An interview between Stealth Optional and Duracell UK's marketing manager Luke Anderson has stoked speculation behind the true reasons Microsoft uses AA batteries to power its Xbox controllers.Duracell UK’s marketing manager Luke Anderson revealed in an interview with Stealth Optional that Duracell has an agreement with Xbox to supply their battery product for the next-gen consoles' controllers. Anderson revealed the agreement, saying "[The deal is] for OEM to supply the battery product for the Xbox consoles and also the controllers' battery." He went on to say that the deal has been in place for a while and that he thinks "it needs to go for a while [more]." According to Anderson, Xbox’s partnership with Duracell is the primary reason that the new Xbox Series X/S uses AA batteries to power its controllers, as opposed to the USB charging ports that the PlayStation 5’s controllers use.RELATED: Among Us Is Comes To Xbox In 2021, Now On Game Pass For PCDuracell and Microsoft’s cooperation does seem to exist in some capacity, based on Duracell regularly tweeting about using Duracell batteries in Xbox controllers, as well as a promotion that allows buyers of Duracell Optimum, extra-powered batteries, to receive two weeks free of Xbox Game Pass. However, Microsoft has argued that its longstanding agreement with Duracell does not force the Xbox creator to use batteries instead of rechargeable packs in its controllers. A 2020 interview with Jason Ronald, Xbox’s director of project management, has resurfaced in which Ronald says there is a group of Xbox players who do prefer AA batteries and that Xbox chose to allow flexibility by giving their players a choice.

Microsoft recently reconfirmed that its decision was about player choice, in response to the Stealth Optional interview. A spokesperson for the Xbox producer said, "We intentionally offer consumers choice in their battery solutions for our standard Xbox Wireless Controllers. This includes the use of AA batteries from any brand, the Xbox Rechargeable Battery, charging solutions from our partners, or a USB-C cable, which can power the controller when plugged in to the console or PC."

Representatives were unwilling to discuss the details of any deal between the two companies. Therefore, it remains unclear whether or not Microsoft’s deal with Duracell requires its Xbox controllers to default to AA batteries as an energy source.

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Sources: Stealth Optional, Eurogamer, Twitter