Play and Charge Kit or Rechargeable Batteries?

WoodsMonk

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What do you prefer to use?

I usually go with the P&C kit but looking at Rechargeable Batteries this time around, So does anyone have any recommendations on the best batteries (looking at eneloop pros?) and charger thanks.
 
I've always used rechargeables. Currently using Ikea LADDA which are apparently rebranded Eneloops or at least made in the Japanese factory.
 
Got play and charge kit on my One S at the moment but with a toddler the last of the 16 rechargeable AA's have been used up in various annoying toys so I've just taken delivery of another 16 Amazon AA's so i will take some of these for my SX and see how i get on as the battery on the play and charge kit isn't great (3rd party)
 
Before I got the Elite 2 controller I was using normal AA rechargeable batteries.
 
I always get a dock and rechargables that come with it - using this one at the moment and very happy with it -I have a normal and a gen 1 elite that both fit perfectly. Been advised by the maker of these that the new controllers are slightly different in size so new battery packs will be needed unfortunatly.

Amazon product ASIN B00284AI3K
 
Eneloops.
 
I've used PowerA Battery kits and charging stations all this gen and even after 7 year use the battery would still last in excess of 4 hours. I've just bought some new batteries just to get back to full capacity ready for the next gen. No brainer for what they cost imo.

Amazon product ASIN B08JMTD6JP
I do also have a couple of standard Xbox play and charge batteries that have been fine too although they have had less use than the PowerA batteries due to using the charging stand being easier than plugging in cables.
 
Stopped using P&C kits on the 360 after having 2 which both failed prematurely, hence not worth it. I switched to good quality rechargeable batteries about 10 years ago and never looked back.... slight caveat to that is to get good quality batteries. Standard rechargeable batteries will drain of charge when when not in use, which is why i use Duracell Stay Charged ones which don't. I think Eneloop have the same quality and are often recommended.

As for comments about it being a faff...hardly. Just have 4 in rotation and when they get low swap them out with spares already charged up and put the drained ones on charge to be ready when they're needed. Hardly consider that more of a "faff than messing about connecting up the charge cable to the controller and the console regularly...far too regularly when thy P&C starts failing, or even worse just doesn't work so only option is to use it wired or buy a new one.

Regarding the docks, personally I'm not sure they're a great idea as often batteries can deteriorate with number of charges, and these things by design charge the battery every time you put the controller on them, the majority of which won't actually be needed, so don't think that's a better alternative to batteries you use until low and only charge when needed.

Each to their own though and for this exact reason i'm glad MS stick to the AA format for their controllers as it give s people these choices.
 
yeah I have had two docks, they first lasted 2 years, still on the 2nd one so far. I like it as my son will put it back on the dock when he stops playing so he is charging it when he finishes using it, also it give them a place to live, not on the arm of the sofa. Kid really change you use case for things I can tell you.
 
I use a design lab pad and also the Elite 2 pad.

It’s a faff for me compared to my Elite 2 that I just drop into the charging puck whenever it’s not in use, but thankfully my AA rechargeable (just bog standard Duracell) last weeks so it’s not the greatest of hassles.

I’d like a more elegant solution, I don’t like third party docks, they look awfully cheap and nasty, either garish green and red lights on them or they’ve got daft designs like that back to back thing above. Or they make you replace the back plate of the controller with an ugly third party one, I’m not going to do that when I’ve specifically paid for a design lab pad.

Finally the batteries they use I don’t like, always they use these shitty low capacity things, AA last circa 40 hours, Elite 2 internal battery is 40 hours, some of these dire third party offerings reduce the battery life down to measly Dualshock 4 levels of playtime.
 
Stopped using P&C kits on the 360 after having 2 which both failed prematurely, hence not worth it. I switched to good quality rechargeable batteries about 10 years ago and never looked back.... slight caveat to that is to get good quality batteries. Standard rechargeable batteries will drain of charge when when not in use, which is why i use Duracell Stay Charged ones which don't. I think Eneloop have the same quality and are often recommended.

As for comments about it being a faff...hardly. Just have 4 in rotation and when they get low swap them out with spares already charged up and put the drained ones on charge to be ready when they're needed. Hardly consider that more of a "faff than messing about connecting up the charge cable to the controller and the console regularly...far too regularly when thy P&C starts failing, or even worse just doesn't work so only option is to use it wired or buy a new one.

Regarding the docks, personally I'm not sure they're a great idea as often batteries can deteriorate with number of charges, and these things by design charge the battery every time you put the controller on them, the majority of which won't actually be needed, so don't think that's a better alternative to batteries you use until low and only charge when needed.

Each to their own though and for this exact reason i'm glad MS stick to the AA format for their controllers as it give s people these choices.

Modern batteries are perfectly happy to be regularly topped off as and when, it won’t damage them, they don’t enjoy being rapid charged like in the fancy modern phones because that generates heat which is the ultimate enemy to battery life in the long term.

Honestly I don’t know what the deal with those play and charge kits is, such unreliable things, I had two of them and both were such a pain within about ten months, it’s like my Xbox never knew how to talk to the controller properly and actually charge them. Then they would report fully charged and just randomly die with no warning two hour later. I’m glad I replaced those hideous things with AA.
 
Regarding rechargeable batteries for new Xbox series X controller the Panasonic eneloop pro don't seem to be on sale at amazon uk I heard they are having a packet redesign maybe. Any other AA options or where could I get legit eneloops pros from?

Thank you
 
Regarding rechargeable batteries for new Xbox series X controller the Panasonic eneloop pro don't seem to be on sale at amazon uk I heard they are having a packet redesign maybe. Any other AA options or where could I get legit eneloops pros from?

Thank you
This is where I'll be getting mine from..
 
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Regarding rechargeable batteries for new Xbox series X controller the Panasonic eneloop pro don't seem to be on sale at amazon uk I heard they are having a packet redesign maybe. Any other AA options or where could I get legit eneloops pros from?

Thank you



Tbh you may as well get the Ikea ones for the price
 
I brought 8 Duracell 2500mAh rechargeables at the start of this generation and still going strong so will use them for next generation as well
 
I've always gone play and charge kit. I love that it does both though rather than an in built battery. There's always that one time when I haven't got a charger, but there's always AA's knocking about.

Also I heard on a podcast tonight that the original play and charge batteries do fit in the new controllers, I know this was discussed on this forum somewhere but the answer seemed to be unknown but apparently they do. However the battery doesn't seem to last as long as it did in the old controllers. Perhaps the new play and charge batteries have a better capacity, dunno.
 

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