![]() When the lithium ion cell died - what did you do? You just went down the local high street, bought a pack of AA rechargeable batteries, plugged them in and off you go - phone fixed. Think about this - years ago some motorola phones used to have an option to either run off AA batteries or it's own lithium ion cell. In fact using AA batteries over internal batteries is far more environmentally friendly. I know you mention that AA batteries aren't exactly environmentally friendly as you use them then throw them - but have you heard of rechargeable AA batteries. I hate the PS4 controllers that have internal batteries as they are such a pain in the backside. I actually find the fact that the Xbox controllers use AA batteries and a replaceable battery pack more of an advantage than a disadvantage. The company could also start manufacturing controllers with built-in rechargeable batteries, but that seems like a bigger ask. It's an extremely inconvenient oversight, but also one that seems relatively easy to fix. The best solution, though, would be for Microsoft to simply include an LED charging light on the next batch of Xbox Series X rechargeable battery cables. (You get two batteries, so the math makes sense if you own two controllers.) It's not quite as simple as just plugging in a cable, but at least you know when your batteries are done charging. It's a little cumbersome, and at $40, it's more expensive than buying a single battery pack from Microsoft. Then there's something like the HyperX ChargePlay Duo, just announced at CES 2021, which uses proprietary battery packs and a physical dock to charge controllers. On the other hand, a five-foot-long cable is not useful for playing games while a controller charges, and it doesn't come with a battery pack. ![]() This is exactly what Microsoft should have included with its rechargeable battery pack. Very simply, it's a USB-C charging cable that lights up as a controller charges. Your mileage may vary on this, of course.) After the fact, though, I discovered that Microsoft fans are not without options when it comes to charging solutions with indicators.įirst, there's something like the Numskull Xbox Series X LED USB-C Charge Cable (another product name that leaves nothing to the imagination). ![]() (Again: Xbox One rechargeable battery packs still work fine, and I have two of them. Had I known that I was essentially just paying for a very long USB-C cable, I probably would have avoided buying Microsoft's rechargeable battery kit. (Image credit: Future) Xbox play and charge kit alternatives Instead, we got a much less useful product for the exact same price. If Microsoft couldn't give us an LED on the cable itself, the very least it could have done is make the "charged" symbol on the Xbox home screen a little more distinctive.Ĭonsidering that the rechargeable battery is more or less a necessary expense, the least Microsoft could have done was provide a cable equally as good as its last-gen model. If your controller is charged, you'll see a nearly identical battery with a plug icon, but this time, the bar is static. If your controller is charging, you'll see a battery with a plug icon and a slowly moving white bar. With this new charging cable, you have to turn on your TV and your Xbox (again - this wastes both time and power), and examine a tiny icon at the top of the screen. Is the light white? Your controller is charged. ![]() Is the light orange? Your controller is charging. More than anything else, though, a charging indicator saves you frustration. It lets you know when you can detach your controller and jump back into a game it could also save you some money on electricity, since Xbox consoles will provide a small trickle of power to charging gear even when the system is turned off. After all, you get a battery pack and charging cable, and they work well what more could you want? But a charging light is an invaluable thing, especially if you have only one controller. However, the Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB-C Cable for Xbox Series X (rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?) is a huge step backward for one simple reason: There's no indicator light. While Xbox One battery packs are compatible with Xbox Series X controllers, the charging cables are not, since newer controllers use USB-C rather than microUSB plugs. The LEDs on the cables would glow orange while the controller was charging, and either green or white once the charge was complete. Older Xbox battery-pack charging cables partly alleviated this problem. (The illuminated power button would work just fine for this application, but I digress.) The only way to check how much power you have left is to boot up your Xbox and check the top of the home screen - or install a dedicated app on your PC. ![]() Unlike most gaming peripherals, Xbox controllers do not have a light that indicates charge. ![]()
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