While every other console controller on the market uses internal rechargeable batteries, the Xbox still lets you use AA batteries to power them, and new comments from a Duracell spokesperson may shed some light on why this is.
“There has always been a partnership with Duracell and Xbox … it’s a constant agreement between Duracell and Microsoft,” said Luke Anderson, Duracell UK Marketing Manager. told Stealth Optional in an interview spotted by VGC.
Anderson continues:
[The deal is] in front of OEM to provide the battery product for the Xbox consoles and also the battery of the controllers. So that [deal is] has been going on for a while… it’s been going on for a while and I think it should go on for a while [more].
This collaboration appears to be supported by Duracell’s online marketing campaigns which often include Xbox controllers. The new Xbox Series X and S launched last November also both come with two Duracell AA batteries, rather than Microsoft’s Xbox brand rechargeable battery packs,
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Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request from Kotaku for comment, but told MCV / Develop in a statement,
We consciously offer consumers choice in their battery solutions for our standard Xbox Wireless Controllers. This includes the use of AA batteries of any brand, the Xbox rechargeable battery, charging solutions from our partners or a USB-C cable that can power the controller when connected to the console or PC.
I was surprised when Microsoft revealed last year that the next generation of controllers would still come prepackaged with AA batteries. It is true that the option to choose between using removable, rechargeable battery packs and prepackaged disposable batteries while flying provides good flexibility.
At the same time, I’ve been going through several packs of AA batteries since I got my Series S launch, and the fact that the rechargeable packs have to be bought separately is another barrier to actually taking advantage of that freedom. Why not package new controllers with both options?
Microsoft’s premium controller, the Xbox Elite Wireless 2, costs $ 180 and is also not included. Like the DualShock 4, Dualsense and Nintendo’s Switch Pro controller, it only has an internal battery that you charge by plugging it in. No freedom of choice, but simple and convenient enough. May also be less wasteful.