this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2025
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Based on the description on their site, the controller includes a built-in battery: "8.39 Wh Li-ion battery​, 35+ hours of gameplay... "

That was disappointing for me. Specially condidering the Steam Frame's controllers make use of AA batteries: "​One replaceable AA battery per controller, ​ 40hr battery life​"

AA Batteries might not be as convenient to use, but being able to replace them is a great advantage. All my Xbox360 controllers still work fine, but none of my PS3' Dualshock 3s.

The official docking station could be used to recharge (rechargables) AA batteries so the functionality could remain the same.

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[–] tal@lemmy.today 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I mean, there are some legitimate reasons.

  • Non-rechargeable alkalines do have very low self-discharge rate, so they work well if you're gonna stash a flashlight somewhere for a long time for emergencies.

  • The voltage on different types of batteries is not the same, and there are some devices with power supplies that cannot handle a wide-enough voltage range. I have a Grundig G6 shortwave radio, for example, which will not run on NiMH AA batteries (1.2V, rather than 1.5V alkalines or lithium). I suppose that I could get rechargeable lithium-ions, but I don't really want to deal with rechargeables with different battery chemistry floating around, and my current battery charger can't handle lithiums.

I just remember the 1980s, where the norm was alkaline, and people had to buy the things all the time for all kinds of battery-powered devices. Was nice to be able to just recharge batteries at home.