don’t understand the argument that a controller with a built in battery is superior to a controller that uses AA batteries.
- Thread starter TCG276
- Start date
In this thread people somehow seem unaware rechargeable batteries exist and then advocate for built in rechargeable batteries. It's a weird stance to take.
Also, it is a fact that rechargeable batteries lose their battery capacity over time and it loses it faster the more you use it, or by leaving it completely drained. So anyone saying their battery life is just as good is fooling themselves from the reality of how rechargeable batteries work.
Now nobody is saying a Dual Shock 4 has to use AA batteries, but at the very least it should have a battery compartment that opens up where you can pop out the rechargeable battery and replace it with a brand new battery rather than needing a screwdriver or buying a new controller.
Microsoft offers the best solution in that it gives you all options and lets the consumer choose. You want disposable AA batteries? You can do it. You want rechargeable AA batteries? You can do it. You want a rechargeable battery pack that will function exactly like a Dual Shock 4? You can do it.
The idea of an easy replaceable battery is something we all should agree on regardless if that battery is standard or proprietary and hopefully we would prefer a standard rather than proprietary too.
Also, it is a fact that rechargeable batteries lose their battery capacity over time and it loses it faster the more you use it, or by leaving it completely drained. So anyone saying their battery life is just as good is fooling themselves from the reality of how rechargeable batteries work.
Now nobody is saying a Dual Shock 4 has to use AA batteries, but at the very least it should have a battery compartment that opens up where you can pop out the rechargeable battery and replace it with a brand new battery rather than needing a screwdriver or buying a new controller.
Microsoft offers the best solution in that it gives you all options and lets the consumer choose. You want disposable AA batteries? You can do it. You want rechargeable AA batteries? You can do it. You want a rechargeable battery pack that will function exactly like a Dual Shock 4? You can do it.
The idea of an easy replaceable battery is something we all should agree on regardless if that battery is standard or proprietary and hopefully we would prefer a standard rather than proprietary too.
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Do you replace your laptop, tablet, or phone every two years? If yes, than it makes sense that you've never experienced a battery needing replaced.
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I don't know anything about that. I'm judging this based on Microsoft's controller designs.
I know but my PS4 is like 12 feet from my couch so not really practical unless I sit on the floor in the middle of the room.
Ugh I get that you prefer AA batteries but this is a really poor argument. Most people aren't upgrading their phones every two years, and CERTAINLY not exchanging laptops and tablets that often.
That has to do with that particular controller and it still lasts a long play session for me anyway. Just look at the Switch Pro Controller for great battery life with an internal battery.
But you have to remember to charge them, just like the controller. It makes no sense that people forget to plug the controller and remember to do it with batteries that are probably in a drawer in another room
The Xbox One controller doesn't have a bump on the back. It's totally flat. It's only the 360 controller that has the battery bump.
And how much are those? this seems to be a none issue as it doesnt occur after a very long time. The lifecycle of these batteries seem extremely long, and outpace the lifecycle of other components in the controller like the analog sticks for example. You have a lot more people complaining about drifting than this
you have to do something with the batteries you take out of the controller, which is put them into the charger (which is in a single location) you're taking batteries off of. are you being purposefully dense?
for internal batteries you need to know what the status of each one is, and either swap out cables or have enough cables for every single device, which all have to be routed somewhere.
rechargables i just need to know at least 1 set is in the charger (most have more than a set) and then EVERY device is covered.
I prefer built in batteries, as my setup allows me to just put them on charging after any session and utterly allow me to forget about battery levels.
Removable batteries are the superior choice always. Thats a fact. You can choose rechargeable, disposable, connected, not connected, whatever.
Super annoying to be in the middle of a gaming session and your controller dies. Then you obligatory have to plug a cable. How's that superior to swapping batteries?
Nonsense.
Super annoying to be in the middle of a gaming session and your controller dies. Then you obligatory have to plug a cable. How's that superior to swapping batteries?
Nonsense.
For non built in, you can plug in if you have rechargeables still. Built in batteries are dumb. Fact.
Likely it is even sader: It is a fancy case with eneloops and a chip that tells the controller that it can be recharged. Rechargable batteries could be as convenient as any internal battery, but attempting to recharge non-rechargable batteries is a fire hazard, so MS forces you recharge them outside the controller.
Still, I think it is just as convenient to keep a pair of AAs charged and be able to swap batteries in seconds, as it is to watch your battery status and recharge accordingly or play tethered to your console. Plus I think of internal batteries as somewhat of a scam to force people to throw away and rebuy otherwise fully functional devices once their battery dies. Because if your average joe does not buy rechargable AA's, he is certainly not going to replace a proprietary internal battery.
The battery in my Playstation Move navigation controller absolutely did not die before the analog stick in the same controller. today's capacitors last for 23 years or longer, the playstation controllers are only rated for 4-5 years.
Source: Someone who very frequently recaps components.
There are always a spare pair of batteries in the charger, so when you need fresh batteries you put the dead ones in at the same time you take out the old ones. It literally happens like twice a month vs having to always remember to plug in your controller after ever session if you don't want risk having it die halfway through another gaming session.
The first iteration didn't though; it used the option to replace the batteries easily. The second iteration did that and a lot of people complained about the notion of spending that much on a controller where it had a finite lifespan because of the internal battery though.
Is it though? Unless you're swapping out devices constantly, the older they get, the more battery capacity they lose. So you saying they don't replace them frequently likely means they are more likely encountering battery capacity loss.
If a controller is on low battery you just plug it and done, next time will be fully charged. I'm not being dense. However, pretending that rechargeable controllers are always 'dead' because people forget to recharge them after playing, and at the same time arguing that using AA batteries is better because you have a few of them fully charged , that is a ridiculous statement
Yep, this is my take. The DS4 and the upcoming Dualsense using rechargeable is fine.
But I think we should be able to replace these batteries ourselves without the headache of full disassembly. However, we know why they don't want that.
Since it impacts people just buying another controller rather than buying a $10 battery sadly.
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I prefer user replaceable batteries in general. For all products. I could care less what type of user replaceable battery it is. It's consumer friendly and means that less people will toss out their devices simply because it no longer holds a charge.
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Both may have their benefits, but in our house Eneloops were a total game changer. I wish every one of my kids' controllers and electronics had the option to use them. Kids are not good about keeping any electronic charged, and they are not good at keeping track of cables. They are really good about asking dad for more batteries. Also my PS controllers might as well be wired controllers at this point as I find it easier to just keep them plugged in. The worst offender for us is the Move controllers, as they are never charged when the kids want to play PSVR and you can't play until they have charged. The ability to pop in some batteries would be so much more convenient.
Oh, I just thought of something. It's probably already been mentioned in this thread, but I'm pretty sure you can use an Xbox One controller with or without batteries while it's plugged in, so you could use the same argument for being able to just continue playing by plugging the controller in. It doesn't charge, but the whole point of a wireless controller is to not have to deal with a cable, so I'm sure a lot of people would prefer to play wirelessly, anyway.
Well, using a controller with a cord reminds me of the 90s, as well, so I think I'll stick with my antiquated AA batteries.
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If you controller battery life is so bad you face that problem so often, as some seem to say, you would probably remember to plug it after playing. It is not that difficult. Or do you guys further to plug your phone every night or put switch on the dock?
Sometimes it seems we are very aware of some 'problems' here in forums, and then in real life , everyone complaining magically forget ds4 battery life is bad and never plug it. Makes no sense.
how is a ridiculous statement? ps4, switch, switch pro controller all have different charging solutions. you always have to put them back on their individual spots. with rechargables i NEVER have to worry about where i store my controllers. EVER. i only need ONE set charged. that's the SAME solution for all of them.
it's simpler solution in every scenario.
I think most of the complaint comes from needing to buy more shit to make the controller rechargeable. Not everyone has a stack of eneloops just sitting around. I agree they're great and relatively inexpensive, but for most people the controller's internal battery will last long enough to be worth the included price.
Also, a DS4 with (short ass) battery is the same price in most places as an Xbox one controller with zero rechargable solution in box.
For the record, my primary controller is an Xbox Elite with rechargable eneloops. Just making the point that I understand the argument for built in batteries too.
Also, a DS4 with (short ass) battery is the same price in most places as an Xbox one controller with zero rechargable solution in box.
For the record, my primary controller is an Xbox Elite with rechargable eneloops. Just making the point that I understand the argument for built in batteries too.
The cable to recharge the PS4 controller is not long enough to reach across my living room. I literally have to stop gaming to allow my controller to recharge. Not convenient at all.
On the other hand, I bought an 8 pack of rechargeable batteries towards the beginning of the current gen. Once 4 of them die, I usually have the other 4 fully charged. I plug the other 4 to the wall plug overnight and im back to 8 fully charged batteries. This kit might last me all of next gen as well.
On the other hand, I bought an 8 pack of rechargeable batteries towards the beginning of the current gen. Once 4 of them die, I usually have the other 4 fully charged. I plug the other 4 to the wall plug overnight and im back to 8 fully charged batteries. This kit might last me all of next gen as well.
This too. I have 7 sets of Joy-Cons and yet somehow I still encounter a situation where someone is in the middle of a game, or even a multiplayer situation where at least one half of the Joy-Con set comes up with a low battery situation and there isn't a ready to go charged controller on hand to replace it.
You're assuming everyone has a console close to their couch. I'm 15 feet from my console so you end up having to buy an extra long USB cable which costs more than the rechargeable batteries. Also, it's funny that people are saying "Batteries? What is this the 90s?" but are A-OK with having to play wired LOL
The thing is everyone's situations are different. You might keep all your batteries in a drawer but my charger is on a table next to the couch so it's literally less than 30 seconds to swap the batteries and put the old ones in the charger. Also if you don't game regularly on the PS then it's really easy to not remember to plug it in to charge, especially when you're used to never having to do that.
Built in with the option to replace the battery easily if needed should be the end goal for controller manufacturers tbh. So long as we don't use AA as the only option.
Edit: WOW this thread moved fast LOL
Just ignore them. Their thread count shows what little else they have going on to be so obnoxious.
Edit: WOW this thread moved fast LOL
The solution is the same for those: an usb cable. Usually in the same place.Wow, such a difficult thing to do after playing.
Are you saying you've had repeat bad luck with eneloops specifically? If so id say your experience is far from the norm.
As far as DS4s losing capacity. That's gonna be a function of how many times they are cycled. With comparable usage, a controller using eneloop AAs will be cycled far less often than a DS4, and the batteries will be rated for far more cycles.
Also there battery is not included in the ds4 manufacturer's warranty.
I hate replaceable batteries. I hate spending extra money on batteries or a replaceable battery kit, when it should be built in.
I had the same rechargable battery through the entire life cycle of the Xbox 360. I've had the same battery since day 1 of the Xbox One. I used the same day one controller on my PS4 till I gave it away a few months ago. And I've been using the same Pro controller on the Switch.
The built in battery lasts days. Hell, it lasts fucking months in the case for the Switch Pro controller.
Thinking a built in battery is an issue to be worried about is absolutely asinine.
I had the same rechargable battery through the entire life cycle of the Xbox 360. I've had the same battery since day 1 of the Xbox One. I used the same day one controller on my PS4 till I gave it away a few months ago. And I've been using the same Pro controller on the Switch.
The built in battery lasts days. Hell, it lasts fucking months in the case for the Switch Pro controller.
Thinking a built in battery is an issue to be worried about is absolutely asinine.
Play and charge kit is honestly more an argument for why they should keep doing it this way. Because if the battery in that thing was inbuilt? I shutter to think. That battery is so bog standard and not that great. It loses its charge so fast. The 360 one was even worse.
And as a separate item like now, I genuinely would be annoyed if they upped the price to include the play and charge kit, which they would do. Actually they do do that. It's a bundle. And it's expensive. I think if the battery was inbuilt they'd honestly just raise the price. I don't think we're losing anything honestly.
I like that I can plug in eneloops, of my choosing. I wish I could do that with my DS4.
Also you can make it wired without batteries. You don't need batteries to use an Xbox One controller.
your universal usb-c, micro, mini, switch proprietary cable must be sick
I'm not dealing with plugging my controller into a console. It's not the 80's anymore.
Ya know, like the thing people were actually doing in the 80s? Because controllers were wired....
But you're ok with having to play with a wire if your battery dies while gaming?
What? I only know two people irl who use disposable batteries...for anything, and that's because they're back neighborhood sorta country boys who are used to that and have a way of finding people who hook them up with bizarre things like, a truckbed, which is apparently useful, and a huge like, gigantic bag of batteries they are slowing going through.
I've never had to replace the built batteries on my Nintendo and Playstation controllers, ever. Maybe preservationists will slap us in the face 15 years from now, but they hold up well after the intended generation of usage.