Are the rechargeable Xbox One batteries li ion?

If that were only true. Every single laptop, tablet, slate, remote control (with integrated LI-ON), eReader, etc. has lost battery capacity overtime. Likewise, I know people with PS3's who have had to replace their controllers occasionally as they have gotten less satisfied with the battery life. Some of them either don't like wires going across their living room (actually their Wives don't like it. ) while some of them sit at such a distance from their PS3/TV that wires are impractical, and some have pets that like to chew on cords.

Anyway, I never said integrated batteries are a bad solution. They are just an undesireable solution for me. I will always go for a solution with replaceable batteries over non-replaceable batteries if it is an option.

Regards,
SB

 

if it's a 3.6v (usually it's rated at 3.6-3.7v) li, then it translates to 2.88Wh (2.8Wh @3.5v), while 2000mah 1.2v -> 2.4Wh. Of course if we use regular NiMH we can have 3000mAh or more.
Anyway, both are good. Personally, I like AA better if size permits.

 

The obvious place to put AA batteries is in the handles, one on either side, but rumble gets in the way. Cunning design might place the batteries inside rotating holders, and the batteries themselves are used the weights for the rumble (one offset more than the other for light and heavy rumbles).

 

Yes, didn't mean to imply they never degrade, Li-ion degrades over time at a rate of 10% to 20% per year depending on it's quality (percentage of it's remaining charge, so it takes 3 to 7 years to reach 50%). But it degrades a LOT faster in laptops, tablets and phones because of temperature changes. I have never seen a laptop which still hold it's charge after 2 years when used daily, even always plugged in.

I was only talking about my frustration against AA batteries I do have many devices with replaceable batteries and it's a good thing if I ever have to buy a new one, but only as long as they are light and don't impact the form factor negatively. So I don't see the point of anything other than li-poly or li-ion nowadays (replaceable or not). If there's a li-ion option available that's great, but being a separate purchase it will cost $20 per controller up front, and it will still have to be replaced in 5 years or so anyway, while an integrated battery means maybe $10 in 5 years if you're handy with a screwdriver, it's not that difficult to replace. So that $20 doesn't give me anything, and it mess up the form factor. Interestingly, if they were to put a battery with twice the capacity as they do now, it would last over 10 years until it doesn't hold a charge for a full evening.

In the future, maybe MS could bundle the li-ion battery with every controller for free, that would be the best.

 

Before I bought a retina MacBookPro a year ago, I had a 2008 MacBook Pro that held a 2-3hr charge day in day out, down from 5hr charge on day one. The same was true for the 2004 PowerBook G4 that I replaced with the 2008 MPB with. But, generally, if you're using a laptop always plugged in, you're better off removing the battery when around 50-60% charged.

Battery quality varies wildly. If you pay $500 for a laptop, don't expect a great battery to be included.

 

theres some thread on here where people discussed Lithium battery degradation on lots of details. My google-fu fails me, i cant found it

Replace-able recharege-able lithuium battery are the best but MS and Sony seems dislike that idea.

 

I think it was in one of the nintendo threads as it concerned the WuuPad.

 

+1....

 

You have 3 options on Xbox One:

1. You can buy the rechargeable battery pack from MS which is lithium-ion. You do not have to remove the pack from the controller to recharge it. The pack comes with a standard USB cable that connects to the console so you can play and charge at the same time.

2. You can use any AA NiMH rechargeable batteries that you like (like enloops). They plug into the same place in the controller as the MS rechargeable pack, the controller can deal with it. You charge these batteries like normal, IE with the charger you bought with them.

3. You can use standard AA batteries. They also plug into the controller in the same place as the MS rechargeable pack.

Basically, MS designed a controller that can deal with 3 different types of batteries, giving you a choice what you want to use with it.

Also, since the batteries are user-replaceable, that means in 3 years when the li-ions have degraded to 50% capacity, you can easily swap them out to whatever you want, instead of having to buy a new controller or breaking the controller open to replace the cells.

I find it rather amazing that anyone sees much of a downside to this.

 

Although I agree with what you've said, this part isn't reflected in the findings of myself or the other posters in this thread. PS3 controllers still run well even after years of use, and generally are prone to other failures before the battery gives up.

 

The downside is you have to pay a hefty chunk of change for a rechargeable battery pack which is delivered as standard with the console of the major competitor, and of course, you'll have to pay the same chunk for each extra controller you wish to buy.

It adds up. You're going to be able to buy a couple games for the price of four battery packs, no doubt.

Also, I can't say I am able to remember last time I was forced to "interrupt" playing my PS3 to plug in the charging cable... I don't consider it an issue at all that the battery is internal.

 

It's not about internal/external...it's about tethered/untethered...not sure why some people keep glossing over this fact...

 

exactly rudecurve . $15 for an extra battery pack is nothing compared to $60 per controller when I want to continue playing from my couch

 

I still don't see what all the fuss is about, if you want to continue playing from your couch you can plug in the controller into a device that supports USB charging. Yes you can buy another controller too but it isn't a requirement. I haven't personally ever felt the need update the design of DS/Six Axis to include replaceable batteries and when speaking to friends or on forums I haven't seen a single thread anywhere with people complaining about the need for replaceable batteries for DS/Six Axis; to the contrary I have seen threads complaining about the cost of MS Play and Charge kits and being nicked and dimed by the additional cost of accessories.

Honestly I think both approaches have their merits but again I can't think of a single instance when plugging in my controller into the usb port on a laptop or running a long USB cable to the console itself disrupted my gaming experience. Come to think of it I honestly can't think of very many times when the charge on my controller didn't last long enough for a couple hours of gaming for either my 360 or PS3 controllers....

Help me to see how a cord plugged into a laptop materially degraded your gaming experience to the point that you had to spend money on a new controller. Never mind that controllers can be had for less the 60 bucks - I bring this up bc whenever someone complains about the retail cost of MS LIVE people are always quick to point out how it can be had for much less..... And I'm pretty sure you can get a new DS controller for closer to 40 bucks and often bundled with games at that price.

 

internal batteries are the bane of modern devices like cell phones. yes, they allow you to have a smaller case but they're a real expensive replacement pain as anyone that's had to replace the battery on their iPhone or iPad can attest.

for my 360, I have multiple controllers and thus, multiple battery caddies. I always have a spare loaded up with Eneloops in case my currently loaded caddy with Eneloops runs out of juice. It's less than 5 seconds to pick up one caddy, eject the current caddy and swapping the caddies.

if you talk to PS3 gamers who game as much (4+ hours daily), you'll find that they've adapted their behaviors because of the battery design on their controllers. PS3 gamers just don't play as long or as often.

 

The controllers can charge while you are using them, what behavior needs adapting??? I've asked this now several times and nobody seems to be able to say what exactly it is.

 

If you're going to be plugged in, why buy a wireless at all?

 

Personally, I also don't want to risk someone tripping over the cord while the controller is tethered to the console at times. Sure you can plug it into your laptop, but how many people are going to pull out their laptop to plug it in just to play a game. Getting a wall socket adapter could work, but now you've just shifted the wire clutter somewhere else.

Regards,
SB

 

Uhhh no, I bought a 3m USB lead and stopped thinking about it. I played through the Last of Us on two charges with a launch DS3 with ~5 hours on the lead. I have however spent way more money on batteries for both my 360 (the little that I played it) and my PC (burning batteries on that bad boy) than the cost of that USB lead. I've put literally thousands of hours on that pad since launch and while it's not as good as it used to be (~7-8 hours versus 12-16ish) it still functions, not as well as the 6 axis pads but screw those things (yup they are the player 2 and 3 pads now)

The 360 is not offering me the choice to go rechargable or not it's gouging me for it. List on a X360 pad is €40 and the P&C kit is €20 for a total of €60, the DS3 is €50. Sure you can point to other rechargables, charger kits, etc but the point is if I want a solution that can charge my pad while I game I need MS proprietary charger or some nightmare hodgepodge of chargers and spare batteries. The new XB1 pad at least ditches the damn custom connector for good old mini-USB, that pad offers choice the X360 did not.

 

why do you want to be tethered while you game? that defeats the purpose of wireless.

you're the first I've heard that the Xbox gives you less choices when it comes to how you power your controllers... I can use play and charge. I can use Eneloops. I can use Energizer. I can use Duracell. I can use Tenergy. I can use any type of battery I want. I can use NiCD. I can use NiMH. I can use whatever. I can be charging one set of batteries while I play on another set of cheap and easily replaceable rechargeable batteries. No need to be tethered.

You can argue that lithium ion has greater energy density and I would definitely agree with that. But it doesn't last as long as NiMH Eneloops. Anyone that's ever own a laptop or a cell phone realize that Li-ion batteries don't last that long. Eneloops have totally changed my perspective on how batteries should perform.