Question: Question about pickups/Silent Circuit in Cutlass SSS…

First-time poster here and I joined to ask this question, so sorry if I’m asking something that’s been asked a million times already… I’ve played the Cutlass SSS and I really like it, however I’ve never played a guitar before that required a battery for the pickups. I know it’s to power the Silent Circuit, but my question is how long does the battery last, meaning how often do you change out your battery? What happens as the battery dies out? Do the pickups sound bad as the battery wears out? Can you play the guitar without the battery? Thanks for the help.