This is why Xbox controllers still use batteries

Xbox has confirmed why the controllers for the Series X/S still use removable batteries when Microsoft’s competitors ditched them long ago.

• READ MORE: Xbox Game Pass 2025: what’s new and what’s worth playing?

The official Microsoft controllers for the Xbox Series X/S and the Xbox One consoles use removable AA batteries. However the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are charged when docked with the main console while the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller can be recharged via a USB-C port.

According to Microsoft’s own Jason Ronald the reason is flexibility. “What it comes down to is when actually talking to gamers, it’s kind of polarising and there is a strong camp that really wants AAs,” he explained (via Eurogamer). “So just giving flexibility is the way to please both [sets of] people.” He also argued that removable AA batteries mean the lifespan of the controller isn’t limited to the lifespan of the internal battery cells.

Hot take:
Xbox controllers using batteries is BETTER than charging every time

My ps3/4 controllers can’t hold a charge and haven’t been able to for years.

This will eventually happen with any battery they just lose their charge

— Wiikstrom (@Wiikstrom) August 11, 2025

Of course, that could change with the new Xbox console. While Microsoft haven’t officially unveiled the Series X/S successor, they have started teasing it. 

According to a short video hosted by Xbox president Sarah Bond back in June, Microsoft has teamed up with hardware company AMD in a “strategic, multi-year partnership” to co-engineer silicon, which will be used in the creation of microchips for computers and consoles. 

“Together with AMD, we’re advancing the state of art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics innovation, to unlock a deeper level of visual quality and immersive gameplay and player experiences enhanced with the power of AI,” she explained before confirming that the new Xbox console will be backwards compatible. 

Microsoft hasn’t confirmed a release date, name or price point for the new console, but several reports suggest that the new Xbox could be released at some point in 2027. Meanwhile the handheld Xbox ROG Ally will launch later this year. 

An in-depth reveal of the Xbox ROG Ally will take place at Gamescom later this week. According to reports, the base console will set you back 599 euros (£520) while the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X will cost 899 euros (£780). 

In other news, Microsoft spent last week sharing “fake news” to tease the arrival of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7.

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