The original Xbox used a wired controller, and the Xbox 360 introduced wireless pads powered by AAs. Nintendo switched to rechargeable batteries with the Wii U in , and the PlayStation 3 controller used an internal rechargeable cell well before that. When Microsoft unveiled the Xbox Series X on , its controller kept the AA design.
Microsoft Says Players Are Split Down the Middle
Xbox Partner Director of Program Management Jason Ronald told Digital Foundry in that customer feedback on the battery question lands at roughly 50/50. There is a strong camp that really want AAs,
he said, and that feedback shapes how Microsoft builds the controller.
The two camps want different things:
- Rechargeable fans like a controller that is always topped up without buying batteries.
- AA fans like swapping in fresh cells mid-session and never waiting on a charge.
Microsoft’s answer is to ship AA batteries in the box and sell a rechargeable pack for $24.99 as an option. Players with sealed internal batteries do not get that flexibility. If the battery dies, the usual fix is a whole new controller.
The Duracell Deal Nobody Has Confirmed
A long-running theory holds that Microsoft keeps AAs because of a partnership with Duracell. Duracell UK marketing manager Luke Anderson told Stealth Optional that the two brands have a constant agreement
. Microsoft has not confirmed that. A spokesperson told MCV/Develop that Xbox intentionally offer[s] consumers choice in their battery solutions
and declined to discuss any agreement with Duracell.
Hashlytics Take
The strongest case for AAs is not convenience, it is what happens when the battery wears out. A sealed cell has a shelf life and ends the controller with it, while a AA slot turns the same failure into a trivial fix. The “choice” framing is weaker than Microsoft makes it sound, though. The box ships with disposables, and the rechargeable option costs extra, so the cheapest path for most players is still buying AAs again and again. The 50/50 split also comes from a 2020 interview, which makes it a launch-era data point rather than a current one, and the Duracell question remains an unconfirmed claim from only one side.
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