Rechargeable controllers might seem the modern choice, but the gaming community is torn.
On December 12, 2019, during The Game Awards, Microsoft revealed its shiny new gaming console, the Xbox Series X. It had a solid-state drive for much shorter loading times and a brand-new controller that still needed a pair of AA batteries to operate. By then, both of Microsoft's rivals had long abandoned replaceable batteries, and their controllers shipped with internal rechargeable ones.
So, what happened? Why did Microsoft expect its customers to bring their own AA batteries in 2019, and why does it still do so to this day?
Xbox was late to the game
If you are not a gamer or have never owned an Xbox, you might not know that the original Xbox console shipped with a wired controller. And when the Xbox 360 arrived, it shipped premium units with a wireless one that ran on a pair of AA batteries. The controller could last a pretty long time on those two simple cells, but eventually they ran out of juice and needed to be replaced.
At the time, the Nintendo Wii also needed a pair of AA batteries, while Sony went from a wired controller on the PlayStation 2 straight to a wireless one on the PlayStation 3, which had an internal rechargeable battery. Nintendo eventually moved to rechargeable batteries with the Wii U in 2012, but Microsoft has stuck with the pair of AA batteries to this day for standard editions of the console.
Gamers are split 50/50
The debate was alive in the room when Digital Foundry sat down with Xbox in 2020. Tech YouTuber Austin Evans asked whether it was time to move on from AAs, while Digital Foundry's John Linneman defended them, and the room split roughly 50/50. Jason Ronald, partner director of program management at Xbox, told Digital Foundry that the split almost perfectly mirrored what the company hears from customers.
"What it comes down to is when actually talking to gamers, it's kind of polarising and there is a strong camp that really want AAs," Ronald told Digital Foundry. The company's answer was flexibility. "You can use a rechargeable battery pack and it works just like it does on the Elite, [but] it is a separate thing," Ronald told Digital Foundry.
The rechargeable option
To that end, Microsoft sells a rechargeable pack separately for $24.99, so Xbox gamers who want to recharge their controller can still do so. This actually gives Xbox users more versatility than their Sony and Nintendo counterparts, since they can choose which type of power they want to use, while the latter only have internal rechargeable batteries. That could become a problem if the internal battery fails and the only option is to buy a new controller.
The Duracell theory
Duracell has a theory of its own. In an interview with Stealth Optional, Duracell UK marketing manager Luke Anderson said there has "always been this partnership with Duracell and Xbox," describing it as a "constant agreement." Microsoft, however, didn't confirm that. A Microsoft spokesperson told MCV/Develop that the company "intentionally offer[s] consumers choice in their battery solutions," but it wouldn't discuss any deal with Duracell. Either way, Microsoft frames AAs as a deliberate choice, not a limitation.
The trade-off
It may sound ridiculous, but the internal versus replaceable battery debate is a hot-button topic in the console gaming world, and gamers are not ashamed to be vocal about it. On the one hand, there is the camp that claims a rechargeable battery is always better because the controller can be plugged in or sit in a charging station between sessions, so it is always topped off when it's time to play. On the other hand, many Xbox players claim that if you run out of battery midgame, quickly swapping in a fresh pair of batteries is better than having to plug the controller into the console and play like it's 2005.
Double A is here to stay
So, is the pair of AAs a relic or a feature? That depends on which camp you ask. Microsoft's answer is that it doesn't have to be one or the other: You get AAs in the box, and a rechargeable pack if you want one. If you're curious how the Xbox controller got here, take a look at how it has changed over 25 years and the pros and cons of wired versus wireless controllers.