-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Ok folks lets settle this! Internal Batteries vs External Batteries
- Thread starter CosmicPanda
- Start date
Incredibly close poll here.
I'm in team external.
And most of team internal's arguments seem to be derived from 'externals are old hat'..
I don't see why that should be such a big deal honestly.
In practical terms, I see having a choice to do something with your power supply being better than having a position because you want to be a 'cool kid from the future present'.
Anyway, opinions - that's how they work I guess.
I'm in team external.
And most of team internal's arguments seem to be derived from 'externals are old hat'..
I don't see why that should be such a big deal honestly.
In practical terms, I see having a choice to do something with your power supply being better than having a position because you want to be a 'cool kid from the future present'.
Anyway, opinions - that's how they work I guess.
If the internal is an easily accessible and replaceable battery then isn't it just an external battery.
I see people saying the same thing they want the convenience of an internal battery with the replaceability of an external battery. So what you're saying is you want an external battery, just put rechargeable batteries in it and plug the controller in when you're not using it. An internal battery isn't really an internal battery if it can be easily removed and replaced.
Yeah, the only thing I don't like about internal ONLY batteries is worrying about them dying over time, getting shorter battery life over time, or needing to replace the whole damn controller.
My eneloops are fantastic, and I'm still using some that I bought 8-9 years ago. But if I could charge them IN my controller with a USB cable that would be perfect.
I always have fresh or at least not dead pairs I can swap in whenever I need them, but sometimes I misplace the charger.
I miss when phones let you swap out the battery. I never had a phone long enough for the battery to weaken or die on me, but these days with phone power mostly plateauing in some ways (they always get better, but from a usability standpoint even budget phones are great), I probably will have my current phone for several years.
This. Microsoft nailed it with the one/series x controllers. You can use a lithium pack if you want and charge it via usb cable, or use eneloops.
The best way is the one used by the 8bitdo SN30 Pro Plus.
It comes with a battery which charges via a USB-C port on the controller. If this is fine for you, you never have to open the controller or do anything with this battery other than charge it.
If you want to replace it, it's accessible via a simple plastic flap.
You can also remove the pack and insert two standard AA batteries, which fit perfectly into the same space, and use those instead.
I love this controller so much. I wish be able to use it in my PS4.
I like internal. Just drop the controller on a charger at night and never think about the battery.
External is fine too, if there is a battery pack that you can charge without removing. Normal rechargeable batteries are an annoyance, because you have the physically remove them and charge them. I know, first world problems.
External is fine too, if there is a battery pack that you can charge without removing. Normal rechargeable batteries are an annoyance, because you have the physically remove them and charge them. I know, first world problems.
Internal for me. I can't even remember the last time I had to charge my Switch Pro Controller and I had similar results with the Wii U Pro Controller. Sony's Playstation 4 controller battery life is god awful, but I'm going to assume that's something with Sony and the battery they use/the tech inside.
External batteries is the Achilles heel for me personal with the Xbox controllers. The same process always happens. I buy a set of rechargeable AA batteries, and anywhere from 3 months to a a year I end up losing batteries, losing the charger, the batteries end up being placed in other devices like remotes that get lost or accidently thrown away etc. I can never keep up with them and it usually ends up in a few months I'm buying either more batteries or another charger. Then when you have multiple controllers, that shit gets expensive. Right now I need AA batteries for my 4 Xbox One Controllers and my 2 Nintendo Switch Gamecube Pro Controller. That's annoying having to keep that much rechargeable batteries or having to constantly swap out batteries because The Xbox One Controller has batteries in it but my Switch Gamecube Pro Controller doesn't.
Also, I know about the Xbox battery packs that are rechargeable, but I've had two in the past and both of them failed on me after less than a year. I guess I'll give it a shot again for the Xbox Series X controller, but I'm not feeling confident in it lasting long either.
I'd just rather have an internal chargeable battery that I don't have to ever worry about.
External batteries is the Achilles heel for me personal with the Xbox controllers. The same process always happens. I buy a set of rechargeable AA batteries, and anywhere from 3 months to a a year I end up losing batteries, losing the charger, the batteries end up being placed in other devices like remotes that get lost or accidently thrown away etc. I can never keep up with them and it usually ends up in a few months I'm buying either more batteries or another charger. Then when you have multiple controllers, that shit gets expensive. Right now I need AA batteries for my 4 Xbox One Controllers and my 2 Nintendo Switch Gamecube Pro Controller. That's annoying having to keep that much rechargeable batteries or having to constantly swap out batteries because The Xbox One Controller has batteries in it but my Switch Gamecube Pro Controller doesn't.
Also, I know about the Xbox battery packs that are rechargeable, but I've had two in the past and both of them failed on me after less than a year. I guess I'll give it a shot again for the Xbox Series X controller, but I'm not feeling confident in it lasting long either.
I'd just rather have an internal chargeable battery that I don't have to ever worry about.
i, personally, love my electronics ballooning over the years with no easy way to get replacement parts. i also love having to buy dedicated charging stands or have ugly cables running out of my consoles all the time. can't get enough of that shit. it's especially great to be tethered to the console when the battery runs out!
I have IKEA LADDA batteries and a charger that holds 2. I get about 40 hours of play out of these compared to 6 hours in the PS4 controller.
External batteries all day every day. I keep my consoles and dont have to worry about internal batteries bloating and ruining my controllers 10 years from now on my XBox controllers.
External batteries all day every day. I keep my consoles and dont have to worry about internal batteries bloating and ruining my controllers 10 years from now on my XBox controllers.
It actually shocked me that Xbox still has external battery. Seems very inconvenient.
I like to play and plug it in. Done. No hassle.
Do these last longer btw?
So a controller can fit 2 X AA batteries (5000mAh?)
I see that the play and charge kit is only 1600mAh. How long does that last?
I like to play and plug it in. Done. No hassle.
Do these last longer btw?
So a controller can fit 2 X AA batteries (5000mAh?)
I see that the play and charge kit is only 1600mAh. How long does that last?
Sure, but handhelds you don't play three-four hours straight, at least I don't. I play in bouts, and then it sucks if the battery loses charges between those bouts because then I can't play when I want to.
External 100%.
You can have a choice of choosing a rechargeable one, or going with replaceable batteries rather than being stuck with an internal one that drains over time.
You can have a choice of choosing a rechargeable one, or going with replaceable batteries rather than being stuck with an internal one that drains over time.
External batteries always.
Internal batteries that age will destroy electronics if they leak. External batteries or battery packs can be removed with ease.
Anyone who is storing any video game consoles from the PS3 / Wii U era will find themselves with controllers that will be rendered unusable or destroyed.
Internal batteries that age will destroy electronics if they leak. External batteries or battery packs can be removed with ease.
Anyone who is storing any video game consoles from the PS3 / Wii U era will find themselves with controllers that will be rendered unusable or destroyed.
About 40 hours on a average for the Xbox controller on AA. Compared to about 8 on a PS4 with its internal battery. I don't know the life on a play & charge - but I would guess closer to the 8 like PS4.
What if you forget to plug it in and the battery dies on you when you're playing? How convenient is it then? Do you play while being tethered to the cable? Do you have to buy a second controller for 60 bucks so that one is always charged?
With my Xbox controller I replace the batteries at most twice per month, takes 10 seconds. In the grand scheme of things that's less total time spent than having to plug in your controller after every play session or risk the battery dying on you during play. With my Xbox controller when I'm done playing I just put it down, no need to remember to charge it and to me that is much more convenient.
External is superior imo.
Eneloops are cheap, and work in things beyond a game controller. Also means I can swap batteries and never have to hunt around for a USB cable to charge. Or even worse, play tethered (most of my cables are shorter).
Eneloops are cheap, and work in things beyond a game controller. Also means I can swap batteries and never have to hunt around for a USB cable to charge. Or even worse, play tethered (most of my cables are shorter).
gimme a battery cover I can throw a couple eneloops in any day. literally went through four DualShock 3s because the batteries kept dying whereas I used the same 360 controller the entire generation plus part of this one for PC.
Of course they do, you have the option of buying the controller WITH the battery, you don't have to buy it separately, if that's your problem with it then it's a problem that arose out of your choice of product since you've always had the option to purchase said controllers with the play and charge kit included. This is an undeniable fact and you're choosing to ignore it because... reasons?
8bitdo is obviously a much more affordable proposition and again, I'm not saying their products are "lesser" or anything of the sort, I myself own several of their controllers, adapters and even their bluetooth speakers and I think they're a great brand who deserve all the love they get and I'm damn sure happy that they took a page from microsoft's book when it comes to their approach regarding batteries.
I just don't understand why Microsoft suddenly doesn't deserve the credit for the solution in question just because theirs is more expensive. They've been providing you with the very same thing for 14 years before 8bitdo did it.
From an environmental point of view, I'd hope there was a standard form factor for lithium flat/small external batteries, just as it is for the old cylindrical AA ones.
And I'd also hope internal batteries were banned by governments then. Just like EU banned custom chargers for phones (and forced everyone to use USB)
And I'd also hope internal batteries were banned by governments then. Just like EU banned custom chargers for phones (and forced everyone to use USB)
Hot damn, 40 is brilliant.
Curious to know why the play & charge has so less in comparison then.
Honestly it has never happened to me that my battery died on me. I have a habit of placing my controller on top of my console and since the usb cable is inserted into the PS4 at all times, I plug it in every other day.
The best of both worlds would be a removable back cover for AA batteries, with a Play & Charge kit included in the box, so you can choose. That'll never happen though.
Given that, I think the Xbox controllers have the best approach. The standard controller lets you use eneloops, or you can buy a Play & Charge kit. If the battery stops working, you just have to replace the battery and not the entire controller.
Related - this is a really dumb question, but a quick Google is turning up nothing, presumably because it's so dumb nobody has asked. But... you can use Eneloop brand battery chargers to charge other brands of rechargable batteries like Ikea Ladda, right?
Given that, I think the Xbox controllers have the best approach. The standard controller lets you use eneloops, or you can buy a Play & Charge kit. If the battery stops working, you just have to replace the battery and not the entire controller.
Related - this is a really dumb question, but a quick Google is turning up nothing, presumably because it's so dumb nobody has asked. But... you can use Eneloop brand battery chargers to charge other brands of rechargable batteries like Ikea Ladda, right?
Xbox solution is the best.
Get a 4-pack of ~2500mah LSD AAs for a combined 5000mah (3x the Dualsense's 1560mah) and swap batteries when they eventually run out and keep playing wirelessly always.
Or get the battery pack and USB cable and get the exact same experience as with an internal battery. Except for if the battery ever goes bad, you can easily replace it, or start using AAs.
I use the battery pack with my XB1 controller for the PC. At the PC the cable never really gets in the way, and I always have it plugged in for charging whatever.
I would use AAs for console, because that cable can get annoying when it just barely reaches and is draped across the floor and gets stuck on tables and whatnot.
Hopefully Sony's controller doesn't have rubbish battery life this time and comes with an actually usable USB cable.
Get a 4-pack of ~2500mah LSD AAs for a combined 5000mah (3x the Dualsense's 1560mah) and swap batteries when they eventually run out and keep playing wirelessly always.
Or get the battery pack and USB cable and get the exact same experience as with an internal battery. Except for if the battery ever goes bad, you can easily replace it, or start using AAs.
I use the battery pack with my XB1 controller for the PC. At the PC the cable never really gets in the way, and I always have it plugged in for charging whatever.
I would use AAs for console, because that cable can get annoying when it just barely reaches and is draped across the floor and gets stuck on tables and whatnot.
Hopefully Sony's controller doesn't have rubbish battery life this time and comes with an actually usable USB cable.
I honestly don't understand how the poll is so close, batteries are batteries... but external gives the user the ability to easily replace them, which has both short and long term benefits.
Maybe the short term benefits are debatable if you're good at keeping your controllers fully charged between gaming sessions, and your gaming sessions don't last long enough to fully deplete the battery. But even then it's basically equal (not factoring in the long-term benefits of easily removable batteries), unless you find the slight difference in inconvenience of plugging in a controller vs removing the batteries and putting them into a charger to be significant.
Maybe the poll results would be more appropriately lopsided if it didn't conflate external with AA-style... proprietary external batteries like the one that comes with the 8bitdo SN30 Pro Plus are 100% upside since you can basically treat them as if they were internal batteries, just with the added benefits of being easily removable if you want or need to.
That said, the Xbox controller should absolutely come with the Play & Charge kit included... which is I'm guessing one of the main reasons why internal's as popular as it is, since it being sold separately was why I used to think more highly of built-in batteries too.
TL;DR: Is the removable battery able to be recharged while still inside the controller? Was the removable battery included with the controller? If the answer is "yes" to both those questions, removable batteries are objectively better.
Maybe the short term benefits are debatable if you're good at keeping your controllers fully charged between gaming sessions, and your gaming sessions don't last long enough to fully deplete the battery. But even then it's basically equal (not factoring in the long-term benefits of easily removable batteries), unless you find the slight difference in inconvenience of plugging in a controller vs removing the batteries and putting them into a charger to be significant.
Maybe the poll results would be more appropriately lopsided if it didn't conflate external with AA-style... proprietary external batteries like the one that comes with the 8bitdo SN30 Pro Plus are 100% upside since you can basically treat them as if they were internal batteries, just with the added benefits of being easily removable if you want or need to.
That said, the Xbox controller should absolutely come with the Play & Charge kit included... which is I'm guessing one of the main reasons why internal's as popular as it is, since it being sold separately was why I used to think more highly of built-in batteries too.
TL;DR: Is the removable battery able to be recharged while still inside the controller? Was the removable battery included with the controller? If the answer is "yes" to both those questions, removable batteries are objectively better.
Last edited:
I don't understand the hype either. I just have some basic energizer ones that work fine
Internal is better for the environment when compared to normal external batteries (non-rechargable). I also don't have to worry about having batteries laying around (team lazy).
Ladda batteries apparently launched in 2016 so they haven't been around for long enough to have built up as broad mindshare as eneloop. These videos will probably start to change chat. Ikea or amazon stores are also limited to certain areas so that could perhaps also have had an influence.
If Eneloops didn't exist, internal all the way.
Since Eneloops do exist, they're clearly superior.
Since Eneloops do exist, they're clearly superior.
I would much rather have removable batteries. Once I'm done with the controller for the next generation, I can use the batteries for other devices.
Yoooo, poll is 50/50.
343 vs 343 lmao.
So many inferior internal preference, disgusting.
Some people still think they need to buy new batteries.
343 vs 343 lmao.
So many inferior internal preference, disgusting.
Some people still think they need to buy new batteries.
