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Ok folks lets settle this! Internal Batteries vs External Batteries
- Thread starter CosmicPanda
- Start date
Okay. Can we at least agree that the best option would be a controller with a built-in usb charger for the included rechargeable aa batteries. Then people who don't want to change batteries, don't have to change batteries before they are permanently dead, and people who change batteries all the time can do that.
The battery cover would both have a plastic clasp and optional screws.
Now can any of you argue against such an overengineered monstrosity? ;-)
The battery cover would both have a plastic clasp and optional screws.
Now can any of you argue against such an overengineered monstrosity? ;-)
I honestly can't choose. Up until recently I would have said external (Eneloop FTW), and the Eneloops I purchased for my Wiimote back in 2012 are still working today. I was getting tired of having to buy new batteries every week and a half. Now though? I just ended up getting an SN30 Pro+, and the battery in that sucker just keeps going for what seems like an eternity, especially compared to the dreadfully low charge of the DS4. If all internals could have a charge as long as the SN30 Pro+, and also not need to be replaced for at least three years, I'd say internal. But sometimes you just don't have the option of using external anyway.
It's not though. They just covered it up a little more. Although they also made it a lot harder to cover the face section of the lights, which will be even more annoying than having to cover the front light on the DS4, unless they allow a truly "off" function for it this time. Something that should have always been available with the DS4 from the beginning. The "dim" doesn't really do shit, and the best way to use the controller for longevity is on PC anyway where you can shut that shut completely off.
It's not though. They just covered it up a little more. Although they also made it a lot harder to cover the face section of the lights, which will be even more annoying than having to cover the front light on the DS4, unless they allow a truly "off" function for it this time. Something that should have always been available with the DS4 from the beginning. The "dim" doesn't really do shit, and the best way to use the controller for longevity is on PC anyway where you can shut that shut completely off.
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I could go either way. An internal battery with a charging dock means that I'd basically never have to worry about the battery, because it would be fully charged every time I use it, but there's the chance that the battery goes to shit. An external battery means that I'd have to do a very minor amount of planning beforehand in terms of rotating batteries, but I'd never have to worry about the battery going bad.
This only really applies if you have more than one controller. You don't want to be charging most batteries until they are around the 50% - 30% range, and you typically don't want them to fully charge either if you're going for longevity. Although I'm assuming you knew that since you mentioned the battery possibly going to shit. With my original DS4 controller though, the actual charging port, the X button and one of the shoulders wore out before the battery started having charge issues, so it might not really matter. That controller was also less than two years old, and the replacement Pro controller from Feb 2017 hasn't had any issues yet.
Yeah, I don't care about micromanaging batteries in modern electronics. I've never had a battery go to shit on me.
Let me pose my question a different way... how would an easily removeable/replaceable battery pack (a la the Xbox Charge & Play or 8bitdo SN30 Pro+) make the DualShock worse?
It would still be rechargeable with a cable, you could still just plug it into the console and carry on as you currently do.
You wouldn't ever need to worry about swapping anything out unless you wanted or needed to, due to the aforementioned rechargeability with a cable.
You wouldn't (necessarily) have to pay extra unless Sony decided to stop including the rechargeable battery with the controller.
So yeah, it's not that I took your post as a sleight against "my choice" (I actually predominantly use controllers with non-serviceable internal batteries), it's just that truly the only intrinsic advantage of "internal" over "replaceable" I can personally come up with is the lack of an easily lost/broken battery cover... and I suppose the batteries themselves could also be lost, not just the cover.
The problem with this thread and poll is that it conflates "replaceable" with AA-style rechargeable batteries specifically.
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So you are (assumingly) charging the full controller with a long cable attached to the console like in the 90's
I don't have a problem with either of the two. But I have so many Eneloops lying around, I will never have a problem with discharged controller.
Best solution would be a type quality and fit of a PS4 style battery that can be accessed easier that uses a USB type C cable. Those that like the simple and effortless Sony solution can carry on using it that way.
On my older digital camera it used AA and also accepted CRV3 rechargeable. Not sure why they didn't catch on but the CRV3 last for a very long time, like months longer than any brand new AA and if you know cameras need really good AA to be able to work. These 360 charge packs have all disappointed me and end up with the wire plugged in more than not and I actually bought a very long cable for my 360 charge pack that I use on PC if the DS4 is not supported. The so called lithium pack is merely a go between now.
On my older digital camera it used AA and also accepted CRV3 rechargeable. Not sure why they didn't catch on but the CRV3 last for a very long time, like months longer than any brand new AA and if you know cameras need really good AA to be able to work. These 360 charge packs have all disappointed me and end up with the wire plugged in more than not and I actually bought a very long cable for my 360 charge pack that I use on PC if the DS4 is not supported. The so called lithium pack is merely a go between now.
The best option is a replaceable battery that you can still charge from your plug socket, like the old Xbox one. I don't see why that's not standard.
You bought litteraly the worst option and have only yourself to blame. The normal rechargeable packs for Xbox controllers charge through the USB cord connected to said controller, not independently. Both the 360 and One, the latter of which will even take any standard USB MicroB cord to do it (and looking like the Series as well and with USB C). You just plonk them in and then only need to remove them come time to replace them a few years later.
I prefer internal, but I wish that Sony and Nintendo would ship longer USB charge cables with their controllers (Sony, in particular, has really short charge cables) so that it'd be easier to plug in controllers and continue playing. The Wii U had a decent length cable, and then the Switch Pro controller came with a fairly short one (what the hell, Nintendo?).
Tried both, all rubbish, sorry.
I just got an image up to highlight the monstrosity of either really
The OP was clear about talking about AAs that you swap out rather than a battery pack so that's the comparison to be made.
Absolutely though, if the question had been "What's better, internal batteries or an external rechargeable battery pack?" then I think the post results would skew far heavier in favour of a battery pack as it combines the best of both of options.
What is rubbish exactly about a battery pack you just throw in and then plug in a controller? What exactly are you comparing it too as well, given the PS3/4 controller is identical in function but without the ability to remove said battery?
Also as an aside, being able to use eneloops in the Xbox controllers is an absolute god send for game development when I have a million other things on my desk already and don't have space for USB cords to charge all these controllers. It's rather curious people arguing that internal batteries are somehow necessary for wireless controllers when it's those very controllers that have me tethered and making a mess of cords to charge them all the damn time.
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Yep, this. There is literally not a single reason to pick internal except "convenience" and that ignores the waste of having to obsolete an entire controller because one component (the battery) is spent.
Yes internal batteries can last awhile, yes there are already trillions of tons of ewaste generated... But the point remains. Its completely wasteful for a tiny bit of perceived convenience.
External. There's not a single reason to prefer internal.
You can swap external ones, charge them separately and if the battery dies definitely, the controller still works.
You can swap external ones, charge them separately and if the battery dies definitely, the controller still works.
SN30 Pro Plus is external though.
You can remove it and replace it either with another one or with AA batteries.
This! I prefer internal but a long cable can make a big difference. I have been using a lot on my DS4 the very long cable that came with my Xbox PC controller and it makes it effortless when I want to recharge when playing or outside playing.
A removable, small form factor, rechargeable battery isn't what I think of when I think of external since technically all of the batteries are "removable".
Good to know though I guess, since I've not needed to open it up yet.
Edit: OK, I see what you mean now. It's just a battery pack that's about the size of two AA batteries.
After adopting the Ladda life I'll never go back. I've got Gameboys and GameGears and Wonderswans and controllers and everything just filled with those things. They hold onto a charge forever even when not in use, so no picking up a controller and just finding the batteries died without me doing anything.
Internal as I have a charging station next to my chair and charge when I sleep. I don't throw these things out if they're degraded as I'm savvy enough with a screwdriver.
I do use Eneloops for old Wiimotes and they're great.
I do use Eneloops for old Wiimotes and they're great.
External. The Eneloop Pro charge capacity is great and i don't need any cables to keep the batteries charged. Also, having choices is quite nice.
Yeah, what I mean by external is basically any battery pack that is meant to be removed like any AA batteries:
Internal to me means the battery isn't accessible without opening the controller. External to me means the battery is accessible like this to either use a battery pack or AA battery.
Any external sloution is better. Sure i can switch to a second controller when the other one charges, but what if I need both? With my rechargeable batteries I never have this issue. I also never have to play with a wire attached. The time I need to connect a controller is not shorter than me replacing my two batteries real quick.
I have dogs. They're clumsy ladies. If I plug a cable into my console they can, will, and have tripped on it and yanked the controller and the console around. On PS4, I had to buy multiple controllers so I could charge one by the TV while I kept playing. On Xbox (and PC), I can just swap out the batteries and charge the old ones at the outlet. (On Switch the pro controller lasts so goddamn long that charging it is hardly ever an issue.)
Weird use case I guess but 🤷♀️
If every controller was like the SN30 Pro+ and had an included rechargeable battery pack that you could optionally swap out for AAs, I doubt anyone would have anything to complain about. It sidesteps the problems of internal batteries and also has all the benefits of externals. Like the only negative is you might possibly lose the battery cover if you like catastrophically drop the controller.
Weird use case I guess but 🤷♀️
If every controller was like the SN30 Pro+ and had an included rechargeable battery pack that you could optionally swap out for AAs, I doubt anyone would have anything to complain about. It sidesteps the problems of internal batteries and also has all the benefits of externals. Like the only negative is you might possibly lose the battery cover if you like catastrophically drop the controller.
Those are cases where replaceable batteries aren't really feasible for size and longevity reasons (Switch console itself wouldn't last nearly as long with an equivalent physical volume and mass of AAA's). The console itself isn't that bad to replace but the joycons are a bitch due to how small they are and the little ribbon cables.
Internal batteries are a nightmare for older system collectors who don't use legacy consoles every day. If you don't charge your batteries at least every 6 months they could die forever. I hate that so much.
Explained in my previous posts and by many others here and not against a smart solution that caters for both.
My two PS4 gamepads are roughly five years old and I don't have any issue with them. I have an issue though with not being able to charge my Xbox One pad via USB on my PC.
If I could charge my ennelops inside the pad just by plugin in the USB cable and keep playing it would be the same experience as with the PS4 controllers.
So it's ultimately more about the charging options than internal vs external.
If I could charge my ennelops inside the pad just by plugin in the USB cable and keep playing it would be the same experience as with the PS4 controllers.
So it's ultimately more about the charging options than internal vs external.
"External" is better because, while the USB charging kit that makes the battery "internal", is typically an additional expense, the flexibility it provides is worth it.
An accessible battery compartment increases the lifespan of the controller, guarantees that if the battery starts going bad (or is bad from the start like the DS4's), you can just replace it with a new battery pack, or AA's. The AA option can increase the battery life (~4-5000maH compared to the DS4's 800) and guarantees the controller is always wireless, assuming you have at least two spare charged LSD AA's. Or any other type of AA batteries, but it's like...stop using those.
As far as I can tell, cost is the only argument against the Microsoft solution.
It would be preferable if the charging kit came included with the console, but I suppose at least this time, the hardware you are getting is already a lot.
An accessible battery compartment increases the lifespan of the controller, guarantees that if the battery starts going bad (or is bad from the start like the DS4's), you can just replace it with a new battery pack, or AA's. The AA option can increase the battery life (~4-5000maH compared to the DS4's 800) and guarantees the controller is always wireless, assuming you have at least two spare charged LSD AA's. Or any other type of AA batteries, but it's like...stop using those.
As far as I can tell, cost is the only argument against the Microsoft solution.
It would be preferable if the charging kit came included with the console, but I suppose at least this time, the hardware you are getting is already a lot.
No. I plug the controller into the ps4 with a very short cable when I finish using it.
I used to be external but the right answer is an internal with good battery life. Using the Elite 2, really like the internal and charging mechanism.
External. Multipurpose batteries that last forever, and as far as I can tell, last longer per charge than my PS4 controller does. Swapping out batteries is not a hastle, BUT IMO the 360 case was a million times better than the Xbones shell. The 360 case had an easy press button which popped out the battery pack. The Xbone needed me to put a strip of duct tape on it for grip just so I can get it out =P
Honestly just for general purpose use you should have a set of eneloops (or brand of choice) anyways.
Honestly just for general purpose use you should have a set of eneloops (or brand of choice) anyways.
I posted this in the Xbox preorder thread but maybe it makes more sense here:
Does anyone have experience with Controller Gear? I ask because they sell their X1/SS/SX controller charging stands (the Controller Gear Universal Xbox Pro Charging Stand) on the MS Store so I was curious if they were actually any good?
https://controllergear.com/index.php/xbox-pro-charging-stand.html
They also sell their own rechargeable battery pack which I would be curious to know what the quality of it is as I've had bad experiences with MS's official battery packs. I wanted to ask because beyond these two MS products they make their product line appears to mostly be junk (though they do carry what may be some official Nintendo branded apparel that looks nice and they sell the Adaptive controller).
Does anyone have experience with Controller Gear? I ask because they sell their X1/SS/SX controller charging stands (the Controller Gear Universal Xbox Pro Charging Stand) on the MS Store so I was curious if they were actually any good?
https://controllergear.com/index.php/xbox-pro-charging-stand.html
They also sell their own rechargeable battery pack which I would be curious to know what the quality of it is as I've had bad experiences with MS's official battery packs. I wanted to ask because beyond these two MS products they make their product line appears to mostly be junk (though they do carry what may be some official Nintendo branded apparel that looks nice and they sell the Adaptive controller).
External if only for the fact that I don't need to order a bespoke battery off the internet if it dies completely. Looking at you, PS4 controller.
now that the thread has lasted almost three weeks you are looking a bit silly
Oh yes. You've shown me...
I can't tell if this is a genuine attempt at a gotcha or not.