Have you bought an Xbox Wireless controller, or created your own via the Xbox Design Lab system in recent months? And did it arrive without two AA batteries? If it did, it was an error on Microsoft's part. According to Xbox Support's post on X, and reported by Tweak Town, a "limited number" of controllers have mistakenly been shipped since December 2025 without batteries.
"A limited number of controllers have shipped without batteries since December. If you received one of these controllers, go here https://aka.ms/batteries for a rechargeable battery on us. All controllers moving forward will include batteries."
As an apology, Microsoft is offering those affected Xbox Rechargeable Battery + USB‑C Cable pack ($24.99 USD). This offers play-and-charge functionality and eliminates the need to replace your controller's batteries.
Xbox controllers are still widely used for console and PC gaming, and these controllers have been using the 2 AA battery design since the Xbox 360. On the other hand, Sony's DualShock (PS4) and DualSense (PS5) controllers have integrated rechargeable batteries.
<social>https://x.com/XboxSupport/status/2041733265929732557</social>