Microsoft's Deal With Duracell is Why we Have AA Batteries in Xbox Pads
If you thought AA batteries were a thing of the past, Microsoft's decision to include them in the controllers for new Xbox must have surprised you. The company's deal with Duracell is to blame for this state of affairs.
- Microsoft has an on-going deal with Duracell;
- That's why AA batteries are compatible with Xbox Series X/S controllers.
AA batteries are being used to power the controller of next-gen console? What's Microsoft's point and why is it still holding onto this conservative power supply? If you don't know what a thing's about, it's about... money. More specifically, about the money related to a deal between Xbox and Duracell. Luke Anderson, manager of the British marketing department of the latter company, revealed in an interview for Stealth Optional that the partnership has been going on for some time and that it is not likely to end soon.
Thanks to the inquisitiveness of MCV editors, Microsoft also took a position in this matter, which confirmed the words of Duracell's spokesperson and expanded on them a little. The company's announcement reads that its policy from the very beginning assumed a large number of energy sources matching the controller, which directly affects the freedom of use. The owners of Xbox controllers can thus choose whether to use AA batteries, dedicated batteries or ordinary USB-C cables.
And frankly speaking - it sounds reasonable, although it is still a rather safe excuse that tries to cover up the fact of marketing cooperation between the two brands. We have nothing against it until it takes away our choice of chargers. And the fact that this partnership gives AA batteries priority over lithium-ion cells? That's just another a funny curiosity that's typical for the times we live in.
