It was reported yesterday that the reason Xbox controllers still rely on AA batteries is due to a long-term agreement with Duracell to supply those batteries. Many won't be surprised to discover this isn't true.
As IGN reports, the confusion happened yesterday when Duracell UK marketing manager Luke Anderson made the following comment during an interview with Stealth Optional:
"There’s always been this partnership with Duracell and Xbox… It’s a constant agreement that Duracell and Microsoft have in place [...] [The deal is] for OEM to supply the battery product for the Xbox consoles and also the controllers’ battery. So that [deal is] going to go on for a while… it’s been going on for a while and I think it needs to go for a while [more]."
It's easy to interpret the comment as meaning Microsoft has agreed to keep on using AA batteries because of its deal with Duracell, but that's simply not the case. A Microsoft spokesperson has since clarified the situation, stating:
"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."
By sticking with AA batteries, you can choose what power option to use for your Xbox controllers, which is in stark contrast to Sony and Nintendo, both of which opted for rechargeable batteries in their controllers. The deal with Duracell simply means your Xbox controller will ship with Duracell brand AA batteries and that doesn't look like it will change any time soon.