The PlayStation 5’s DualSense wireless controller is one of the most advanced controllers ever. It offers several features that enhance your gaming experience, such as haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, a built-in microphone/headset jack, speakers, and whatnot. However, the features that set this controller apart from others in the market rely on the controller’s battery, and that is where things start to fall apart. Since its launch, PlayStation 5 has received positive feedback for its design and performance, but what troubles users the most is the controller’s battery life.
At the moment, Sony sells two PlayStation 5 controllers, namely the pack-in DualSense wireless controller with a 1,560 mAh battery and the new DualSense Edge wireless controller, which, despite being more expensive than the standard controller, only has a 1,050 mAh battery. Regarding the original DualSense controller, the company promises a battery life of 12 to 15 hours. However, several reviews claim that the controller averages eight to ten hours, depending on usage. While that could be alarming for some users, DualSense Edge, the premium PlayStation 5 controller from Sony, lasts about six hours on a single charge, which is a major trade-off.
So does that mean that PlayStation 5 owners have to settle for the poor battery life of the DualSense controller, or is there something they can do about it? If you are one of the PS5 owners rethinking your purchase, we have some useful techniques that can boost the battery life of the DualSense controller.
Turn off the controller’s lights and speaker
As mentioned earlier, the short battery life of the PlayStation 5’s controller results from all the super cool features that it comes with, and to boost the battery life, you would have to disable some of them. To get more out of your DualSense controller, turn down the indicator lights. Oddly, Sony doesn’t allow you to shut it off entirely. Nonetheless, there’s an option to lower its brightness.
- Hit the PlayStation button to access the Control Center.
- Navigate to the Accessories menu with the arrow keys or the control sticks.
- Scroll down to select DualSence Wireless Controller (or DualSense Edge) and head to Controller Settings.
- Finally, choose the Brightness of the Controller Indicators, and select Dim from the pop-up menu.
Another way to save your PlayStation 5 controller’s battery life is turning off the in-built speakers. Like the indicator lights, the speaker also consumes a fair amount of your controller’s battery, draining it faster than you would want.
- Press the PlayStation button to invoke the Control Center.
- Open the Accessories section and select DualSence Wireless Controller (or DualSense Edge).
- Now open Controller Settings, then Controller (General), and locate the Controller Speaker option.
- With the control sticks, drag the volume slider to the extreme left to set the controller’s volume to the minimum.
- Note: Since some video games use the DualSense controller’s speaker to give sound cues, you would also have to turn off the speaker from accessibility settings within the games.
Disable Haptic Feedback and Trigger Effect
Do you enjoy the haptic feedback on the controller with the intense on-screen action? Sony has included dual actuators in the DualSense and the DualSense Edge controllers to provide an immersive feel. Depending upon the game, they are programmed to rumble with every hit you take on the opponent or when you drag your car off the track. Still, these actuators can take out a big chunk of the controller’s battery during long gaming sessions. Hence, if you want to boost your PlayStation 5 controller’s battery life, setting the vibration intensity to low, or turning it off entirely, makes sense.
- Hit the PlayStation button on the DualSense wireless controller, and from the Control Center, select Accessories.
- Select DualSense Wireless Controller (or DualSense Edge) and head to Controller Settings.
- In the Controller (General) menu, set Vibration Intensity to Weak. If you don’t mind playing without haptic feedback and the controller’s battery life is all that matters, turn off vibrations by selecting Off in the Vibration Intensity menu.
Another headlining feature of the PlayStation 5 controller, Adaptive Triggers, adjusts the triggers’ resistance per your in-game environments and actions. However, the Adaptive Triggers rely on several hardware components in the controller, including an electric motor, a geared wheel, and a lever. Ultimately, all these components increase the load on the controller’s battery, draining it quickly. Hence, if battery life is your topmost priority, set the Trigger Effect Intensity option in the Controller (General) menu to weak or off.
Turn off the controller when not in use
While these are the features that consume your PlayStation 5 controller’s battery, there are a few power and charging-related settings that can help you get more wireless playtime. There might be times when you have to leave the PS5 controller on the table and attend to the person at your door or answer an important phone call. You could be away from the console for a while, but the controller keeps using its battery.
Some users forget to turn off the controller and pick it up the next day, only to find it dead. To avoid spending the battery when the controller is not in use, set a power timer.
- From the PlayStation 5’s home screen, head to the Settings menu.
- Select System and then hit Power Saving.
- Now open the Set Time Until Controllers Turn Off menu and select a comfortable option. For best results, set the timer to 10 minutes so that your controller turns off automatically whenever you are gone for that duration or longer.
If you don’t want to set a timer, you can manually turn off the PlayStation 5 controller. There are two ways to switch the controller off.
- Press and hold the PlayStation button on the controller for about 15 seconds or until the blue light goes off.
- Alternatively, you can press the PlayStation button and, from the Control Center, head to Accessories > DualSense Wireless Controller (or DualSense Edge) and select Turn Off.
Ensure that your controller charges during Rest Mode
Now that you know about the power-related settings that can help you boost your PlayStation 5 controller’s battery life, let’s discuss the charging options. You must know about the Rest Mode of your console. For those who are unfamiliar, Rest Mode is a low-power standby mode that can download updates and charge your controller via the console’s USB-A ports. You can even set the duration you want Rest Mode to charge your controller.
- From the Home Screen, open the Settings menu.
- Scroll down to select System and then hit the Power Saving option.
- Now, open the Features Available in Rest Mode pop-up menu, and under Supply Power to USB ports, select Always or three hours. Generally, the PlayStation 5 controller takes three hours to charge via the USB cable in the box.
The controller’s LED lights pulse orange when charging in the Rest Mode. If you’re a regular gamer, the Rest Mode could help you charge your controllers during breaks. While these methods should help you get some extra mileage from the PlayStation 5 controller, there are also a few other tips to fall back on. First, if you’re a professional gamer or a streamer, having an extra PS5 controller is better than relying on a single unit. Additionally, you can get a long USB wire to play as long as you want, as the controller draws power from the console while charging its battery simultaneously. Last but not least, avoid overcharging your PlayStation 5 controller.
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