How Long Does a PS5 Controller Last Before Needing a Recharge?

The next-gen PlayStation 5 wireless controller, codenamed DualSense, does come with a plethora of new and immersive features, but at what cost in terms of battery?

If you wonder how long does the PS5 controller last before recharging it, note that you might drain its battery as fast as six hours during intense gaming sessions.

The good news is: that you can make it last longer!

How Long Do PS5 Controllers Last in Terms of Battery

Since there are many conflicting reports on the PS5 controller battery life, the general consensus is that the average duration spans between 6–12 hours.

The reason for such a big gap is whether or not gamers or the games they play to use all of the gamepad’s advanced and battery-hungry features like haptic feedback, dynamic adaptive triggers, motion sensors, built-in speakers, and a microphone.

So, depending on how you use them, the new DualSense controllers can still run out of juice rather quickly, even with their larger 1,500 mAH battery as compared to the PS4 ones.

For instance, newer games, such as Astro’s PlayRoom and Arkane Studios’ Deathloop, utilise PS5’s full potential, thus draining the battery life of your PS5 controller faster.

How Long Do PS5 Controllers Last on Low Battery?

Most users have noticed that they get the ‘low battery’ pop-up notification around the 50% mark, after which they have around 3 to 6 hours of battery left, depending on usage.

This design flaw—initiating the DualSense battery life notification that early—has led to numerous complaints. By comparison, PlayStation’s biggest competitor—Xbox—informs you that the gamepad needs recharging when you have around 15 minutes of usage left.

Note: Even if you cannot use your controller wirelessly due to low battery, you can always connect it to your console via cable and resume your playtime.

Making Your PlayStation 5 Controller Battery Life Last Longer

When it first came out near the end of 2020, PS5’s futuristic features helped it become one of the year’s most popular gaming consoles, but they are also the culprit for the controller’s poor battery lifespan when you are using it with all advanced options turned on.

Below, we look at what you can do about it and the other factors that affect the battery’s life.

1. Adjusting the Controller’s Advanced Features

The most effective method to improve your DualSense controller battery life is by turning off or adjusting every feature you are not using via the PS5’s main screen:

1. Navigate to the ‘Settings’ menu (top-right corner of the main screen);
2. Click on the ‘Accessories’ sub-menu and go to ‘Controllers’;
3. Access each of the five options and adjust as needed:
   1. Controller Speaker—lower the controller speaker volume;
   2. Vibration Intensity—set to ‘weak’ or turn off the vibration feature;
   3. Trigger Effect Intensity—turn off the adaptive back triggers;
   4. Brightness of Controller Indicators—reduce the side light bars’ brightness;
   5. Communication method—use your USB connectivity at low battery levels.

Note: Your PS5 controller battery life capacity is also affected by whether or not you connect earbuds, headphones, or a headset to it and whether or not you are using its built-in mic.

2. Updating Older and Unoptimised Software

Outdated software can often cause unforeseen issues for your devices. Therefore, you should regularly check for and install any pending DualSense updates:

1. Connect to the internet via the ‘Network’ menu under ‘Settings’;
2. Connect your controller via the USB cable;
3. Scroll down to ‘Accessories’ and click on ‘Controllers’;
4. Click on ‘Wireless Controller Device Software’ and then on ‘Update’.

Note: Don’t unplug your controller or turn off your PS5 during the update process.

3. Turning Off the Controller When Not in Use

If you occasionally forget to turn off your controllers after a gameplay session or when taking a break, you will cause their batteries to drain faster.

Thankfully, you can set a timer for your gamepad to automatically shut down when left to idle after a set period of time in a few steps:

1. Access the ‘System’ sub-menu;
2. Scroll down to ‘Power Saving’;
3. Set your timer under ‘Set Time Until Controllers Turn Off’.

Note: You can have your controllers automatically turn off after 10, 30, or 60 minutes.

4. Resetting Your Controller

Have you heard the expression: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

Of course, you have, since anyone remotely familiar with the tech world knows they should first reset a gadget or device before proceeding with other troubleshooting steps.

To reset your PS5 controller, complete these steps:

1. Turning off the gamepad;
2. Locate the tiny circular hole on the controller’s back;
   • Found to the right of the Sony logo.
3. Insert a pin in it and keep it pressed down for 5 seconds;
4. Turn on the controller and reconnect it to your PS5.

In addition to using the above methods to extend your PS5 controller battery life capacity, you should also buy an official PlayStation charger to safely recharge your gamepad.

How Long Does It Take to Charge PS5 Controllers?

To fully charge a PS5 controller battery from 0% to 100%, users typically wait up to 3 hours.

However, if you are using the provided USB-C cable, you can play and charge your controller at the same time, albeit with an increased recharge duration of up to 4 hours.

To indicate a successful connection, the gamepad’s sidebars will light up orange.

On the other hand, to ensure your controller is successfully charging, tap the pad’s ‘PlayStation’ button, navigate to ‘Accessories’, and find the icon with a green lightning bolt symbol.

You can resume gaming once that same battery icon shows three full bars.

Note: To charge your PS5 controller, you can also use an official DualSense charging station, a power bank, or a wall adapter.

Checking Your PS5 Controller Remote Battery Life on PC

Some PC gamers enjoy using a DualSense controller when playing certain games to get the best of both worlds with the help of a virtual gamepad emulator called DS4Windows.

But how do you check your battery level in such cases?

Simply open the ‘Controller’ tab once you’ve launched the app and look for the battery percentage under the ‘Battery’ column or at the bottom of the window.

Is It Bad to Leave the PS5 Controller Plugged In?

Like most modern devices, PlayStation implements various smart charging features in their PS5 controller battery to protect it from overcharging.

For instance, once the DualSense reaches its max charge level, it will stop receiving any more power even if it’s still connected to the charger.

Therefore, you can safely leave it to charge overnight as you will experience no issues or affect the battery life of your PS5 controller if you do so.

Before Pressing ‘Play’

If you want to become one of the most popular gamers in the UK, learning everything there is to know about your PlayStation console, including how long does a PS5 controller last, is a crucial step towards that goal. Once you know how to use the proper gaming equipment, you can go on to make a name for yourself and rack up those subscriber numbers.