Do you consider rechargeable battery condition when buying/storing/selling newer game hardware?

[koifish | 555]

I've become interested in this topic over the past 6 months, the question of what to do with your game system batteries. The ones of particular note to me are built-in proprietary batteries, like in a 3DS or Switch, because unlike AAs, there isn't a constant new stream of batteries being made for game systems and controllers; Inevitably, they stop being relevant, and companies move on, leaving future players at the mercy of time and good battery management. You can't really pretend it won't happen, as the GBA SP and PSP have proven (the latter doing so in disastrous fashion). Your only option is to prepare for it.

My curiosity comes from the collecting side; Are you thinking about this when it comes to your collection? I had this thought a few months ago and I started checking my batteries. I found that some of my batteries had begun to swell up and I had to get rid of them; Others were physically okay, but had much lower charge capacity than others (comparing multiples of the same system). After doing this exercise once, I decided to start keeping rechargeable systems in a set of containers from the non-rechargeable systems; This is to make it easier to do tests on them going forward.

Another place this comes into question for me is in buying/selling rechargeable devices. Is it going to start making a difference that the battery is or is not very good? What about if it's swollen or clearly needs to be disposed of properly? What about sealed consoles? I sold a sealed GBA SP years ago for great money, but that was well before I knew about the long-term ramifications of keeping batteries discharged for a long time. I wonder if any new sealed unit of a rechargeable system will even be functional if you open it up someday. If the battery even works, then it won't last for very long, and at the worst it may have leaked, swollen, exploded, etc. and likely caused damage to the game system.

Curious to hear other's thoughts on these matters.

[drxandy | 3,225]

The future is looking great on battery tech, in a few years there will probably be multiple replacement options for more systems than now.

People are already modding usb c charging into gameboys and ds' as well as different cells.

I try to store my ds' fully charged and years down the line they all seem to boot right up, maybe a bar or two down but I have been impressed.

[koifish | 555]

I don't fully understand the appeal of USB-C mods for older GBs myself. I get it if you want to not have to carry multiple chargers for multiple devices perhaps, but if it's a pre-SP game boy, then you already are using AAs, which are a standard battery that is widely available and easy to replace. They even come in high quality rechargeable NiMH models. Why would you want to instead get a unique, hard-to-find battery, that isn't standard and which can't be easily replaced, when their one upside over alkaline AAs, their being rechargeable, is already mimicked by existing AAs?

I ask the same question every time someone complains that a product "still" uses AAs. Unless it's something that cannot justify the size/shape of a AA, I see no reason why people would praise the company making their lives more difficult. Do people just not know or care that rechargeable AAs exist? Everyone who has owned a smartphone or laptop for more than a few years knows that the battery lifespan degrades just from normal use, so why are they blind to it in other devices?

[Tanooki | 4,932]

I don't see the appeal in the USB-C hacks of old systems either, I find it kind of detestable when I really think about it.

The utter appeal of the GBA and before *IS* the off the rack battery choice, whether they're one offs or a high quality set of rechargeable batteries with a spare set while the other is getting juiced back up.  OEM batteries are a joke, great at the time, long term a liability.  Sure the Chinese care now, cheap, don't have much standards, maybe they last, maybe they burn a hole in your ass one day with that gameboy in your pocket, or it'll burn your house down being even more extreme.  And what if you run out of power?  Better hope you have the correct style of jack, and a source to pop that thing into it to revitalized your wonky custom battery.  Me?  I'll be laughing at your dumb ass while I put another pair of AAs into my Gameboy Color with the IPS panel I put into it because I still can run it with a reliable source.  Every GB, GBP, GBC or A I've modded I stop at the battery, I won't do it, because it creates more barriers and work for the end user.

With that, back on your original question, think of what I just said, now apply that to the systems of a sort.  ANytime I've had found a broken system, one just died on me, whatever...what do I do?  Strip the OEM battery and I bag it up, store it in a little mini drawer tower I have.  It has saved me a few times when I've run into a puffy or roasted SP or DS model of sorts battery.  And if they do bloat, I can clearly see them as I can check that drawer whenever.  So if I were buying a system say on ebay, I would ask the seller if the battery was in good shape, how long it lasts etc because otherwise I'm going to knock it for having to get a replacement at my cost.

[OptOut | 8,883]

I've been cracking out the ol' GBA SP recently, got a hankering for a few GBA games. I've had my SP since I guess 2003, and the battery WAS still working fine surprisingly enough. However, I ran into a problem where the system wouldn't turn on from cold sometimes, not sure if anyone knows why this might be? 

I decided to replace the battery with a new cheap one from China. I HOPED that would solve the issue, but it still does the same thing. Sometimes it just won't turn on, although if you plug it in it will turn on, and continue to work as normal when you remove the plug... Sometimes it will turn on fine just like normal... And it always seems to work absolutely fine when it IS on, it never cuts out or anything during normal operation... Weird.

Any ideas???

[drxandy | 3,225]

Just because y'all don't like em doesn't stop the fact from them happening.

9 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I don't see the appeal in the USB-C hacks of old systems either, I find it kind of detestable when I really think about it....

Sure the Chinese care now, cheap, don't have much standards, maybe they last, maybe they burn a hole in your ass one day with that gameboy in your pocket, or it'll burn your house down being even more extreme.  And what if you run out of power?  Better hope you have the correct style of jack, and a source to pop that thing into it to revitalized your wonky custom battery.  Me?  I'll be laughing at your dumb ass while I put another pair of AAs into my Gameboy Color with the IPS panel I put into it because I still can run it with a reliable source.  Every GB, GBP, GBC or A I've modded I stop at the battery, I won't do it, because it creates more barriers and work for the end user.

 

I'm confused here because you started off blasting that usb c is detestable then having no faith in chinese manufacturing but then contradict both points: "better hope you have the right jack" that's the whole point of doing a usb c mod.

The ips panel kit is from china dude. Depending on the backlight Its gonna draw more power. A high powered screen is a perfect usage for bigger batteries.

If you aren't confident with products from china, I don't understand why you are using those ips kits. 

[drxandy | 3,225]

4 hours ago, OptOut said:

I've been cracking out the ol' GBA SP recently, got a hankering for a few GBA games. I've had my SP since I guess 2003, and the battery WAS still working fine surprisingly enough. However, I ran into a problem where the system wouldn't turn on from cold sometimes, not sure if anyone knows why this might be? 

I decided to replace the battery with a new cheap one from China. I HOPED that would solve the issue, but it still does the same thing. Sometimes it just won't turn on, although if you plug it in it will turn on, and continue to work as normal when you remove the plug... Sometimes it will turn on fine just like normal... And it always seems to work absolutely fine when it IS on, it never cuts out or anything during normal operation... Weird.

Any ideas???

Maybe something on the contacts of the battery or on the motherboard? Deep clean that baby, maybe the battery isn't seated perfectly and loses contact? Idk def a troubleshooting situation. 

[Tanooki | 4,932]

13 hours ago, drxandy said:

Just because y'all don't like em doesn't stop the fact from them happening.

I'm confused here because you started off blasting that usb c is detestable then having no faith in chinese manufacturing but then contradict both points: "better hope you have the right jack" that's the whole point of doing a usb c mod.

The ips panel kit is from china dude. Depending on the backlight Its gonna draw more power. A high powered screen is a perfect usage for bigger batteries.

If you aren't confident with products from china, I don't understand why you are using those ips kits. 

Hardly, the whole right jack I think you're misreading.  The point was you're far more burdened and stuck with the unique plug of the USB-C battery.  You'll need to have yet another portable battery to siphon from, a car jack charger, or a wall plug handy to refill the thing.  That can present issues depending where you are, and require carrying more stuff (plugs, cables, adapters) to do it.  2 AAs easy to find at any retail store, even at a pet shop.

I have low confidence in cheap chinese batteries, not the screens.  One may work or go out, the other can bloat or burn a hole in your leg or burn a house down so I don't view them on the same level of risk.

[drxandy | 3,225]

10 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Hardly, the whole right jack I think you're misreading.  The point was you're far more burdened and stuck with the unique plug of the USB-C battery.  You'll need to have yet another portable battery to siphon from, a car jack charger, or a wall plug handy to refill the thing.  That can present issues depending where you are, and require carrying more stuff (plugs, cables, adapters) to do it.  2 AAs easy to find at any retail store, even at a pet shop.

I have low confidence in cheap chinese batteries, not the screens.  One may work or go out, the other can bloat or burn a hole in your leg or burn a house down so I don't view them on the same level of risk.

Sorry man you gotta get with the times. Power banks are cheap and just about everyone has one. I mean it's not that weird to want your phone and other handheld devices to use the same standard, with usb c you can plug in the cord in either direction.. I personally have not done any C mods, and I'm not saying this is the end all (if anything the opposite, this is the beginning) I just really like where this is heading because as convenient as getting aa's everywhere is I personally won't do it. Not gonna pollute and act like everything is disposable, and I won't throw my money away on disposable batteries unless I have to. I have rechargeables and I would gladly trade being able to swap them out for bigger capacity to run the ips screen longer. 

Adding a qi wireless charger to the larger cell setup sounds even cooler to me. 

Battery tech is getting better and better, maybe you'll feel more confident soon but I disagree with all chinese batteries being garbage. The vape industry has absolutely helped bring progress in that department.

[Tanooki | 4,932]

I am, and it's a choice.  I know many people have them.  I've got a small flat brick that's 10K mah too.  I still think using real batteries has more versatility because they're easy to source and don't take up much added space and that is convenient.