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[Lord Error]

People need to understand that the Lithium-Ion or better yet Li-Po batteries are the absolutely best case scenario for capacitance given the volume or weight of the battery. For any rechargeable AA battery, be it Eneloop or whatever, to hold more power than LiPo rechargeable, it would have to be larger and heavier. And if you're putting larger and heavier battery, then you should of course still stick to LiPo as it will give you more power.

Just think about it - every single device that requires as much power as possible in as little space as possible uses Lithium batteries. From smartphones and tablets to laptops, to Prius and Tesla Model S.

Eneloop rechargeable might have one advantage over Lithium rechargeable though (and I'm not even sure about it): Their power loss when not used is minimal. But that doesn't make them ideal for game controllers - it makes them good for TV remotes maybe, or whatever device is used for a bit and then let to sit unused for months at time, before it's used again.

 

[fuzzyreactor]

the battery is so bad it makes me not want to play my ps4

 

[Thoraxes]

It's much worse than my 3DS and Vita 1000.

It's a damn shame.

 

[MickeyPhree]

I was too lazy to buy a longer USB cord; I ended up buying a second controller.

 

[SystemUser]

Mine lasts 8-9 hours but the LED and rumble motors have been removed and I rarely use voice chat.

I feel very strongly that Sony should stick with a built in battery pack because while a small number of people will use rechargeable AAs when given the option, the majority won't. Literally millions and millions of dead batteries in landfill.

What about the speaker? I think the speaker is leaking/leaching energy when not in use. I swear Sony used to be a competent electronics company. 1980's Sony would be rolling over in their grave if they saw shoddy build quality of the DS4.

 

[Derpyduck]

Yep. I prefer using Eneloops.

 

[ninanuam]

It was actually one of the reasons I found myself playing my xbone more than my ps4 in the early days of both systems

 

[Soul_Pie]

May as well be a wired controller for the amount of time it spends charging.

It's a shame because it's such a nice controller otherwise.

 

[Oppo]

What about the speaker? I think the speaker is leaking/leaching energy when not in use. I swear Sony used to be a competent electronics company. 1980's Sony would be rolling over in their grave if they saw shoddy build quality of the DS4.

don't think the build quality is the issue. well maybe the rubber on that first batch of sticks.

the speaker can't draw power when not playing sound. that's not how speakers work. the amp is minuscule.

it's the balance of power draw vs supplied battery. it's just much different than the expected life. I swap controllers pretty much every time I sit down to play. this works ok as I have 2 and the PS4, unlike the PS3, charges while asleep. but it is noticeable coming off last gen. a 2nd Ds4 is about the cost of 2 eneloops + charger so no biggie. but options are usually nice.

the new controller is very good but they need to up the battery in the controller, or lessen its draw somehow. I think it could stand to be a bit heavier and I love how it feels and works so I simply favour a bigger battery for the thing.

 

[Neff]

It feels great and the functions are welcome, but yes, the battery life is probably the worst of any mass market first party controller ever created. It's even worse than the Wii U Gamepad's default battery, which is saying something.

 

[Norse360]

I like the DS4 design, but the battery life is the worst I've experieced in a rechargeable product.

I guess you can "solve" the problem by getting a second controller, a charging station or a longer usb cable. That really shouldn't be necessary.

 

[mumbles365]

Lol what


The battery life sucks but I'd rather use that charging wire than to ever use AA batteries. I do game in front of a desk though, so its just plug and play and doesnt bother me.

 

[skLaFarebear]

I bought a usb extension from amazon.

Or you know. After a play session keep your ps4 in rest mode and plug the controller in and unplug it the next day. It's way better than expensive batteries.

 

[M.W.]

Started playing tonight on a full charge. An hour and forty five minutes later, one bar. It's getting worse lol.

 

[Pestilence11]

Diablo 3 murders my DS4 battery due to the frequency and intensity of rumble. I might be wrong but they seem to have ramped up the rumble compared to the DS3, like one intensity higher, where the DS3 had 3 intensities the DS4 has 4. Numbers match, has to be true!

 

[CanUKlehead]

Yep. I prefer using Eneloops.

Nailed it.

Hell, I don't mind the DS4's features but give me the structure (so removing the speaker, touchpad and ligt, though retaining the sticks and shape) but with the DS3's battery life, I'd be happy.

Then again, I keep and still use a few SixAxiS, which last forever, so.

Just difft priorities, really. Wireless gaming was enough for me.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

I don't own a PS4, but my nephew and I platinumed Infamous Second Son last weekend (which required two complete playthroughs and clearing the map,) and we only had to swap controllers once. Didn't seem too bad to me.

 

[FeiRR]

I noticed that sometimes the controller doesn't charge fully (I use a craddle with external power supply). When that happens, you will get shorter working time. The indicator may show three bars but it may mean 70%

If you really have a problem with it, buy a craddle, long cable or a second controller. Unfortunately the last option is the most useful as DS4 quality is bad in general. My second red controller has just had a problem with squeaky R2 and it's just half a year old. Probably the worst quality Sony product I've had.

 

[Beer Monkey]

It's horrible how often I have to charge my two DS4s. Embarassing. Let us turn that fucking LED off.

 

[molnizzle]

I picked up an extra DS3 battery for $10 at Microcenter and put that bitch in my DS4. Average life cycle went from 3-4 hours to 7-8 hours.

The DS3 battery is 1800 mAh while the DS4's is 1000 mAh. Both batteries are literally the exact same size.

Who though this was a good idea, Sony?

 

[Triggerhappytel]

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

I've got a black controller I purchased about a year ago and a white one that I got with my PS4 around three weeks ago. It may be a coincidence but I find the battery on the white controller is significantly better. I usually get two nights of gaming (say six to eight hours) before it's low enough to warrant a charge. But I try to keep in the habit of plugging it in even when the console is on standby toom

 

[xrnzaaas]

Yep it sucks. I still remember how could play weeks on a 360 without having to do anything. I'll probably purchase a USB extension soon, because I'm tired of sitting in front of the tv as a result of Sony's cable being so short.

 

[Fahrenheit]

I get 6-7 hours out of my DS4. Wish it took AA rechargeable like the Xbone controller.

Might try one of them extended packs from DX and see whats up with that

 

[Phat Michael]

"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.

It's no hassle. My batteries are changed every 2 to 3 weeks. When they are about to die I get a warning and I put 2 eneloops in them. Takes about 10 seconds rather than having to make my controller wired after 5 hours.

 

[Mogwai]

I don't know if my DS4 has a very good battery or what. I think mine has a 5-8 hours depending on how much rumble the game uses. That's definitely enough for my gaming sessions.

It lasts a lot shorter in between chargers compared to DS3. But again, the DS3 really didn't have any features like speaker, touchpad or connection for ingame-sound.

Anyway, I got myself a 3m micro USB cable for emergencies.

 

[molnizzle]

It's no hassle. My batteries are changed every 2 to 3 weeks. When they are about to die I get a warning and I put 2 eneloops in them. Takes about 10 seconds rather than having to make my controller wired after 5 hours.

Yup. Swappable AA's are objectively superior. That's not even an argument.

 

[Soodanim]

It's the reason I cancelled my order for a DS4 to use on PC. No point having a wireless controller that you need to charge or plug in that often, especially with the existence of the Wii U Pro.

 

[SolidusDave]

Invest in two controllers.

Not for battery life but because local mp is like one of the key features of all home consoles. However, it also fixes that problem

 

[SnowFlakeCake]

It's awful compared to DS3 however I have a battery pack which I just plug in when the battery is low, invest in something like that. It's useful for other things after all, always keep the battery pack in my bag for when the phone gives up on me half way through the day.

 

[EGM1966]

God the hyperbole around this. The charge lasts 5 to 6 hours or more. That's plenty for a gaming session. But a second controller and instead of wasting lots of money on batteries over the years you swap 'em in rotation and actually have a second controller for a buddy.

This is seriously exaggerated all the time. I've never once had the battery life be an issue and have two teenage sons who hammer the console in terms of usage and they've never shown any sign of having an issue.

 

[TAJ]

I must have had defective PS3 controllers because the DS4's battery life is actually better. Still terrible, though.
DS4 has never lasted longer than six hours. DS3 and Sixaxis topped out at under five for me. 360's is so long that I don't even know how long it is. I'd guess 50. (and it has always-on LED)
EDIT: CNET says DS3 is supposed to get over 18 hours and 360 wireless lasts over 56 hours.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Played RE yesterday evening for almost 8 hours straight and didn't have to recharge. So I'm fine.
Ever since I bought the recharge station from Sony and keep my controller on it while I'm not playing I didn't have a single problem.

 

[Summer Haze]

What kind of tools would I need?

Just a Phillips screwdriver.

 

[FeiRR]

Yup. Swappable AA's are objectively superior. That's not even an argument.

Since a charger exploded on my desk (could have burned my flat if I wasn't there), I don't use rechargables anymore.

 

[ViciousDS]

When I can drain my ps4 controller before my vita.....you know something about the design is bad. Its one of the reasons my Xbox gets used so much. Ps4 might as well have made a wired controller along with the wireless one...because that's basically what mine is....wired all the time.

 

[Caayn]

May as well be a wired controller for the amount of time it spends charging.

It's a shame because it's such a nice controller otherwise.

I think mine is more connected via wire than it is wireless.

It's sad that my WiiU gamepad with the extended battery and a giant screen lasts as long as a DS4 does on one charge, even my Vita lasts longer. Sony really messed up with the DS4.

 

[cyberheater]

May as well be a wired controller for the amount of time it spends charging.

LOL LOL LOL.

I'm probably like most folks and get around 3-4 hours out of mine. Folks that have DS4 that last 7-8 hours. You've got a keeper.

 

[Zertez]

I agree the battery life is horrible even when you are not playing a game and the light is on the lowest dim. Luckily the controllers charge fast compared to DS3 or so it seems to me. I bought a second controller, so I could rotate them out if I planned long gaming sessions.

 

[GwyndolinCinder]

Get rid of the of the light, my ds4 battery life is now really long

 

[ViciousDS]

Get rid of the of the light, my ds4 battery life is now really long

I'm seriously thinking about vopening it and just cutting the wires to kill it....it's only needed for the camera

 

[ColEx]

I purchased another DS4 just because of the bad battery life, so i can rotate them when one gets low.

 

[SilverLunar]

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

wtf, my nan died before that thing

Yeah was going to post about the pro controller,
how does it pull it off?? I never charged it even once since i bought the Wii U and it is still working!

 

[Marvel]

Yeah it's fucking garbage.

 

[KungFucius]

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.
.

2 is not true unfortunately. I had a Wiimote that, being a Wiimote, sat idle for many months with AAs in it. The batteries leaked and this actually destroyed the controller. It happened to another Wiimote of mine, but this one was fine after cleaning it up. That said, I prefer the AA because I can "recharge' in seconds.

 

[Synth]

People need to understand that the Lithium-Ion or better yet Li-Po batteries are the absolutely best case scenario for capacitance given the volume or weight of the battery. For any rechargeable AA battery, be it Eneloop or whatever, to hold more power than LiPo rechargeable, it would have to be larger and heavier. And if you're putting larger and heavier battery, then you should of course still stick to LiPo as it will give you more power.

Just think about it - every single device that requires as much power as possible in as little space as possible uses Lithium batteries. From smartphones and tablets to laptops, to Prius and Tesla Model S.

Eneloop rechargeable might have one advantage over Lithium rechargeable though (and I'm not even sure about it): Their power loss when not used is minimal. But that doesn't make them ideal for game controllers - it makes them good for TV remotes maybe, or whatever device is used for a bit and then let to sit unused for months at time, before it's used again.

Why would anyone care if the end result is the battery dying after only a few hours anyway?

It just means the rest of the controller's internal design is horrible.

Invest in two controllers.

Not for battery life but because local mp is like one of the key features of all home consoles. However, it also fixes that problem

It doesn't really fix it though, because now you have two people playing with rapidly dying batteries.

 

[JawzPause]

Rotate it with a second controller, problem solved

 

[the_batman]

Rotate it with a second controller, problem solved

this, or buy a really long usb cable.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Rotate it with a second controller, problem solved

I do that, I'm just tired of doing that. I feel strange getting up in the middle of a gaming session to swap controllers when I sat down with a full battery to start just a few hours earlier. Also, when I play a game with someone else then I'm boned. Not the end of the world compared to real life problems, but I would have taken a slightly heavier controller for a longer battery life. Sony seems to have a strange obsession with light controllers while the 360 and Xbone controllers prove that a controller can have heft while still being really comfortable.

My spouse got me a blue controller for Christmas. Maybe that one will have a longer battery life.

 

[soxxx]

Its fucking garbage and ill I do is play Call of Duty and Battlefield which dont use the touchpad/speaker.

My Wii U pro Controller gets over 70 hours yet this thing can barely get 4.....

 

[fedexpeon]

Yeah, it is really horrible if you have one controller.
It lasts like 4hrs on average I think.