I wish the Steam Controller used AA batteries
Based on the description on their site, the controller includes a built-in battery: "8.39 Wh Li-ion battery, 35+ hours of gameplay... "
That was disappointing for me. Specially condidering the Steam Frame's controllers make use of AA batteries: "One replaceable AA battery per controller, 40hr battery life"
AA Batteries might not be as convenient to use, but being able to replace them is a great advantage. All my Xbox360 controllers still work fine, but none of my PS3' Dualshock 3s.
The official docking station could be used to recharge (rechargables) AA batteries so the functionality could remain the same.
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An important thing to note is that the Steam Controller will be user-serviceable and they want to continue their partnership with ifixit
This is a very good point. If it's as easy to replace as AA and it lasts longer, it's just better all around.
A few problems: it will still use rare earth metals, and those are a hot political topic right now with China restricting them
The fact that AAs are eternal. Who knows if this specific battery will still be available in 10 years.
Also, the small problem of you can't just buy a new one at Walmart. It is small, but out of sight, out of mind, and out of the public consciousness.
Problems with Li-ion itself, I suppose. What we really need is a standardized small rectangle form factor since Li-ion is just more efficient in that shape.
If there's a market for it, replacements will be made. You can buy a replacement PS5 battery for $5. You can also buy a iPhone 4 battery (still). LiPos are quite easy to make (geopolitics aside) so making one that fits is not hard at all.
The PS5 battery has a plug, if the Steam Controller is like that (probably is), the only tool required is a screwdriver, which seems like a great tradeoff to replace the battery every 5+ years instead of every week or two, and being able to recharge it easily and quickly.
Worst case scenario you have to use a generic battery that is about the right size instead of a perfect fit. Maybe a little less battery life but it's still more than enough anyway.
Recharging them is far superior to replacing alkaline. All electronics with lipid should be user serviceable able as well, but for something like a game controller, AAs are not the solution, far more wasteful since you’re adding batteries to the landfill ever 40 hours, as opposed to every 5 years.
Plus if it’s rechargeable with a USB C then you can plug it in and keep playing, or just use them as corded controllers once the battery capacity has diminished if you don’t feel like repairing it.
Why is that important
Because it means you can probably swap your battery with a single screw or two.
I'm not doing that on a regular basis. I can swap the battery in my Xbox controller without any screws.
E: Wow, I really love being downvoted for my opinion. Super cool shit, guys.
Not downvoting you, but you’re not being reasonable. Serviceable means actually serviceable. It might be “better” to use AA batteries but if they can’t, the next best thing would be that it can be serviced by the actual end consumer. And yeah if you’re planning on fixing your own things you may need to own a screwdriver.
I don't think you understand. I'm not talking about service. No one is talking about normal use. We're talking about swappable batteries. Remember like we had in phones back in the day? I swap the batteries on my current controller every few days. It's not unreasonable to expect modern controllers to have the same functionality they had 20 years ago...
Except that you don't have to swap the batteries on a built-in rechargeable battery every few days. You plug it in when you aren't using it, and swap the batteries every few years when they stop holding a charge. I guarantee you the time spent swapping AAs every few days will far outweigh the time you spend using a screw driver to replace this battery at the frequency it requires.
Yeah, but the AAs will still be around in 10 years. Until we standardize internal power cells and legally mandate companies use them, I don't really care how user-serviceable it is, by the time it actually needs a swap most companies are done selling it anyways and just want you to buy the next thing instead. At best you can get a shady third-party knockoff. Valve is slightly better in this regard, but I don't expect them to still sell batteries 10-15 years from now.
I think most people just use "user-serviceable" as a cope and never actually intend to service it, it just makes them feel better to think they can. They just throw it away and get a shiny new thing when it becomes slightly inconvenient.
I would never leave a device on charge permanently. That would use excess electricity.
And what happens when the controller dies? That requires:
I don't have a charging station in my couch.
I guarantee you it doesn't. Not to mention those screws would become stripped in a matter of weeks.
I, for one, still don't understand why you want to swap batteries. I'm assuming you're talking about rechargable AA batteries, and not the environmental disaster that are single use batteries. How's taking the batteries out, going to the charging station, swapping the batteries, returning and installing them back into the controller less convenient that just dropping the controller onto the recharging puck when it's not in use?
So you have some special conditions where you can't recharge the controller between sessions?
Because I don't want to be tethered to a cable.
Because then I have to be constantly concerned about the state of the battery at any time. I have enough rechargeable devices to be worried about.
So you'd rather swap batteries than put the controller on a charger - which they showed to be crazy easy to do? You're still not making much sense.
LOL I don't know how to be more clear about this. Yes, I would absolutely rather spend 10 seconds popping the battery door off and swapping out the batteries than spend an hour tethered to a cable, and MUCH rather than spending 10 minutes walking around to find a screwdriver to do it....
You're not making much sense. Why wouldn't I want that?
I mean, there are two reasons that you want to swap batteries.
So that the device doesn't die. This is what OP is worried about. This probably takes years and years of use, though (unless you leave the thing discharged for a long time).
So that you can use the controller wirelessly (say, in a living room, so people don't trip over a cord) and also charge its batteries. For most people, I'd think that this isn't a huge problem --- I mean, my controllers with lithium batteries last way longer than I would stay awake on a full charge, and next time I use them, they're charged. I normally run my controllers wired for better latency and not having to care about charge, but there are people who do have a legit need for wireless. However, I can think of some exotic cases where it would be necessary. Think of, say, a rec room on a ship or something with shifts of people who are constantly using the thing, where there's no time to recharge (though then, I think you could just get a second controller or something, swap out the one charging for the one in use). The XBox controller did the AA battery thing, and I have a Logitech F710 that does this. Makes a controller heavier than lithium batteries do, though, produces a shorter battery life relative to the weight, and places some constraints on the layout of the controller (since you need to have the volume to stick the batteries in.
For #1, yeah, the idea of taking off a screw after 10 years or something being prohibitive is pretty absurd.
But if someone is just wanting to do the "simultaneous charge and use" thing, #2, then the screw is an issue, because you'd need to do that every, say, two days or so.
#2 is not an issue with a controller advertised to have 35h of battery life. Which you should charge when not in use. Unless the commenter I replied to games for 35h+ continuous hours, in which case none of what they said applies to any member of functioning society.
Suck my dick, Nazi mod.
Wow, that was super unnecessary...
It's based on the bullshit you've been spewing about AA. And that last statement is just the cherry on top.
You're not in this for longevity of device usage, you're in this for convenience. Gtfo.
Expecting my devices to be convenient? Oh, the horror...
I'd rather have screws than those clip-in covers that break or having to pry the device open like some brands of devices, ie most of the tech industry. Somewhere in the middle. Quickly being able to replace a battery easily a plus don't get me wrong, but I don't want it getting torn up in the process one either extreme. I am ok with it may take several minutes, but not with "can I buff this out" or "where is the tape/glue".
How about clip in covers that don't break? I've been using my XBone controller for like 7 years, swapping batteries out every week or so, and it still works fine. Running in and out screws definitely will not be nearly as durable, especially if they're anything like the Steam Deck's screws.
I used my launch day PS4 controller up until last year without ever having to unlatch a cover or unscrew a screw. After more than a decade of use, I finally had to open the case and replace the USB port with a new board I bought for $2 by unscrewing and unplugging the old one and swapping it out with the new one.
Why are you acting like having to replace the battery is this super inconvenient thing that you'll have to do frequently when the odds of having to do so more than once every 5-10 years is unlikely with proper care? I'd consider having to replace AA batteries more of a hassle than that. Especially if they go bad and leak all over the contacts or something. Crystalized battery acid is a pain in the ass to clean out.
...I don't know how to be more clear about this. I don't want to be tethered to a cable. The only other way to charge it is by removing it. I didn't come up with this ridiculous suggestion. My suggestion was using a battery door, like my current Steam Controller has.
I don't use lead acid battery.
People think this is a crazy complaint because the controller has an estimated battery life of something like 30 hours and a wireless charger included. So as long as you remember to put it on the dock when you put the controller down once every couple of days, you shouldn't have to worry about your battery's charge.
I agree that being able to hot swap the battery would be nice, but this is closer to having to remember to charge your phone and being able to change the battery in a phone at all is a crazy concept in this day and age.
Hard disagree, AA batteries are passe.
Steam did the right move here.
Vastly prefer my DualSense with built-in rechargeable that lasts multiple days unplugged over my Xbox Series pad that eats AAs. Just make the replacement simple and affordable, which it appears they will.
Meanwhile I’m over here bitching about how my DualSense dies after like 8 hours of gameplay while my Xbox Elite Series 2 lasts like 40.
(But both of those are built-in rechargeables.)
yeah, that's my experience. But I just plug in a remote battery and keep going. 0-100% in seconds.
I just keep them on a stand that charges them. Works for any controller with USB-C, I just plug a little dongle into each controller and rest them in the cradle when not in use.
I have the exact opposite experience: the NiMH rechargeables in my Xbox Series controller lasted ages (before I replaced them with a play-and-charge pack that uses the controller's port to charge and also lasts forever), while the DualSense dies in like 10 hours of play.
I honestly really like them. Get a charger and some good batteries and you can go from 0 to 100% charge in a few seconds and the batteries will cost basically nothing in the long run.
Nasty waste though
Disposable sure, but it sounds like they're describing using rechargeable ones?
They might be, but people using those are pretty uncommon I think. By designing it with a rechargeable battery they're preventing the use of millions of single use batteries
if you wanted to cut down on disposable battery waste it would make much more sense to me to make them more expensive than rechargeable batteries
There are rechargeable lithium batteries in the form of AAs that would reduce the waste, they might not last quite as long though
Yeah, I have some, but I'm definitely in the minority on that. By designing it with a rechargeable battery, they're preventing the use of millions of single use batteries
Yeah I love having non-user-replaceable batteries in my electronics devices to give them an inbuilt death timer.
Very zeitgeist.
Important to note that the controller is designed to be serviceable and Valve is partnering with a company to provide replacement parts.
It sounds like it'll be as hard to replace the battery as old smart phones were, which makes it very customer friendly.
Where have Steam said they are partnering with a company to offer replacement parts? As far as I've read, Valve have not provided any details around sourcing replacement batteries for the Steam Controller. All they've said is that the controller is able to be serviced by opening via the screws and clips - ie it's not glued closed like many user-hostile companies, eg Google Stadia.
This is in no way the same as old smart phones (eg Galaxy S1-S5) toolless battery replacement, where you would just slide off the battery cover, pop out the old battery insert new, click battery cover back on. PS3 Dualschock 3 controllers are also exactly as user-serviceable - clips and screws, no glue. So I agree with OP: batteries that are built for toolless user replacement to a standard format are far superior. This is just asking for e-waste.
Wait till you scroll to the Steam Frame part...
Non-rechargeable batteries is a terrible idea from an ecological point of view. Also, Steam have made considerable effort to make the Steam Deck repairable. I hope they do this with all their new hardware, so replacing the battery won't be a big hassle.
You can buy rechargeable AA and AAA batteries
Outside of specialized uses like wanting a very long shelf life for rarely-used devices, I kind of thought that everyone had switched to rechargeable AA and AAA batteries years back.
I get people even here who just swear up and down it's impooooooosible for them to switch for a littany of excuses. It costs too much (it doesn't, it's actually way cheaper), why would I put them in a remote? (Literally why wouldn't you) They aren't as convenient (compared to buying them at a store?). Or my favorite "they don't work as well" ,which they don't in maybe 5% of cases. So they could still replace 95% of their alkaline but let's be real they just don't want to even try.
They're still there, and usually it's pure laziness, or just arrogance that they don't care about the immense waste.
I mean, there are some legitimate reasons.
Non-rechargeable alkalines do have very low self-discharge rate, so they work well if you're gonna stash a flashlight somewhere for a long time for emergencies.
The voltage on different types of batteries is not the same, and there are some devices with power supplies that cannot handle a wide-enough voltage range. I have a Grundig G6 shortwave radio, for example, which will not run on NiMH AA batteries (1.2V, rather than 1.5V alkalines or lithium). I suppose that I could get rechargeable lithium-ions, but I don't really want to deal with rechargeables with different battery chemistry floating around, and my current battery charger can't handle lithiums.
I just remember the 1980s, where the norm was alkaline, and people had to buy the things all the time for all kinds of battery-powered devices. Was nice to be able to just recharge batteries at home.
Kids toys are another use case for non rechargeable. I'm not going to buy a 100 pack of rechargeable batteries.
Jesus, this has to be one of the dumbest comments I've seen on this site
If you think parents are putting rechargeable batteries in all their kids toys then you are the dumb one.
Yeah but so many people wouldn’t.
Rechargeable AA batteries are a thing. From an ecological point of view, the custom battery is a bigger problem. In 20 years the controller will still work and AA batteries will still be available, but no one will be making new built-in rechargeable battery replacements (even if Valve originally intended for the battery to be replaceable).
One of my favourite controllers has been the Dual shock controller. I've got 2 PS3 controllers that I love using. Their rechargeable batteries are shot to shit. I would be much happier if I could use AA.
If the device has a 40 hour battery life and the battery lasts 1000 cycles, that will give you 40.000 hours. That means you can play for five hours every day for over 16 years. I don't think many devices will last longer than that.
Batteries still wear out because of age regardless of how many charge cycles they've had.
Most people won't replace an internal battery. If the battery dies, they buy a new controller.
I'm not sure whether this is actually better for the environment than even if they were using non-rechargeables.
Yeah. AA batteries suck though! I'd be happy if they used 14500 cells or something. but the form factor was probably the issue, the controller is a chonk in the middle already with the flat battery pack
People forget we had hot-swappable li-ion batteries decades ago in phones and DSLRs. They absolutely could’ve done that with no to minimal form-factor changes.
Hot-swappable battery meaning without turning off the device?! Lol I've never seen that 😉 I get what you're saying though, but from what I've seen the battery is replaceable! It's retained with a screw but that's not a deal breaker imo. Using a standardized form factor would have been even cooler, but I think that would've been very difficult for space reasons
Some laptops used to have that. They would have two batteries, one internal one and one hot-swappable external one.
Ahem, my x250 Thinkpad is still chugging along with its two batteries .
Yeah, if memory serves, the last ThinkPad to do it was the T480, which was in 2018. Maybe there's some P-series that did it afterwards too. Hello from an X2100!
Hot-swappable maybe not the right word. I mean those which you can swap without hardware. Like this https://youtu.be/KKUvHL6Pyes
Nowadays you can get AA-shaped lithium cells. Anyways I hope free battery is easy to replace after 2 years.
According to reports it is. Not as easy as a hot-swapable one, but close. You just have to remove the back panel, pop it out and put the new one. No adhesive involved.
Week one, somebody's going to release a CAD file for a 3D-printable shell with a removable battery cover.
If JSAUX or ExtremeRate did not already made one. Hell, DBrand already announced a companion cube skin for the Steam Machine. 😂
Amazing. This should become industry standard.
18650 is awesome, a good balance of weight to capacity. They are the standard cells used in laptops, vapes, small powerbanks, power tool batteries, and so on. They can also go into a fairly standard charger for AA and AAA batteries and give a lovely nominal 3.7V.
That said, pouches are better for inside a device like a controller. The weight of a battery is significantly influenced by the casing. A pouch is almost entirely capacity, a cell like an 18650 or AA is largely the metal of the casing. If you have the pouch inside the plastic of the device you can save that weight.
I think laptop batteries are usually thinner than 18650s? All the ones I've seen are, anyway
Perhaps more modern ones, but the ones in my last and current laptops are both 18650s. 6 cells, 9 cells, you stack in series to increase voltage, parallel to get more capacity, so a 3s2p would have ~14V which is more than the required 12V for internal components, no boost converters needed. That said, now they do a lot of pouch batteries which are actually multiple internal pouches run in series to get the same sort of voltage but made with the chassis fitting them perfectly, no wasted space.
Yeah I've only seen the pouch type.
How much more modern are we talking? I've a 72 whr battery in my 2017 Yoga 720 that is a slim pouch.
Or rather, how old is your last/current laptop. Or is it a workstation replacement brick?
Pouch cells suck, there are no standard sizes and they like to puff up and break open the case of whatever they are inside of.
I think you might be onto something. Probably the reason why they went for a built-in battery is space limitations
Did anyone see the MASSIVE rumble/haptic motors in the grip area? Yeah. This is the answer. They packed a lot of stuff in there.
Low self discharge NiMH batteries work great.
First thing I did to my Xbox controller: I got a Li-ion battery because I don't always have AA batteries around and recharging NIMH takes forever.
What's wrong with connecting a charge cable to your controller? It does not stop you from gaming.
You can buy a pack of 4 NiMH batteries and use the other two when the first two recharge. The problem is not connecting a charge cable, but the fact that all rechargeable batteries eventually die, but NiMH batteries can be bought at the grocery store, and be replaced by anyone.
Yeah, but battery replacements, spare parts, and repair tutorials will all likely be provided by iFixit, same as the Steam Deck or (formerly) Index, and even if the battery goes out of production I'm certain a third party can manufacture a similar spec at the same form factor.
Yeah, but NiMH AA battery replacements are sold for 5€ a pack at my local grocery store and will never go out of production.
Great, you can swap those in half an hour. AAs can be swapped in 10 seconds.
Swappability is not a matter of the exact size and shape, but how many screws are needed to access it etc.
Did you see a battery door on the Steam controller?
In your imagined world where the steam controller has AA batteries, the difference you're taking about is the battery door, not the battery firm factor.
The difference in my hypothetical world is time. Pretty much all lithium batteries are not quickly swappable.
And the other difference is I already have a drawer full of rechargeable AAs. It's a standard size thats readily available for purchase from 1000 different places and likely will be indefinitely and I can use the same ones in a dozen different devices.
This introduces the next problem: The AA batteries are constantly depleted and I always forget recharging them. Or I put them away and cannot find them when needed.
Skill issue. Feel free to pay more to compensate.
Rechargeable controllers didn't use to have dock stations some years ago, how did you manage then?
I just plugged them in and used them while they charged.
You can still plug a controller with AA in and use it while the batteries are in the charger
Personally the worst aspect of my original steam controller is the AA batteries. Constantly have to swap them and sometimes low battery meant buggy inputs. I very much prefer an integrated battery that gets topped up when I put the controller back to its place.
But I can see why you and others prefer otherwise.
Didn't say the contrary, you asked what we did when rechargable controllers didn't have stations.
Hard pass on AA, but having a 21700 would be great: Epic battery life but it's still standardized and swappable. I'd even take 18650s.
This is where this all needs to go, swappable standard batteries like the 18650s being used and recharged in the device and replaced when the inevitable happens and they stop storing much charge. Batteries are consumable currently and devices without swappable ones are designed to fail within a few years.
My favorite controller is actually just a cheap 8bitDo 2c hall effect wired controller. Paid $20 but it works reliably and has a third shoulder button.
Wired connection is great for desktop, but the Steam controller is being advertised for use with the GabeCube, and nobody wants a 10 meter cable across the living room where the dog trips on it and yoinks your new $700 console from its desk
A single 18650 would have more capacity than the existing battery. That'd be dope. It is interesting how AAs and AAAs have a super common rechargeable standard, but the average person is not familiar with the lithium rechargeable standard.
I guess it's not a huge issue for controllers if you use them regularly, but the energy density on lithium-ion batteries is great, but the self-discharge isn't ideal. AA rechargeables are usually NiMH, and those do better on that front.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-discharge
I have lithium-ion 18650s in my high-power flashlight, but for devices that I leave around the house that don't really need a lot of energy density --- think TV remotes or something --- I think that it's probably sensible to use NiMH batteries.
I mean even at 5% a month you'd still have about half your after a year so pretty good really
I own an 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ controller that has a neat feature: It comes with a rechargeable battery back that is user replaceable via a simple back cover, but regular AA batteries can also be used in the same slot instead.
Kinda like an Xbox controller, except that the rechargeable battery was actually included instead of being a separate purchase, and no adapter is needed for either battery types.
I don’t recall the Xbox rechargeable battery pack requiring an adapter. It just pops in where the AAs would be.
Pardon me, I realize I was a bit vague in my statement. I think what I was referring to was specifically the Xbox 360 wireless controller.
If I remember correctly, AA batteries didn't quite fit directly in the controller. Rather, they fit inside a small detachable casing designed specifically for their cylindrical shape, which was then clipped onto the underside of the controller. If you then purchased a rechargeable battery pack, it replaced that attachment entirely, clipping directly onto the controller in its place.
I had totally forgotten about that, but you’re right.
I had something similar to this for the original fat gameboy in the 90s, except instead of being a rechargeable battery, which weren’t really worth it then, it was a plug-in adapter, and it replaced the battery cover panel to do so.
I genuinely don’t understand why that sort of thing doesn’t exist anymore, either as plug adapters or as rechargeable bricks (or both, why not), so you can fall back on standard AA or AAA if necessary. They’d be standardized parts so manufacturers would only get the original sale but.. so? Would it not also be just easier from a manufacturer standpoint?
That is precisely how I feel, too!
Side tangent... Back in the day, I believe I had a power cable for the Game Boy, but it must have gotten lost or damaged at some point because I could never find it again.
I disagree so much. I never want another AA device.
The idea of using disposable AA batteries seems nice... Until the day you go to open the compartment and find they've leaked and corroded the contacts (or worse) in the controller. Regular lithium are ok, they do last a good long while, but not exactly the most eco-conscious choice either. Rechargeable AA take forever to recharge. Like seriously, we are talking all night for the higher capacity ones.
So have some extra ones ready to go. They're cheap.
I'm not sure what kind of black magic they employ, but I can charge three sets of 4 enloop pros in a day with the official charger, more if they weren't completely dead. I'd been using an older charger before and it would take 10+ hours for a single set with that thing.
Even cheap Ladda from IKEA recharge in mere hours now.
Same!
I like how 8bitdo did it.
They gave you a rechargable battery pack that could optionally be replaced with AA batteries.
Best of both worlds.
I have a headtorch like this. Keep it charged and most of the time everything is good. But that one time when I'm out skiing at night and shit goes wrong / I run out of charge it's OK because I have a couple of AA's in my bag as spares.
that's honestly the best move, even if it is more expensive it's totally worth it.
Hell, these corporations could even make more money selling you additional packs you could swap if you didn't want to use rechargeable AAs. It needs to be the standard, it would keep so many controllers out of landfills when their batteries go bad. Microsoft kind of does this with the standard Xbox controllers, but in typical Microsoft fashion they make your first rechargeable pack a separate purchase. I'd still way rather have that than the built in batteries though.
I'm alright with this as long as the controller is easy to repair, which Valve has been pretty good about with the Steam Deck.
If swapping batteries is a fast 5-10 minute process I have to do every 5 or so years, and the batteries are widely available and reasonably priced, that's a win in my book.
If they're not a standard battery design, then they will not be widely available or reasonably priced.
This is a strange argument to me. I just don't get it.
So. You have the controller, advertised 35+h life on a single charge.
Unless you're some sort of gaming machine, even a no-lifer sleeps.
We'll do a crazy minimum, you sleep 4h a day. that's 20h for gaming. You plug it in when you sleep, a time when no one will be using it and it can be "tethered".
if it's a straight line (it's probably not) 20h/35h gets you down to 42% battery.
Even 2-3 years later, battery should be between 70-80% capacity. If the minimum after a full day of usage, from charged, is 42% from the 35h estimate, in your worn 70% capacity battery you've still got more than 15% spare between days, after accounting for years of degradation.
And then, after using it for 3 years, you might have to contemplate using the hated screwdriver and replacing the battery. And this is only if you've been no-life wrecking this controller for that long. It'll be much better from "regular" gaming usage.
I think this just comes down to undisciplined people, who can't manage to plug their stuff in routinely. I really can't see any other logical reason to feel this way.
And even then, for the people who can't do charging regularly, and don't want to worry about being tethered to a charger/their machines, a $10 power bank from a gas station fixes this issue. I charge my controller from a phone charger, already next to me, whenever it needs it. No one says that you have to explicitly plug it in to whatever you're playing on.
Personally, I think even giving the option of using disposable batteries is irresponsible on the designer's end. Everyone talks about rechargeables, but there's still going to be a percentage of people who just use disposables.
This does make more sense for the frame controllers, as when they die, there's no good/safe way you can still use them, and have them plugged in. even with a power bank the cables are, at best, ungainly, and at worst, an active safety hazard, as you swing them around you while not being able to see them. I've tried using index controllers wired to a power bank I was carrying, and it wasn't good.
We have a universal, standardized, cheap power cell. To this day you can use the same type of power cell in any low power device since it was standardized, going all the way back to things made in 1947. We then made it reusable for hundreds or even thousands of uses a piece, and they still only cost a few bucks.
We then replaced it with millions of different single-purpose batteries that are only compatible with one thing each.
People keep trying to gaslight me into thinking this is somehow better.
Make them illegal, and I'm not kidding.
You do if you want it to connect to the thing you're playing on.
Unless you're ok with a shitty Bluetooth connection. But I'm guessing few people comparatively are using that, at least as their primary use case.
You can't tell me playing with a Bluetooth controller doesn't actually hurt you. The constant latency is excruciating.
Then again, I use it for mostly real time- based games.
If you're playing something like Balatro it probably doesn't matter. But for almost everything else it sure does.
I use Bluetooth on TrackMania with no issues, and that's a pretty fast game. Top 500 in the country for this week's shorts as well so it's clearly not my limiting factor.
Maybe for a twitch shooter it'd be an issue but that's kbm anyway
For one, as far as I know that's a single player game. Anyone with other players around means constant slight readjustments, and having everything you do held back (even if only a tenth of a second- I don't know the actual number, that's a ballpark guesstimate) really adds up.
For almost every game it doesn't matter a whole lot. But when it does, it really matters. Bluetooth headphones pad the audio a smidge too, to the point of rather play without sound instead of late audio. It causes constant sending guessing, and if you're using both your leaky playing in a game state that's already past (although when online you always are anyway but cutting as much out as possible is miles better).
Trackmania requires the same precision as other racing games (I also used controller for Forza horizon and motorsport).
Bluetooth audio is a different issue, where my bt speaker adds like 400ms which.. is not suitable for anything where accurate sound matters. Even my bt headset that is meant to be good is uhh.. flawed. But noise is far more obvious than a controller being a tiny bit out.
My controller I can't tell the difference.
So... is it an obsession to want to be at least <100? Asking for myself. Send help :D
I get consistently better results on steamdeck vs PC due to lower controller latency.
I haven't tested my controller but I'm pretty sure it's under 100.
If you want to remove most latency I think the best option is still wired, just get a long cord that reaches easily.
A couple of things, first no, I don't feel the latency of a Bluetooth controller. But also the steam controller will be able to pair to multiple devices, in one of the interviews one of the engineers said "The steam Machine has its own antena, but each controller comes with its own puck, we expect the common use case to be to plug that to your PC and use the steam controller in both devices"
I have to say, this situation has improved enough that I've had no problem using BT controller connection.
We're talking about games like Elden Ring, Enter the Gungeon, MGS:Snake Eater Delta.. and reaction time definitely matters for those games. One controller even came with a 2.4ghz 1000hz dongle, and it seems the new controller will probably have an option like that if the GabeGear has the hardware built into it: "Steam Controller's wireless adapter is built right into Steam Machine for direct pairing."
I realize that. But that's just for that machine, but I'm speaking for arbitrary devices.
The protocol hasn't gotten faster in the last few years that I know of.
I've used several with different devices, but most of my direct comparison experience is with an Xbox series X controller paired to the Deck via BT and by dongle, and it's very noticeably more laggy with Bluetooth. I've only occasionally tried others, but every Bluetooth-connected controller I've ever used definitely has a noticeable delay.
But the controller comes with the high speed wireless puck. That puck works on anything. I don’t see the problem.
My point (the part I quoted in my original reply) was that you would need the puck plugged into the device you're playing on, assuming you don't want to deal with the delay.
So if that's not a problem for you, then that doesn't apply, but I assume most people will want the fast connection.
Okay, but I think that that kind of misses the broader context. This only came up as a hypothetical for how one could discharge a controller. If you're playing on a wired connection, then the console is charging thr controller and the issue never comes up in the first place.
No, this came up from talking about how it (the puck) doesn't have to be connected to the device you're playing on. Which outside of Bluetooth or using a steam machine, you would have to have it connected.
Directly wired hasn't come up at all until you just mentioned it.
Meh. As long as the lithium battery is as easy to replace as it was to perform other Steam Controller repairs, it shouldn't be a big deal.
Think about how many AA batteries will end up in a landfill over the lifetime of the controller VS the typical lifetime of the lithium battery. The AA batteries lose every time.
Think of it like this: You can replace the battery once every two years (if the controller lasts that long in your sweaty ass hands 🤣) or you can replace the batteries every month... 24 times, adding 48-96 batteries to the landfill in that time.
Why wouldn't you get a pack of rechargeable AAs and a charger? $30-40 investment and you never need to buy batteries again, you don't generate waste, and can go from 0-100% power in seconds.
OP might but a majority of people won't, thus contributing to the landfill issue compared to if the controller just came with a rechargeable battery.
And a fair number of people will just throw the controller away when the battery wears out instead of replacing the battery like they would if it had AAs. If you're talking about the lowest common denominator, there's going to be a lot of waste either way.
Plus, you can definitely swap out AAs in five years (or ten, or fifty). Whatever Li-Ion cell they use may or may not be easily available.
Well the rechargeable AAs will wear out just like an internal battery, but there's more of them and they're individually packaged. It's a bit more waste and a bit more money, even if it's not a big difference.
Personally I think the big difference is in usability - I'd rather just leave the controller on a charger when not in use and never have to worry about swapping cells in and out. (I think battery degradation is overblown - it should last way more than 2 years, especially if you aren't gaming for 20 hours straight)
Not quite true. Rechargeable AAs aren't as durable and Li-ion battery packs. So you would still end up replacing them more often than you would replace the internal battery.
0-100% instantly isn‘t really needed with the canvenient charging dock. AA accus suck most of the time anyways. Now if it used an 18650 or better a 21700, that would have been cool. But these are heavy and a replacable inbuilt battery is better for space management
The overwhelming shortsightedness of thinking highly polluting AA or AAA batteries are a better choice over a LiON solution pack because one needs to unscrew a couple of screws to replace it is completely unreasonable. AA or AAA are a stupid ask for a controller, it's unnecessary waste.
The overwhelming ignorance of rechargeable NiMH AA batteries is completely unreasonable. It's so nice when my Xbox One controllers die to just simply swap batteries, and throw the existing batteries on the charger. That said, you're not alone with that ignorance, those massive packs of single use AAs at Costco must sell to someone.
Heck, the Xbox One and newer controllers have replaceable battery packs that charge using the controller's USB port. You don't even have to swap them. All the advantages of a built-in battery, but when they crap out, it's like $15 and 30 seconds of work to replace them.
Only for so long as the manufacturer makes them. AAs don't have that problem.
But then you can replace them with AAs, and all you lose is the USB recharging. Best of both worlds.
If AAs are also an option then I have not complaints about the system.
Or they could have included them with the controller at-cost instead of making us pay $15 to $30 (the official battery packs are $30) PER CONTROLLER - many of us have more than one.
Considering the price difference between an Xbox Series controller ($40 on frequent sales) and a DualSense (rarely below $70), maybe they did.
Let's compare against msrp please.
Why? The price you're actually going to pay is what matters. Though even if you insist on MSRP for some reason, the DualSense is $75 and the Xbox controller is $65, and you can get these for $25 MSRP ($18 actual) for two, making the Xbox controller barely more expensive if you have an even number of them.
If you compare the prices today, the Xbox controller is $50 compared to its $65 MSRP and the DualSense is $74 with a $75 MSRP, so you can get two battery packs and a controller and still pay $68, $6 less.
Classy, tfw when people who don't understand energy density and recharge cycle count, pitch in. Moar stuff, moar polution. Don't know how to lower the bar further on the point.
edit: love the US defaultism, I guess I shouldn't expect much...
We're talking about a controller here, not a smartphone. Rechargeable AAs are more than capable enough for these kind of devices. Not everything needs to have the energy density that Li-ion batteries provide.
No they are not, some of us left mom's basement and live normal lives, that means we can only play every once in a while. Rechargeables hold charge like shit, even modern ones. My old F710 or G305 were experience enough with Li rechargeable batteries. Never again.
Huh? Rechargeable AA and AAA batteries and chargers are highly affordable and work great. I only have a few items where I don't use them like smoke alarms. For everything else I use rechargable and absolutely love having devices with easily swappable batteries.
Yeah but most people don't buy them. If you release a product that uses aa batteries most people are going to buy disposable ones and most of them will not dispose of them properly and just throw them in the trash. Some people using rechargeable AA batteries is nice but it's better to just remove the option for disposable batteries and make it with a builtin rechargeable battery.
So make disposable AAs illegal or tax them like cigarettes, or charge a core fee like they do car batteries. Those same people you're talking about will throw the controller in the trash when the battery craps out. We're making disposable junk either way at this point.
Also, if they made it so you could swap lithium packs that would be a better option than AA batteries.
Agree wholeheartedly.
I mean I get the reason, but at the same time Li-ion is just so much better compared to NiMH and especially Alkaline. As long as its easy to open up and replace I'm all for internal li-ion batteries.
Yeah the issue is easily replaceable standardized sized battery, if li-ion started doing that, I'd be all in Li-ion band wagon for handheld consumer electronics, till that point I must agree with OP and i would keep demanding Aa batteries and use my niMH cells
Those cells are almost always standard sized prismatic cells, but the connector is often not standard if you buy a random cell.
If it's not a standard battery design, then being able to replace it doesn't matter as much. It would mean the company can charge excessive fees because their 'custom' battery is the only one that's compatible with their product.
It very likely might be a standard size, you can buy prismatic and cylindrical cells in tons of sizes.
It could be a 18650 or another lithium standard size and make everybody Happy. Easy to remplace and a bigger life than square sized batteries.
Like brands do with their tools. One battery for all kinds
I agree. 18650 are a much better starting point standard than AA.
Well, I completely understand your point. I also have rechargable AA batteries laying around, but I see it from this standpoint:
All in all I understand your point, but it's not a huge issue for me personally.
Just to piggy back on what you are say, one of the engineers in the LTT video mentioned they want to team up with iFixIt again, just like they did for the Steam Deck. And I saw the back shell off the controller in one of the videos. The batter looks dead simple to replace. It's wild to even imagine that a company in 2025 would be be consumer friendly.
The Steam Controller battery is user replaceable. It's not AA "pop it out and throw a new one in from the charger" like a Logitech F710, but you can open the back cover and replace the battery.
The Dual shock 3 batteries are also really easy to replace. Maybe pushing the boundaries of what you'd reasonably call "user replaceable" but certainly something that I think anyone capable of usin g the controller and a PS3 would be capable of.
Valve have not provided any details around sourcing the batteries. All they've said is that the controller is able to be serviced by opening via the screws and clips - ie it's not glued closed like many user-hostile companies, eg Google Stadia.
The PS3 Dualschock 3 controllers are also exactly as user-serviceable - clips and screws, no glue. So I agree with OP. Batteries that are built for user replacement to a standard format are far superior.
They've provided batteries for the Steam Deck, and the specifications of the battery will be public and available for outside manufacturers. I presume they'll provide batteries through iFixit after release as well.
The thing with "easily serviceable" is that no matter the actual difficulty, once you need to involve a screwdriver to take apart a controller (anything other than a door you can easily open with your hands) you've lost like 85% of people. Most average people are not comfortable taking apart electronics to do ANYTHING and will just buy a new one and toss the old one in the trash when it stops holding a charge. But AA batteries? everyone is comfortable with replacing rechargeable AAs.
I've had a couple of devices over the years that require one to unscrew a screw to open a cover to replace batteries. It's not that common, but I've certainly had them floating around.
In fact...I think that my analog multimeter does that, with a 9V battery.
goes to look
Yeah, Phillip's head screw. Though you only really need power on that thing for continuity testing, and some people might never even need to power it.
My main concern about that is that using AA and AAA form factors promotes the use of disposable dry cell batteries, even if nickel or lithium cells are just as widely available. And, realistically, not even the closest Li-ion form factor is fully compatible with AA, and Ni-MH sucks balls.
The controller is also filled to the gills with hardware. Doesn't look like there's enough volume left for AA or AAA receptacles without giving it an underbelly to rival the Xbox Duke.
On a slight side note, the Duke is the only controller I have ever liked, they just don't make controllers for giant hands at all anymore. Lol
Funny, the steam frame using AA’s was disappointing to me. There’s multiple types of rechargeable AA’s on the market and having them through the controller and not potentially cause problems would be difficult as I understand it. Valve has been pretty good about parts being replaceable and available, the steam deck’s parts are sold through ifixit.
There is no bigger disappointment than wanting to play some VR and your controller is dead and you have to charge it. Can't really charge them while playing like on normal controllers either.
So I'm quite happy that they went with AAs this time around. Although I need to pick up some rechargeable AA batteries when the Frame comes out.
That’s fair that you can’t charge them while playing like you could a regular controller I hadn’t really thought of that.
No, what we need are lithium batteries in the form factors and power outputs of traditional batteries.
Those exist, but they're really expensive and not very good. Lithium needs circuitry to get down to the 1.5V of a nickel battery, but that circuitry takes up a good chunk of the available space in an AA.
Why AA Batteries Still Suck - Hank Green
NiMH are 1.2 V. You’re probably thinking of alkaline.
I'm with you. I loved how the AAs slotted into the handles of the original steam controller. I bought some Eneloop rechargeable AAs for it that still work great. I use them in my toothbrush, which I also bought because the rechargable lithium version died. The AA battery version of the toothbrush was like 1/5 the price and will probably last forever
I absolutely would have preferred to use my existing rechargeable AA collection. I have them in a tray next to a charger on my desk, the charger shows the condition of the battery and swaps are fast, no need for disassembly and risking breaking plastic clips on the shell like happens every time I have opened a ps4 controller to replace not the battery but the charging board.
You can remove the 9 screws in the back of the controller and fully remove and replace the battery. Going by valves track record they will have replacement parts on ifixit. Also one of the engineers confirmed while speaking with tested that you can easily access the battery compartment and interior of the device and replace it.
And I'm fucking going to do it every time it'd depleted. I have 4 AA batteries for my Xbox 360 controller, pop the cover swap them and continue playing. It's that easy.
It's a li-on battery. Just connect it to the charging puck. The internal battery lasts 35 hours.
and do what while it's charging, jack-off?
It wouldn't be such an issue if battery was plug-n-play type
and chargable outside controller
What tf kinda usecase you got, that 35hrs of playtime are not enough?
Get some sun? 35hrs is quite awhile.
Also fuck off with that attitude, you're getting all worked up about a fucking toy. Grow up
What I do with my weekend is none of your fucking business
maybe some weekends I'd like to forget work and binge a game
Please by all means, I just ask that you save your vitriol for something a little more important than game controller power supply. There's no jack-offs here, we're just having a discussion.
You can play while its charging..
Ah yes, the Microsoft Dreamcast controller.
😂😂😂
Disagree. I bought the rechargeable replacement for all my xbox controllers. When those wore out, after years, I just replaced them with another rechargeable. Too Easy. I think you are making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Yes but you could easily replace the battery. Going by the description, it sounds like the battery is going to be internal. Now of course video game controllers have been historically easy to open, but it's not going to be as easy as simply popping out the battery and popping in a new one like the XBOX.
I hear you. I agree requiring the whole back shell being removed to swap the battery is an oversight. Maybe they have a good reason for it, but doubt it. I'm not too worried about it considering, how often I'd have to swap in a new battery. I mean, even my used PS5 controller I bought 3 years ago, the battery works just as well as it did when I bought it. Still sucks compared to a PS4 controller, but that's a whole other issue. If I'm removing the backshell once every 3-5 years, I'm really not bothered in the least. It's just not an issue I care about.
ive preferred rechargeable batteries on all my controllers as they last quite a while.
only absolute shit one is the ps5 controller which last a couple hours and has atrocious standby time. i don't know how it can be so bad.
I was disappointed too. I have a handful of eneloops I use with my Steam Controllers, that last me a few months each charge.
For my partners Switch, we have 3 wireless controllers with rechargeable AAs as well. Meanwhile the Switch Pro Controller is dead as shit.
I get it, people want blocks of lithium around their house. But if you’re used to how good eneloops are this is a huge disappointment.
Ikea Laddas are made in the same factory I think, btw
That’s what I heard, but it’s a 2 hour trip for me to get to IKEA.
I have an 8bitdo that sits in a cradle and turns on automatically when you pick it up. Never having to worry about batteries is so nice I would never have it any other way.
I have an 8bitdo Pro2 that charges over USB-C and when the battery pack died of heavy use, you could just swap it out with rechargeable AAs and keep going. I've gotten over a year of additional use out of that controller now thanks to the support for AA's.
I'm specifically not buying the Pro 3 because the battery isn't replaceable.
I’ve found 8bitdo controllers very easy to mod and repair, and they are so good about it I’ve been able to order replacement parts directly from them in the past. Would they not sell you a replacement battery? Is the Pro 3 less repairable?
Edit - It looks like the Pro 3 just came out. I cant find any teardowns on it yet, but I’m tempted to order one just to find out.
I can get rechargeable AAs in packs of 4 just around the corner from my house and therefore always have a few spares on hand instead of special ordering a unique battery that only works in a single device on the planet and only is available for purchase as long as they allow it. But I guess we can just throw it away in a few years instead and buy whatever new product they want to sell, as long as it comes with a charging cradle of course.
In a world where every household has rechargeable AA batteries, absolutely - but until and unless we successfully regulate away disposable batteries this solution (internal battery, easy to replace thanks to Right to Repair) will likely remain the most realistic, environmentally friendly one.
Before you start establishing a working group to assess the impact of creating a commitee to judge the effect of switching to replacable cells, what if...
What if the companies just packed a few universal rechargable cells with their product? I meam the charging circuit is already a part of the design.
…lol, yes! Unless it’s the EU, they managed to get on the USB-C standardisation pretty early - there’s a chance we might see something like this out of them before 2050 🤞🏻
I do worry about the Monkey’s Paw nature of capitalism though, with the regulations on vaping here accidentally causing a surge of ‘disposable’ vapes equipped with lithium ion batteries - ending up having something similar occur as a result.
Duplicating charging circuits also seems a bit wasteful, especially if manufacturers cheap out and use the lowest quality components - rather than having a high-quality centralised GaN charger or similar.
What do you need AA batteries for? And why do you think the whole world also does?
You have missed my point entirely. OP is disappointed that the Steam Controller doesn’t use AAs, while the Steam Frame controllers do.
Easily replaceable, rechargeable batteries are the best solution we as a society currently have for electronic devices. We can’t force people to not use disposables - so internals like that on the Steam Controller is the best-fit solution currently.
As an aside, we currently have ~20 or so AA Eneloops in circulation in our household currently, from TV and AC remotes, to children’s toys, to IOT devices.
You are right. Thank you for replying.
Personally I only always buy those enegizer alkaline batteries. Didn't know you could recharge them, might try next time. I've almost usually always chuck them in the bin.
You cannot charge those, please do not try unless you like the smell of burnt chemicals or a house fire (or both), alkaline batteries are not rechargeable. There are lithium rechargeable batteries with the same form factor (AA, AAA, etc.) or if you use older ones there are also NI-MH or NI-CD (really old).
Just to clarify, the alkaline batteries like below are not rechargeable, and if you try you will have a bad time:
Energizer have their own range of rechargeable batteries, that look like this:
If you have an IKEA nearby, their LADDA (I think?) branded rechargeable batteries tend to be a quite affordable entry point.
Gross, no thank you.
18650 would be cool though.
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I like the idea of AA because if the controller dies mid-session you can just swap them and keep playing, on the other this is easily solvable by having a dock like the 8BitDo Ultimate, which makes it so that the controller is always fully charged when you pick it up, so the only advantage that the AA had disappears, and it's even more comfortable to have the controller always charged than having to get up in the middle of the play session to find new batteries. And the Steam controller has a charging puck, so it should never have the issue where AA are better. So my feeling that it would be better is not justified.
The other supposed advantage is longevity, since all batteries eventually die off, if it's an external battery you just buy new ones and are done. Being internal makes it more of a hassle. But Valve has been very open with the repaiedness of their devices, so I expect this to not be a big issue, as long as the batteries are still being manufactured by the time the one in the controller dies off (which should take a lot more time to happen than regular AA).
Literally every wireless controller I have ever owned that used rechargable batteries could be plugged in while I was using it if it started to die. I would bet that 99% of wireless controller users have a power outlet at least somewhere near where they sit to game.
I don't, this has never been a possibility for me in the last 4/5 houses I've lived unless I specifically bought a 3m long USB cable. I'm sure plenty of people do, but I don't think it's 99%.
I think it is way more inconvenient when you pick up a dead controller and fiddle around with long cables then taking the minuit to swap out AAs. Recharchable AAs are so much more convenient and as you said ensure the controller's longevity. I am still rocking the original steam controller.
Why not all 3 options, sell a controller with a removable, rechargable battery pack & able to play with a cable in while charging, and if you remove it it leaves room for batteries instead.
Fuck AAs , not enough power. They can however use any number of user replaceable, user chargeable LiIon batteries.
Also, AAs become literal toxic waste after like 20-40 hours of gameplay, and need to be properly disposed of (that is assuming that you live in a developed country and there are recycling options available at all). Single-use battery suck and should fuck right off.
Use rechargeable AA batteries
There are like 3 or 4 different types. NiCd and NiMH have slightly different voltages and vastly different voltage curves, and it's a gamble whether your device will work with either of them and how long they will last. Li-Ion (with a voltage regulator and charge controller) are quite expensive (compared to a pouch battery of the same capacity) and you won't be able to buy them in the nearest grocery shop. Also, it's not safe for the controller to even attempt to charge any of them, so you will need a separate charger, and you'll have to take the batteries out of the controller, put them in a charger, and then put them back every time they go flat. At that point it's just so much easier and more convenient to have a pouch-style battery that the controller charges by itself, and you can very easily replace every 5 years or so by just removing a couple screws and slapping a new AliExpress special in there. The key here is to make batteries easily replaceable, of course, ideally without any tool, but a standard philips screwdriver is acceptable too.
When AA batteries go flat you swap them and the controller is already running while the old batteries charge on your separate charger, which you can't do with pouch batteries.
Also, it's a game of relying on a company's good will to provide a compatible battery, or of some Chinese manufacturer to provide it. While AAs are standard.
There's nothing that can change my mind on the subject outside of "these batteries are standard and available everywhere forever" which you can already say for AA NiMH batteries.
If it's a popular enough device, Chinese manufacturers will copy its batteries for more than the lifetime of the device itself. I've bought new replacement batteries for a smartphone over 10 years old off AliExpress.
If it's not, chances are it's using one of the standard pouch battery sizes (yes, that's very much a thing, AA is not the only battery standard out there), which Chinese manufacturers will keep producing for longer than the lifetime of the universe.
The only tangible benefit is the hot-swap feature.
To me it doesn't outweigh all the drawbacks of having to charge batteries separately. For a controller like this it literally doesn't matter, you can just plug it in to charge while playing.
For VR controllers it does matter more, but I would still much prefer some explicitly rechargeable standard size, e.g. 14650, with a way for the controller to also be a charger still.
Like I said... This did not change my mind
Almost no one is using NiCd anymore. It's not hard to design something to run properly from alkaline, NiMH & Li-Ion cells. We have efficient switch mode power supplies that can step the battery voltage up or down to whatever the device needs to run.
Not enough power? Where did you get that idea? If they used more power than a AA could output they would suck and they'd die instantly.
You might be replying to a wrong comment? But I think the OC meant that a bigger lithium battery can provide more power for rumble and such, compared to AAs.
I did not reply to the wrong comment. Again, if the controller used that much power, it would die instantly.
One of the nice things with Xbox 360 controllers were the rechargeable battery packs. By default, the controllers used 2 AAs, but you could instead use a battery pack. Just remove the AA battery cover, pop in the rechargeable battery, and that's it. You could then connect a cable to the controller to recharge the battery. And, if the battery happened to be empty (or dead because of old age), you could just replace it with 2 AAs, and continue playing. Some of 8bitdo's controllers uses (or used) the same design, but they come with a rechargeable battery pack in the box.
Reading these comments, I have to say that a number of users of this community have very strong views on batteries.
Like, I would not have expected as many people to get upset as did in a discussion over batteries.
AA batteries are horrible for the environment if something goes wrong during the disposal process (e.g. you accidentally throw them in the trash). Also it's yet another thing you have to buy like weekly if you're going to use the thing. A rechargeable cell that is easy to replace is the perfect sweetspot, and from the videos I've seen of the controller it will be very easy to replace the bat. Just unscrew some screws, unplug the battery, plug a new one back in, screw some screws back in (optional). You'll only have to do this once every 5 years or so if the BMS is good. You'll be able to get a new bat from AliExpress for very cheap, probably like $10-20 or something, way way cheaper than getting new AAs for those entire 5 years.
I really don't understand why everyone is speaking like rechargeable AAs don't exist...
Because they are more expensive and much less convenient than an integrated pouch-style battery in the device.
Until it dies
And you have to (gasp) order a bat from AliExpress for $10, take out 9 screws, and plop it in there, just once every 5 years or so? Yeah, how inconvenient and expensive, compared to buying your own batteries before you can even use a thing, a separate charger, and taking the batteries out every time you want to charge them, which is like weekly.
Well, I am sure waiting up to months for the Aliexpress battery to arrive is not inconvinient at all.
And good luck hoping the battery you bought is genuinely new and not just an old one "refurbished".
The point of rechargable AA batteries is that it is a standard. You can interchange them with other devices and use a single charger.
Last time I ordered a phone battery from AliExpress I got it in two weeks flat. If you notice that your battery doesn't hold as long, just order a new one, it will arrive long before the device dies. There are also local battery shops, but they will charge a premium for quicker delivery.
Doing this once every few years is nothing compared to the hassle of taking out the batteries every time you want to charge them.
So you expect for someone to have 2 controllers? With AA batteries I can just slide the cover swap them and continue playing, with this? well you can do jack shit
Just have replaceable Li-ion batteries.
I don't want to have to pay a subscription for physical disposable fuel pods for my controller, and it would be really nice if plugging it in cut down on input delay.
You should be using rechargeable batteries.
Instead, you're supporting planned obsolescence.
I do. They're built in to the controller.
Li-ion is fine but it should've been removable. The wireless Xbox controller was great how it let you swap the pack and keep going.
Funny how the VR controllers use AA though
I think that's mostly because you can't really keep them plugged in while playing, so if you forget to charge them before a play session it would get very annoying. I would still prefer if they used an explicitly rechargeable standard with a way to charge the batteries while in the controller.
It is a weird flip. My current steam controllers take AA batteries, but my current VR controllers are rechargeable lithium.
Warms me heart to see the next generation of idiots supporting planned obsolescence.
Batteries and lack of audio are my only gripes with the steam controller. I still think it's better than every other controller, but I wish it had those. At least though, valve said it will be easy to disassemble with a screwdriver, so we will have a way to replace the battery with an after market one when it dies.
I'm not aware of any controller that can charge NiMH batteries tho. I think the hardware for that would weight as much as the entire controller. Also NiMH batteries don't do well with continuous charging via dock, unlike lithium batteries.
Audio? It's not a Wii remote lol
Edit: Just realized you probably meant headphone jack on the controller, but that would likely both murder the quality and have worse latency (Bluetooth is not great for PC gamer audio).
I meant headphone jack. But what if I don't care about quality and latency and just want audio on my device because it's useful to have?
Also, I think the dual sense has audio haptics like a Wiimote?
Edit: also the controller has two other connections other than Bluetooth, that can easily handle audio better than Bluetooth.
They probably mean having a headphone/microphone jack. Thinking about it now, I don't think I have ever actually used the jack on the few controllers I have owned that had one, but I can definitely understand why some would find it very useful.
You have probably never played on a computer without Bluetooth, then (or headphones without Bluetooth). Using headphones connected directly to the pc is a pain in the ass. Using the controller's jack is much better.
I briefly had an xbone living in a shared apartment and it came in handy
Why? A serviceable Lithium Ion is leaps and bounds better than AA, not to mention it would lead to people using disposable batteries and creating more garbage.
it could still have a charging port so it doesn't need to be any inconvenient
Big fan of controllers that get all their power from cables. Fuck Batteries! Though I can see how that's quite inconvenient when you're playing on a couch instead of in front of a desk like me.
I bought a
DualshockDualsense because of the trackpad, didn't realize it didn't have replaceable batteries.Battery life is bad and it really annoys me.
I think I'll try again to fix the stick drift on my Xbox controller...
You can put a higher capacity battery in, at least on the DS4 and probably older models. Same is true for the newer DualSense controllers.
Oh interesting, thanks. I meant a Dualsense indeed, not Dualshock
That's so funny, never been around playstation much but I could've also sworn they were called dualshock. Bernstein bears or whatever 😅
I see how my phrasing lead to the misunderstanding: I didn't mean Dualshock don't exist. They are the older versions, Dualsense are the newer ones
Yep. This is why I still only use XBOX controllers.
I've got the old one that takes AA and can be plugged in.
Duracell does, too
No, AAs are crap. Charge your stuff when you go to sleep and you'll never have problems.
Batteries for PS3 Dualshock are still available on ebay in my country. You just unplug a cable and remove a couple of screws. AA are not worth it.
AA should only used for flashlights (emergency), kids toys (safety) or when you are far away from an electricity network for much time (days, weeks).
Rechargeable AA work just fine and are easy to acquire. What exactly makes them "not worth it".
Your controller stays mostly in your house and can be charged with a cable. No need for recharging devices, thinking if you have stored charged batteries, it can play while charging.
And if 20 years later you can find a replace battery for a ps3 controller that means your device probably can live for 30 years or more.
What benefits bring the rechargeable AA batteries for that particular device?
You don't have to worry if there will be a battery available in 20 years because AAs are standardized and will always be made. Or at least far more likely than whatever proprietary crap they're putting in these controllers. Devices that take AAs will last until the hardware wears out. You don't have to worry about the battery being the weak link. Which has been the case for every rechargeable device I've ever owned. The battery is always the first to go.