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I have used a mix between the actual rechargeable battery back, and the 'psyclone gaming' batteries (usually found at Target or Best Buy in the US).

I am starting to get annoyed, because the Microsoft batteries and chargers I think use a special 'chip' in them, and therefore the charging station can't charge the off brand batteries. To make matters worse, the charger I have for the off brand batteries has failed as well.

I want to know if the Microsoft batteries are worth the premium in cost, or if I am missing something. Also, where is the best place to get batteries?

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This semes like a shopping advice question... – Joe the Person Sep 18 '12 at 22:08
When I asked this question, it was more related to a technology standpoint of the different devices versus shopping. I can update the question (especially the end) if that would help clarify. I know shopping questions aren't usually allowed on SE sites, but really was curious about what made Microsoft batteries different. – jmlumpkin Sep 18 '12 at 22:59
Might be worth updating to ask about the difference in technology specifically, removing the "worth the premium" part. I'd be interested to know, as well – Sean Sep 19 '12 at 3:27

closed as off topic by kotekzot, kalina, MBraedley, fbueckert, LessPop_MoreFizz Sep 21 '12 at 2:03

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2 Answers

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I have both myself and I find that my non-Microsoft battery actually lasts longer than the MS one, albeit, it doesn't seem to be of the same quality.

However, you may come across the same problem I've had with unbranded ones, where the Dashboard shows the wrong battery level. There has been several occasions where my dashboard has shown the battery as full, but the controller was flashing with the low battery pattern.

Overall, I think it may entirely be down to the brand of non-microsoft battery, as there is generally wildy varied results.

But for consistency and best overall result, the Microsoft batteries are far superior.

I also have a charging station that charges the MS batteries perfectly well, so it may be worth bearing in mind that it could be the charging station with the issue and not the batteries themselves.

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I think my controllers have all be flashing like that for a while - with all my batteries. But you are right. Both of my off brand ones showed full when I put them in, but after 10 minutes, both dead. You have an aftermarket charger that charges a Microsoft battery? – jmlumpkin Aug 3 '10 at 11:37
Yeah, I'm at work at the moment so I can't remember what particular brand it is, but I'll let you know when I get home. – LiamGu Aug 3 '10 at 16:47
Were you able to find this out? – jmlumpkin Aug 5 '10 at 10:41
It's a Pelican Charge Station, though I don't know if you're able to buy them anymore. – LiamGu Aug 6 '10 at 12:40
Cheap/off-brand chargers can be just as finicky as the batteries themselves. Use a battery tester to be sure. Also, rechargeable batteries come it a WIDE variety of mAh ratings and can vary slightly in size (despite identical form-factor). For the most part you get what you pay for. – Nick Sep 19 '12 at 6:04
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You may have answered your own question. The premium you pay when you buy 'branded' goods is the guarantee of the company's name. That is, one would expect that a microsoft branded product that is more expensive to work perfectly, no? Jokes aside, they tend to perform better and last longer, but then again, I don't know how much longer, so I wouldn't be able to tell you whether they are 'worth' the premium. the worth part is subjective.

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I agree with you - but sometimes paying more doesn't mean you are always getting something better. It's easy to get ripped off on electronics sometimes (not related to this), and want to know if the premium you pay is actually worth it. – jmlumpkin Aug 3 '10 at 11:36

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