10 Ways Gaming Was Infinitely Better In The '90s
2. AA Batteries Are MUCH Better Than Lithium
Ever since the Game Boy Advance SP, portable systems have never looked back from Lithium-based batteries. Li-On batteries last. They're not easily lost. You can play and charge at the same time.
It's not all roses, though. Ever changed a DualShock 3 battery? Did you manage to do it and get the bridges between R1/R2 and L1/L2 back in?
At least the 360 let you choose between Li-On or a caddy for AA batteries. But if you did choose the 'better' Li-On battery, you'd need a Play and Charge Kit or a charging station to keep gaming.
That's just the point. Convenience. AAs are pretty terrible for the environment. But they're swap in and swap out. No unscrewing tiny screws and risk being unable to piece your pad back together again. No getting short-changed like Nintendo did to gamers with the Wii U gamepad.
Most importantly, you had the ability to carry extras. Tonnes of extras. Heck, you could even use one pair while recharging another, if you were smart enough to buy rechargeables.
In the '90s, you had wires for controller power or batteries. It was that simple. No charging cables to lose, no accessories to buy, no burnt out, years-old batteries that aren't worth using.