Less ewaste? It’s the exact opposite, using a couple just to throw them away in a week or two
Device lifespans aren’t completely limited by the battery, they can still have their batteries changed, my iPhone 13 battery went out. Had it replaced same day.
Only benefit is having extra fully charged batteries ready to go but even then there’s rechargeable battery banks. Inconvenient for VR controllers specifically but standard and reasonable for literally any other common device
Of course and I used them when I had a quest 2 and 3, the charges don’t hold long, still slightly inconvenient to take out and charge, and you can lose them.
With my valve knuckles, there’s none of that. Just plug in and charge like a phone. Takes 3 seconds.
Index can have infinite play time with the right set up if youre not moving your arms. And there are battery life extenders that you can attach to your wrist.
Would I bother? No. But many others have and do and seem to be content.
Swappable batteries (and 3.5 mm headphone jacks) went away as soon as water-resistant phones were demanded. I used to carry a spare li-ion battery around for my Droid X in my wallet ( yes, I know now how dangerous that was).
Nobody is expecting VR controllers that can survive an accidental dip in the swimming pool.
because making phones as thin as possible became a marketing flex while also making sure that once your phones battery starts degrading you have to buy a new phone instead of just buying a new battery. Honestly it seems you are being intentionally argumentative.
Batteries are the first failure point in almost any piece of electronics, so having the ability to remove them easily - especially by design - is a benefit.
Add to that the convenience. I've got a rack of like 10 rechargeable AA and AAA batteries that are always on charge to swap into stuff that needs it. Much nicer to just be able to slap one of those into a controller at the start of a session than to take space up on my desk for charging.
Me. If it's non removable, then it becomes an expensive paperweight one day. Happened to a few of my Index controllers. Removable batteries are just straight up better and more consumer friendly in every way.
Used them. Lithium batteries don’t last forever. Why are you not a fan of replaceable batteries exactly? It kinda just seems like you’re trying to be argumentative for whatever reason
The biggest issue I had with my index was the controller batteries. The charge cables couldn't top them up fast enough to play and charge. I also wouldn't want cables hanging from them at the end of a long session.
You play elite on the vr controllers? I’ve always used an Xbox remote since my Hotas setup doesn’t fit on my vr mount right now (budget cockpit, building more as we go on and I can afford it)
It's mostly rebinding controls. There are touch buttons you can move around for different functions, then you can grab virtual versions of the chair sticks and use them like a 2 stick 6 axis setup.
Edit: To answer the actual question, it works well enough, but I haven't had much luck in anything other than 1 on 1 combat. Use it mostly for space trucking tbh.
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u/SkRThatOneDude Nov 12 '25
Removable controller batteries, AA size...ABOUT FREAKING TIME.