How to Save Battery Life in Your PS5 Controller?

The much-anticipated PS5 console is now readily available in the market. It has already been shipped to those who successfully placed an order before the stock ran out. It is fantastic without a doubt, but it also comes with a great controller: the DualSense!

The DualSense Controller is jam-packed with features that you will not find on any other gaming controller. The controller’s advanced features, such as adaptive triggers, impressive haptic sensors, and mesmerizing hardware, are downright revolutionary for console gamers.

However, as a wireless controller with all these great features, battery life will be an issue for most PS5 owners sooner or later, particularly given the DualSense controller’s hefty price tag.

Furthermore, compared to the PS4 DualShock Controller, the PS5 Controller has a 1560mAh battery, 560mAh more than the PS4 controller, making it a win-win situation.

However, many gamers have complained about the PS5 controller’s rapid battery drain despite its large battery capacity.

The DualSense controller on the PS5 has a longer battery life than the DualShock 4 on the PS4. And yet, it is still possible for your controller to die in the middle of a game, so just remember to back up your PS5 save data in case this happens during the middle of the game using our guide.

How Long Is the Battery Life of the PS5 Controller?

Sony gave fans an indication of how long the PS5 DualSense controller battery will last before launching it late last year. The PS5 DualSense controller was formally unveiled in November 2020, and Sony revealed that it will significantly improve from the DualShock 4’s design and have many new features.

Hideaki Nishino, the senior vice president of platform planning and management at Sony, wrote on the PlayStation Blog, “thoughtful consideration into ways to maintain a strong battery life for DualSense’s rechargeable battery.”

8 Battery Saving Tips & Tricks for PS5 Controller

With all of the preliminary information about the PS5 DualSense – having dozens of cool features and, more significantly, being expensive – you’ll want to extend the DualSense’s lifespan as long as possible. Follow these tips and tricks to get that.

1. Set Your PS5 Controller To Turn Off Automatically When It’s Not in Use

If you leave your PS5 on for some excuse and thus leave your controller on for hours, your battery life will quickly deplete. To avoid this, set a timer on your DualSense so that it switches off when you are not using it.

Go to Settings > System > Power Saving on your PS5’s main menu. Select ‘Time Before Controllers Turn Off’, and you can choose from After 10 Minutes, 30 Minutes, 60 Minutes, or Off.

There is no need to leave your controller on for extended periods when you are not using it. When you enable this option, you’ll save battery life when you’re not watching TV.

2. Switch the Dualsense Controller off Manually

When you know you won’t be using your PS5 controller for a while, it is a good idea to turn it off right away rather than waiting for the auto-off timer to run out. It is helpful when you use your PS5 to watch Netflix or sit through a long cutscene in a video.

To switch off your PS5 controller, press the PS Button to pull up the short menu on the controller. Click the Accessories button on the right, which appears as a controller icon with your existing battery life. Choose your Wireless Controller from the resulting menu, then Turn Off.

It will switch off your controller before the PS Button is pressed to turn it back on. You can also switch off your PS5 controller by pressing the PS Button for 10 seconds if you do not want to fiddle with the menu.

3. PS5 DualSense Speaker (Lower Volume)

As you play games, the PS5 Controller has its built-in speaker and microphone, which adds slight sound effects, but the main sound comes from the TV or Stereo set’s external speaker. Here’s how to disable it if you are willing to sacrifice a few sound effects to save the PS5 controller’s battery.

Open the Settings on PS5 Console.
Select Accessories.
Choose Controllers.
Select Volume Control.
From here, reduce the speaker volume of the controller.

4. Reduce the Brightness of Controller Indicators and the Intensity of Vibrations

Although the PS5 controller does not have a light bar like the PS4 controller, the brightness of the indicators can be reduced to conserve power. Similarly, reducing the vibration will also have an effect on the battery.

While it will not have a huge impact on the PS5 controller’s battery life, but it is recommended if you want to get the most out of the battery.

On PS5, go to the Settings menu.
Pick your Accessories.
Choose your Controllers.
The controller’s brightness can be adjusted, as well as the Vibration Intensity.

5. Reduce the Intensity of the PS5 Dualsense Trigger Effect

In response to your gameplay, the DualSense Trigger Effect Intensity function allows you to experience varying stress levels and resistance from the L2 and R2 buttons. It only works for games that have it.

To access the controllers, go to Settings > Accessories > Controllers. Set the Trigger Effect Intensity to Medium or Weak, or Off if you don’t need the Trigger Effect to function. It will save you the maximum amount of battery life if you turn it off.

6. Purchase a Charging Cable with a Longer Length

If all of the above tips don’t keep your controller running as long as you would like, you may want to consider investing in a longer USB-C cable.

You can plug in your PS5 controller to charge it and continue playing when the battery runs out. With a long cord, you won’t have to move your chair closer to the TV as you would with a short one.

7. Consider Using a Wired Controller With the PS5 DualSense

Although the PS5 DualSense is a Bluetooth controller, you do not have to use it when playing the game. The controller can be used the old-fashioned way – wired! It will not only save DualSense battery life, but it will also reduce game input lag.

Connect both the PS5 console and the DualSense controller with the USB cable, then go to Settings > Accessories > Controllers. Set the Communication Method to Use USB.

8. Ensure That Your Dualsense Is Completely Charged

You now know how to extend the life of your DualSense battery during long gaming sessions. These are your best choices for extending battery life unless you purchase a second controller and change it out regularly.

Bonus Tip: Remember that you can play PlayStation 4 games on your PS5 with PS4 controllers. Another way to save DualSense battery life.

Conclusion

These tips and tricks are handy for the long-term health and performance of your PS5 controller’s battery. Gamers who are on a budget and cannot buy a new controller every once in a while are highly recommended to follow these tips.

The steps are easy to apply and have a massive impact in prolonging the life of your PS5 DualSense Controller.

How to Save Battery Life in Your PS5 Controller? - Techs Motion (2023)