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For the last couple of game console generations, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have taken over. Sony’s DualShock and DualSense controllers are both rechargeable, and the same goes for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2’s Pro controllers and Joy-Cons. The odd man out for rechargeable controllers is the Microsoft Xbox, which has been shipping consoles with AA batteries ever since the Xbox 360 hit shelves. Even if you buy a brand-new Series X, the packaged Xbox controller comes with two AA batteries.
This might seem like some sort of cost-cutting measure for Microsoft, but the actual reason that Xbox devotees are still stuck with battery power has more to do with gamer preferences. Discussing the battery debate in an interview with Digital Foundry, Jason Ronald, the partner director of program management at Xbox, said,
Why Your Xbox Controllers Still Need Batteries (But PlayStation Doesn’t)
