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[TheChewyWaffles]

I know I'm VLTTP on this but I've done more gaming on my PS4 recently and have just now realized just how damn pathetic the Dualshock 4 battery life is. I would take swapping and charging AA batteries any day over this abomination that Sony produced. I hope they make the Dualshock 4+ or something, because I just can't see myself constantly charging controllers this much for he rest of the gen. It doesn't help that the Sony-made charging station for Dualshock 4's is quite literally the Move charging station reboxed with some additional adapters. As great as the ps4 is they really half assed the controllers.

 

[Phawx]

I know I'm VLTTP on this but I've done more gaming on my PS4 recently and have just now realized just how damn pathetic the Dualshock 4 battery life is. I would take swapping and charging AA batteries any day over this abomination that Sony produced. I hope they make the Dualshock 4+ or something, because I just can't see myself constantly charging controllers this much for he rest of the gen. It doesn't help that the Sony-made charging station for Dualshock 4's is quite literally the Move charging station reboxed with some additional adapters. As great as the ps4 is they really half assed the controllers.

I believe this is one of the reasons people pull (or cut?) the LED cable on the inside of the DS4

 

[bananafactory]

"My Dualshock 4 battery can't possibly be this bad!"

It sucks compared to the PS3 and Xbox controllers but I can still get pretty close to a full day out of it. Just grab a cheap USB extension for like 2-3 bucks and plug it in when it dies, or rotate with a 2nd controller.

I also have no idea why you'd rather go through the hassle of charging/swapping AA batteries instead of plugging in your controller.

 

[MavFan619]

My main issue is I play close so I can just keep a USB plugged in but not sure if it's the port on the controller or the cord itself that eventually shits the bed but it loses connection a lot

 

[Dr_LucienSanchez]

I dunno, it's not that terrible. But then again, I haven't really found myself playing a game for more than 6 hours straight.

When I do forget to charge, it does help that I can just charge the controller while playing with my phone charger though. Much rather have that than dealing with AA batteries.

 

[ThatGuyAgain]

It is much worse than the DS3 but I rotate with a 2nd controller.

 

[Neuromancer]

Touch pad
Light
Speaker

All these things drain battery. The solution is to have two controllers and hot swap them as needed. A USB extension cable from the PS4 to where you sit helps.

 

[meanspartan]

I believe this is one of the reasons people pull (or cut?) the LED cable on the inside of the DS4

Its very simple really, just make sure your acrewdeiver is exactly the right size cuz those timy screws are easy to strip with a screwdriver thats even slightly off (I found out the hard way)

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

So people are getting more than 3 to 4 hours? I'm usually down to 1 bar by then.

 

[ironcreed]

I sit close enough to where I can just plug it in and it is not an issue for me. Same goes for the Wii U gamepad. But yeah, the battery life does suck for both.

 

[bananafactory]

So people are getting more than 3 to 4 hours? I'm usually down to 1 bar by then.

I haven't timed it but I get around 6-7 hours, give or take.

 

[MorisUkunRasik]

LEDs don't consume much battery, it has to be the touchpad.

 

[kingwingin]

http://www.adafruit.com/product/2011

$12.50 and it doubles your battery life

Tho you will need swap the wires around on the battery so the positive and negative match up properly

 

[Schreckstoff]

1000mAh bad...

 

[TUSR]

"My Dualshock 4 battery can't possibly be this bad!"

Lmao I didn't expect this here.

 

[Winterfang]

So people are getting more than 3 to 4 hours? I'm usually down to 1 bar by then.

4 hours? What the hell. How are the Xbox One and WiiU for comparison? My 360 last weeks with an single AA battery

 

[Version 3.0]

"My Dualshock 4 battery can't possibly be this bad!"

It sucks compared to the PS3 and Xbox controllers but I can still get pretty close to a full day out of it. Just grab a cheap USB extension for like 2-3 bucks and plug it in when it dies, or rotate with a 2nd controller.

I also have no idea why you'd rather go through the hassle of charging/swapping AA batteries instead of plugging in your controller.

I would, too, for two reasons:

1. AA batteries last weeks, not hours or even days.
2. Controllers that take AA batteries last forever. Rechargeable batteries eventually die.

But I agree, it's not such a big pain. Playing Far Cry 4 for hours at a time, I found I'd have to switch once to twice a day. Yes, that's far worse than switching every few days or weeks (vs. PS3 or 360). But it's still just a few seconds, twice a day. I think I'll live.

Also, kudos to the OS team on the ease of switching. Power on the new controller, press X to confirm it's for me, old controller automatically powers off. Very nice.

 

[Pankratous]

Just charge while you play? The battery isn't that bad for me, a good few hours. I'm sure future DS4s will be better in this regard.

 

[ExoHazMatt]

It's less than I'd like it to be but I have hard to bringing myself to complain since the battery is built in. They saved me the cost of many AA batteries or a battery pack, and the price of the controller is the same as their competitor's without a built-in battery.

 

[RoboPlato]

So people are getting more than 3 to 4 hours? I'm usually down to 1 bar by then.

I get about 8 hours or so with the light dimmed all the way and I use headphones so the speaker never does anything. Also worth noting, I usually get over an hour of play after the low battery message comes up.

 

[DarthWalden]

Yeah I don't get it... It's down to 1 bar in 2-3 hours... I think my Wiiu controller has better battery life and it has a screen on it.


Edit: how are people getting 6-7 hours put on these? Is there some settings or something?

 

[Stripper13]

How long are these sessions you're playing for? I can get an easy 4+ hours, and then I charge the controller overnight in rest mode.

I suppose if you were frequently playing for huge sessions, it would be annoying. But as someone who only plays a few hours of the day at most, it's perfectly fine.

 

[bananafactory]

Lmao I didn't expect this here.

I made a thread after stumbling onto Oreimo as my first introduction to anime and now that phrase is burned into my skull. -_-

 

[Deleted member 1235]

I'm also shocked at the wii u controller battery.

wtf, my nan died before that thing

 

[Flappy]

3-4 hours was the most I got out of it.

Complete pile of shit. It spent more time plugged in.

 

[Parmadillo Marshmallow]

Have you tried lowering the setting for the front light to the minimum? Made a big difference for me, nothing I have timed or quantified though.

 

[SystemUser]

My main issue is I play close so I can just keep a USB plugged in but not sure if it's the port on the controller or the cord itself that eventually shits the bed but it loses connection a lot

It could be the cable or the micro-USB port. Micro-USB should not have been used on the PS4 or XB1 controllers. It is just too fragile. None of my personal controllers have broken ports, but I have seen tons of broken ports on XB1 and PS4 controllers when the controllers are primarily used will connected. I have need seen the mini-USB on the DS3 or the proprietary X360 port break. I have seen probably a dozen fail for the DS4 and XB1 and it has only been a little over a year. I have seen even more mirco-USB cables fail or at least get wonky.

 

[Zach]

Yeah, it's terrible. Especially in comparison to, well, every other system's controller that I use...

 

[Sayers]

I get around 8 hours per charge

 

[NateDrake]

4 hours? What the hell. How are the Xbox One and WiiU for comparison? My 360 last weeks with an single AA battery

My DS4 is closer to 6-8hrs before it dies - I dim the light and turn the speaker volume down. X1 controller seems to last forever whether it is AA or the recharge pack. Wii U is maybe 3-5hrs depending screen brightness and other settings.

 

[ItsTheNew]

Just use an external battery to charge your phone and controller at the same time...not a big deal.
As seen here:

 

[jimi_dini]

Yeah I don't get it... It's down to 1 bar in 2-3 hours... I think my Wiiu controller has better battery life and it has a screen on it.

And then there is the Wii U Pro Controller.

That you can use for 2 weeks. Then it will warn you about low battery. And you can still use it for another week.

4 hours? What the hell.

Well, it's called the DualShock 4...

 

[Dysun]

I've yet to run out of battery after playing 4-5 hour sessions on my PS4, and charge it after every usage. The Dual Shock 4's shoddy build quality is a bigger issue to me than its mediocre battery life

 

[M.W.]

I get 2 hours out of it before it's on one bar. I have the sensor set to dim too.

 

[ExoHazMatt]

I can't help but wonder if people are underestimating their battery life. I play with the light bar on full brightness, and with a headset constantly connected to the audio port, and my battery life has never been close to the 3 hours or so some people are claiming. And it's a launch controller that has been used almost every single day since 2013. I measure the battery life every 4-6 weeks because I'm curious how long before it starts to deteriorate, and I'm still at 7-8 hours every time.

 

[ReBurn]

Think of it as Sony's way of making sure that you don't spend all of your time playing video games.

 

[Fafalada]

Since I got one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLLFJ68/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I've yet to run into a situation with controller running out of charge(and I use them for my PC controller as well) - the fact that you just drop them into the cradle (wireless charging) makes all the difference in having a fully charged controller available at any time.
In contrast I've run into PS3 controller running out many times in the past(where I had to wire them to charge) - even though their absolute battery life lasts longer.

 

[letaint]

Reporting in with USB charger near couch with second controller for swappage. LED as dim as it can go.

 

[Alex]

The battery life is really poor for a controller, about 6-7 hours and without the excuse of the Wii U controller.I sort of doubt the problem are the expanded hardware quirks by themselves, especially when the touchpad and speaker don't see a terrible amount of use for most games. Something seems up with the way its drawing power or the actual battery must be junk.

LEDs don't consume much battery, it has to be the touchpad.

Neither do touchpads, at least in my experience. Don't recall one acting as a big draw on any device I've used,. As an example, since mine finally died recently, a K400 has well over a year (mine was put through fairly significant daily use) of battery life on a pair of AAs, so it can't be due to a touchpad at least as some general rule.

Since it is related, one thing I always wanted in a console: wireless charging. Just set the controller(s) on top of the system when done! That'd be a really neat option. Being too lazy to plug in electronics is my ultimate first world problem. Would like to at least see better docks with wireless charging sold. it's one nice thing Nintendo does with their hardware that I enjoy.

 

[Mr Moose]

Mine lasted for around 7-8 hours before the dim thing, I just have the USB cable connected to it now though, I can't be arsed plugging it in every 7 hours.

 

[Arondight]

I think the quality control for the controllers is bad. Pretty good design but poor battery life, experiencing squeaky triggers,poor sticks etc. These controllers aren't exactly cheap either which makes the poor quality stand out even more.

 

[SeanTSC]

http://www.dx.com/p/diy-replacement...or-ps4-wireless-control-pad-black-grey-295516

I bought a pair of those for my DS4s, work fantastic, $6.52 each.

 

[>-Baron-Spamedi-<]

I probably get around 7 or 8 hours out of it (depending on what I'm using it for and having the light set to dim) from a full charge.

I usually charge it with a mobile phone wall charging plug because I have a few of them and it's easier to do that where I am sitting rather than trailing my 3m USB cable across the room lol.

 

[Palocca]

Since I have two controllers, I just bought a charging station and swap out when necessary. I do think the battery life is poor, especially compared to its predecessor, but there are simple solutions to work around it.

I do think the overall build quality is a much bigger problem as well.

 

[RoboPlato]

I think the quality control for the controllers is bad. Pretty good design but poor battery life, experiencing squeaky triggers,poor sticks etc. These controllers aren't exactly cheap either which makes the poor quality stand out even more.

Quality control needs to be better. At this point it's clear many have problems but I have two launch controllers that have some minor wear and tear but nothing compared to most people and I apparently get double the battery life of most.

 

[pager99]

Yep shit battery life awesome controller

 

[vesvci]

DS4's battery could be better, but it sure is hell of a lot better than the AAs that come with the XBO controller (the competition, to put things in perspective).

Not to mention the $25 fee for getting a rechargeable battery and $25 fee for the privilege to use my headphones on the XBO.

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

Touch pad
Light
Speaker

All these things drain battery. The solution is to have two controllers and hot swap them as needed. A USB extension cable from the PS4 to where you sit helps.

I don't understand how the touch pad uses extra power, the speaker shouldn't be using much power since it's so rarely used, and there's no way the light uses that much power.

Even with all these things off, like when I'm playing on my PC, the battery life is still garbage. There's absolutely no excuse when something like the Wii U Pro controller with its 80 hour battery life exists.

 

[UpUpDownDown]

Also, kudos to the OS team on the ease of switching. Power on the new controller, press X to confirm it's for me, old controller automatically powers off. Very nice.

Wow. Thanks for a great tip in this otherwise shit/redundant thread (wait, i guess that actually makes this thread a good one?).

I always did the, hold PS button for 10 seconds to automatically power off trick, when I had to swap.

 

[Mr Moose]

http://www.dx.com/p/diy-replacement...or-ps4-wireless-control-pad-black-grey-295516

I bought a pair of those for my DS4s, work fantastic, $6.52 each.

Nice, how much improvement do these batteries offer? I'll have to check see if they do them in the UK.

Edit: Free shipping to the UK? Nice. Hope that includes import tax. Is that website safe? Never heard of it before.