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.
An important thing to note is that the Steam Controller will be user-serviceable and they want to continue their partnership with ifixit
This is a very good point. If it’s as easy to replace as AA and it lasts longer, it’s just better all around.
A few problems: it will still use rare earth metals, and those are a hot political topic right now with China restricting them
The fact that AAs are eternal. Who knows if this specific battery will still be available in 10 years.
Also, the small problem of you can’t just buy a new one at Walmart. It is small, but out of sight, out of mind, and out of the public consciousness.
Problems with Li-ion itself, I suppose. What we really need is a standardized small rectangle form factor since Li-ion is just more efficient in that shape.
Why is that important
Because it means you can probably swap your battery with a single screw or two.
I’m not doing that on a regular basis. I can swap the battery in my Xbox controller without any screws.
E: Wow, I really love being downvoted for my opinion. Super cool shit, guys.
Not downvoting you, but you’re not being reasonable. Serviceable means actually serviceable. It might be “better” to use AA batteries but if they can’t, the next best thing would be that it can be serviced by the actual end consumer. And yeah if you’re planning on fixing your own things you may need to own a screwdriver.
I don’t think you understand. I’m not talking about service. No one is talking about normal use. We’re talking about swappable batteries. Remember like we had in phones back in the day? I swap the batteries on my current controller every few days. It’s not unreasonable to expect modern controllers to have the same functionality they had 20 years ago…
Except that you don’t have to swap the batteries on a built-in rechargeable battery every few days. You plug it in when you aren’t using it, and swap the batteries every few years when they stop holding a charge. I guarantee you the time spent swapping AAs every few days will far outweigh the time you spend using a screw driver to replace this battery at the frequency it requires.
And what happens when the controller dies? That requires:
I don’t have a charging station in my couch.
I guarantee you it doesn’t. Not to mention those screws would become stripped in a matter of weeks.
Man is gaming 24/7 and has zero downtime where he could plug in a controller. That’s dedication right there /s
What happens if your controller dies and you’re out of AA batteries?
I would leave a device on charge permanently. That would use excess electricity.
Definitely not. All modern chargers are made to negotiate with the charging device for power and voltage, including sending none because the device is full.
I, for one, still don’t understand why you want to swap batteries. I’m assuming you’re talking about rechargable AA batteries, and not the environmental disaster that are single use batteries. How’s taking the batteries out, going to the charging station, swapping the batteries, returning and installing them back into the controller less convenient that just dropping the controller onto the recharging puck when it’s not in use?
So you have some special conditions where you can’t recharge the controller between sessions?
Because I don’t want to be tethered to a cable.
Because then I have to be constantly concerned about the state of the battery at any time. I have enough rechargeable devices to be worried about.
Just have the magnetic puck exactly in the location where you leave your controller when not playing and done, never think about the battery and don’t swap things.
So you’d rather swap batteries than put the controller on a charger - which they showed to be crazy easy to do? You’re still not making much sense.
LOL I don’t know how to be more clear about this. Yes, I would absolutely rather spend 10 seconds popping the battery door off and swapping out the batteries than spend an hour tethered to a cable, and MUCH rather than spending 10 minutes walking around to find a screwdriver to do it…
You’re not making much sense. Why wouldn’t I want that?
Why don’t you just charge it when you’re not using it? Then you spend zero time on batteries.
The new Steam Controller’s batteries are supposed to last dozens of hours per charge and comes with a charging puck. It doesn’t take a genuis to figure out that you just charge it when you’re not using it.
And even if that’ll wear down the battery faster, it’s not enough that you’ll go from 35hr of charge to 2hr in the span of a year. Hell, that’d probably take over a decade to happen.
You’re getting downvoted because you’re being a complete idiot. Quit being defensive about it and just move on.
Lazy fuck.
I mean, there are two reasons that you want to swap batteries.
So that the device doesn’t die. This is what OP is worried about. This probably takes years and years of use, though (unless you leave the thing discharged for a long time).
So that you can use the controller wirelessly (say, in a living room, so people don’t trip over a cord) and also charge its batteries. For most people, I’d think that this isn’t a huge problem — I mean, my controllers with lithium batteries last way longer than I would stay awake on a full charge, and next time I use them, they’re charged. I normally run my controllers wired for better latency and not having to care about charge, but there are people who do have a legit need for wireless. However, I can think of some exotic cases where it would be necessary. Think of, say, a rec room on a ship or something with shifts of people who are constantly using the thing, where there’s no time to recharge (though then, I think you could just get a second controller or something, swap out the one charging for the one in use). The XBox controller did the AA battery thing, and I have a Logitech F710 that does this. Makes a controller heavier than lithium batteries do, though, produces a shorter battery life relative to the weight, and places some constraints on the layout of the controller (since you need to have the volume to stick the batteries in.
For #1, yeah, the idea of taking off a screw after 10 years or something being prohibitive is pretty absurd.
But if someone is just wanting to do the “simultaneous charge and use” thing, #2, then the screw is an issue, because you’d need to do that every, say, two days or so.
#2 is not an issue with a controller advertised to have 35h of battery life. Which you should charge when not in use. Unless the commenter I replied to games for 35h+ continuous hours, in which case none of what they said applies to any member of functioning society.
Wow, that was super unnecessary…
It’s based on the bullshit you’ve been spewing about AA. And that last statement is just the cherry on top.
You’re not in this for longevity of device usage, you’re in this for convenience. Gtfo.
Expecting my devices to be convenient? Oh, the horror…
LMAO you’re even twisting my words. Taking the piss I see. Fuck right off.
You yourself mentioned device longevity then came out with not even wanting a device serviceable with a fucking screwdriver. That’s not wanting convenience, it’s being a fucking blob of lard too lazy to move your fingers.
Fuck back off to your cheeto-encrusted gamer chair, lazy ass bum.
I’d rather have screws than those clip-in covers that break or having to pry the device open like some brands of devices, ie most of the tech industry. Somewhere in the middle. Quickly being able to replace a battery easily a plus don’t get me wrong, but I don’t want it getting torn up in the process one either extreme. I am ok with it may take several minutes, but not with “can I buff this out” or “where is the tape/glue”.
How about clip in covers that don’t break? I’ve been using my XBone controller for like 7 years, swapping batteries out every week or so, and it still works fine. Running in and out screws definitely will not be nearly as durable, especially if they’re anything like the Steam Deck’s screws.