PS5 Controller Battery Life Duration & Ways to Extend It

Despite the innovative features of Sony’s DualSense controller, the battery life of the PS5 controller remains a major limitation. While the controller boasts impressive features that can greatly enhance gaming experiences, its battery life falls short.

This often leads to frequent interruptions for charging, similar to the PS4’s DualShock 4 controller. This limitation can abruptly end gaming sessions, especially when deeply immersed in the best PS5 games.

Wondering about the average duration of the PS5 controller’s battery life and ways to enhance it? There are steps you can take to somewhat alleviate the issue, though significant improvements or quick fixes shouldn’t be anticipated.

Sony seems poised to unveil a new PS5 controller with a 12-hour battery life, potentially addressing the DualSense’s main weakness. However, while 12 hours is an improvement, it’s not groundbreaking and still requires charging every day or two.

What is the Typical PS5 Controller Battery Life?

The battery life of the PS5 controller varies based on factors such as the type of games played and your chosen settings. Using wired headphones, for instance, can deplete the battery quicker compared to wireless ones.

Additionally, games that extensively utilize the PS5 controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, like Gran Turismo 7, will result in shorter play sessions compared to games that use these features more conservatively, such as EA Sports FC 24.

Based on our thorough testing, the PS5 controller typically provides between six to twelve hours of battery life on a single charge, although reaching the upper limit is uncommon.

While this duration may seem reasonable, it falls short compared to the best Switch and Xbox controllers, which can last over 40 hours. In most cases, expect around six to eight hours of gameplay.

It’s important to note that the PS5 will notify you well in advance when the DualSense controller’s battery is low. When this alert appears, you still have ample time—sometimes up to an hour—before the controller needs recharging, so there’s no need to worry immediately.

If you were expecting one of the various PS5 controller colors to offer extended battery life, you might be disappointed. Sony did enhance the durability of its newer controllers but did not make any changes to their batteries. This leads us to consider the battery life of the PS5 DualSense Edge…

What is the Battery Life of the PS5 DualSense Edge?

Sony’s high-end controller, the PS5 DualSense Edge, does not solve the primary issue with the PlayStation 5’s standard controller. The DualSense Edge typically provides about four to six hours of gameplay, which is inferior to the standard DualSense controller.

This issue was pointed out in reviews of the PS5 DualSense Edge Controller, and it’s particularly concerning given its price tag of $199.

Teardowns have revealed that the DualSense Edge is equipped with a smaller battery to accommodate its advanced features. Despite its efficiency for its size, it struggles to provide satisfactory gameplay duration.

Ways to Enhance PS5 Controller Battery Life

You have various options to improve the PS5 controller’s average battery life or avoid the issue altogether.

The simplest approach is playing with a wired connection, ensuring you won’t face sudden battery depletion. While this may not suit gamers who enjoy playing from their couch, it offers a reliable solution.

Other methods to extend battery life involve adjusting the PS5 controller’s settings. Navigate to the ‘Accessories’ section in the PS5 settings menu and select ‘Controller (General)’. Here, you can customize the following:

•  Speaker Volume – Lowering the speaker volume conserves battery if you don’t use a headset.
• Vibration Intensity – Decreasing vibration intensity helps prolong battery life during gameplay.
• Trigger Effect Intensity – Similar to vibration intensity, reducing trigger effect intensity can extend playtime.
• Controller Indicators Brightness – Although it may not significantly impact battery life, lowering the brightness of controller indicators is still advisable.

One interesting observation specific to the DualSense Edge is that when using the ‘Default’ profile, it does not adhere to the system-wide settings you may have set.

The vibration intensity remains unchanged until switching to one of the three user profiles, allowing for individual setting adjustments. Keep this in mind if you notice faster-than-expected battery depletion with the Edge.

Additionally, consider using a wireless headset instead of a wired one to extend battery life. Many top PS5 headsets offer wireless functionality, relieving the controller from powering the headset.

Another tip is to mute the microphone on your PS5 DualSense controller while gaming to conserve battery. You can confirm it’s muted when you see an orange LED below the PlayStation button.

If you’re tired of frequently charging your PS5 controller, consider investing in one of the top PS5 accessories that simplify the process. The PS5 DualSense Charging Station allows simultaneous charging for two controllers without occupying a USB port on the PS5.

Having multiple controllers means you can easily switch to a fully charged one when the low battery warning inevitably pops up.