PS4 Owners: Can Your Dual Shock 4 Still Hold a Charge?

[PlanetSmasher]

Now that we're up on the end of the generation, I want to talk about something that's bugged me for a while - my Dual Shock 4 controllers. I used to have three of them, but one of them disappeared at some point in the past two years. Ever since then, the battery life on my two remaining DS4s has degraded more and more over time, to the point at which they seem to run out of battery within an hour and a half of use and need to be recharged, basically without fail.

Now this wouldn't be a problem if Sony actually manufactured charger cables that were longer than two feet, but for some reason they seem to think that you should only ever be able charge your controller when you aren't using it. As a result, unless you want to sit directly on the floor in front of your TV, using your charge cable and playing a game at the same time is basically impossible. Which means I'm stuck constantly pausing my play to stick my controllers in the charger dock and swap them out for the other one, but they charge too slowly for one to reach full charge before the other one runs out.

How about you? Do any of your Dual Shocks actually last a full play session anymore, or do you have to constantly interrupt your play to charge up your controllers, switch them around, or do you just own so many controllers that one burning out is only a momentary inconvenience?

 

[Nexus2049]

It lasts a couple days with casual use (couple hours of Warzone a day, plus the controller is on while I watch Netflix).

 

[TheInfinityGauntlet]

Yeah mine are fine, I only really use one and it sits on charge when not in use, I'm really not sure what this low battery life myth is about unless you're playing 8+ hours straight

 

[Granadier]

You do realize that micro-USB cables longer than two feet exist, right? But also this is why integrated batteries for controllers suck.

 

[Samiya]

I got one of these and never looked back since

Gives me many, many hours without having to recharge the controller

 

[xxracerxx]

Still fine. Charge them every few days or so.

 

[JeffGubb]

The real problem is that every time I pick up any of my three DS4s, their batteries are always dead.

 

[Het_Nkik]

No idea. I've played wired on PS4 this whole generation because the battery life is so bad.

 

[Natels]

Mine lasts ok. Mainly because it's my 7th controller and has 1 year.

 

[TripleBee]

I have had 3 dualshocks.

2 from launch - one only held for 15 minutes at this point so I got rid of it. Other I still have, lasts only about 2-3 hours.

I have one about 3-4 years old - lasts 5-6 hours.

 

[Abylim]

I have two controllers but only really use one. I have one paired to my iPad Pro. My ds4 lasts long enough. I play roughly about 4 hours or more every day. Sometimes longer. Had these two controllers for years.

 

[Ryukori]

It still lasts me around 6 hours of gameplay. I'm still using the controller that came with my launch PS4.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

Can't hold a charge and now all of a sudden every controller I own wanna drift. Feel like I just got apple'd and Sony was like upgrade sucka

 

[Stowaway Silfer]

The controllers I used in recent years are fine but they're from after the Slim/Pro came out and they got revisions (with the light bar shining through the touchpad). I don't use launch controllers anymore so I don't know how well those would've kept their battery today if I still did.

 

[LetalisAmare]

My two are fine. They both hold a charge.

 

[Mass Effect]

Yep. The ones I still use hold a charge for seemingly as long as they ever did.

Now this wouldn't be a problem if Sony actually manufactured charger cables that were longer than two feet, but for some reason they seem to think that you should only ever be able charge your controller when you aren't using it. As a result, unless you want to sit directly on the floor in front of your TV, using your charge cable and playing a game at the same time is basically impossible.

Click to shrink...

what

bro just buy a longer cable. They're standard micro-USB.

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

i just played about 6 hours with mine on PC and its not died yet

 

[Chaserjoey]

Mine last for an entire play session, all day on the weekend if I want to have a low-key recovery day. I never got people's complaints about the battery charge in the dualshocks, but maybe I've just had really good ones.

 

[xxracerxx]

what

bro just buy a longer cable. They're standard micro-USB.

Click to shrink...

For real. They are like $3 on monoprice.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

I have 2 and both last around 6 hours. So I swap em out. Ones always charging.

 

[JusDoIt]

I honestly have never had a Dualshock 4 die on me during a play session. Like for all the talk, not one time this entire generation.

I charge them after every use, though. But that's how I treat all my controllers.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

All I remember is that the battery life was always pretty poor.

So It's sort of hard for me to tell if the battery life has gotten significantly worse or not. I can generally play a few hours with no issue.

 

[crespo]

Yeah it's not great - I only seem to get about 6ish hours worth of gaming per charge, enough for a couple solid play sessions. I always keep one charged nearby.

I do use the back button attachment so I'm sure it could improve, but not by too much.

 

[ThreepQuest64]

Having the controller since 2015 and it still holds a considerable amount of time. Very long game sessions aren't a problem.

 

[leder]

Mine died all the time until I imported the charging dock. Really annoying that they were never officially released in the US. The battery life is shit, but I have two, and typically at least one is fully charged from the dock every time I sit down, so I don't notice anymore. I'm getting the dualsense charging dock day 1 for the same reason.

 

[NediarPT88]

I have no idea how long mine lasts since I always put it on charge between gameplay sessions (which are usually 2-4h). Not because I need to (it usually has the 3 battery bars, I rarely see only two), it's just an habit.

I do have rumble turned off and dim light, which I assume it helps.

 

[Praedyth]

I have 2 of the first gen that I've used for 5 years, and one from the new DS4 revision. I don't really measure it in hours but I'd say the old ones last a day and the new one about 3 days without charging.

 

[Siinova]

I have one that doesn't really charge properly or hold a charge that well. The other ones are fine, however. I usually just swap often so I don't run into charging issues that much.

 

[Cess007]

Yes. They can last 3 long sessions for me. It's the triggers that are really about to die.

 

[HardRojo]

Yeah all good, even my 2014 one holds a charge just fine, but that one got a busted R1 so I don't use it anymore. I usually leave my main controller charging after a play session since my PS4 is in rest mode and I think I set it so that it keeps powering things for 3 or 4 hours. Y'all who have "battery doesn't last enough time" problems should do that, and yeah I'm talking about batteries that work fine.

 

[Seijuro]

I have two DS4, both from 2014, both still last for a few days of casual gaming. Maybe 5 - 7 hours?

 

[Bohemian]

The first couple I bought probably in 2014 are really bad - maybe 2 hours at most. I have one of the newer model ones (with the light at the top of the touchpad) and that one's help up fine.

 

[Turbocharge]

Now this wouldn't be a problem if Sony actually manufactured charger cables that were longer than two feet

Click to shrink...

Why do you specifically need Sony to make a longer cable? I've got a couple of Anker 6ft long USB cables that I use for my controllers.

 

[Diogo Arez]

Yeah mostly no problems here, I have 2 DS4 and besides both having stick drift the battery still lasts long enough

 

[Deleted member 16876]

It doesn't last as much as the PS3 but it usually has enough for a full play session.

Here is hoping the Dual Sense is better.

 

[Deleted member 66837]

I have four they all work and last days

 

[Spinluck]

Hell nah, that thing is a piece of crap when it comes to battery life.

 

[blame space]

i guess the atmosphere in my apartment discharges the ds4's battery through osmosis because every time i go to pick it up it has next to nothing. so then i plug it in and play for a while and then unplug it when i'm done to start the cycle all over again for next time.

 

[CptSupermarket]

Launch ds4, holds about 4 hrs gaming worth of charge which is usually plenty long enough

 

[metalgear89]

After 6 years with the same ds4, it holds the charge suprisingly well.

 

[HalStep]

No idea. I've played wired on PS4 this whole generation because the battery life is so bad.

Click to shrink...

same,i'm on my third pad of this generation but i always use them wired.

 

[bbq of doom]

I use 2 DS4s and both hold a charge for a play session (3-4 hours these days).

 

[Chopin the Third]

Left stick drift is a bigger issue for me than the battery.

 

[Chamon]

The real problem is that every time I pick up any of my three DS4s, their batteries are always dead.

Click to shrink...

Then you should charge them. Otherwise they are going to be always dead...

 

[Bigjig]

Yeah my DS4 is fine, haven't noticed any drop off in charge

 

[WishIwasAwolf]

The real problem is that every time I pick up any of my three DS4s, their batteries are always dead.

Click to shrink...

Sony did release too many GOTY contenders for a console nearing the end of it's lifecycle :( I have the same problem, only 2 controllers though, but when I swap them out I forget to charge the other one. The problem is that games like Death Stranding or TLOU2 take multiple sessions to complete for me.
I have the OG controller which never peeled and the one that came with the Pro 7200 which is now 1.5 years old. I notice a slight difference between the new and the old one, but apparently the original controllers had smaller batteries so I could be that

 

[Xiofire]

If only there were a battery standard that could be charged externally and swapped in and out of the handset so that this wasn't an issue 🤔

My first DS4 is pretty shot, but the second one is doing OK. Still only lasts like 6 hours though, which is abysmal compared to the competition.

 

[Deleted member 50374]

My Switch Pro Controller has me spoiled, whenever I play with the other two they barely hold it up, even the One I'm quite surprised to not last that much. The PS4 is really really bad (new or used I will have to charge it after two or three hours)

 

[Kraken3dfx]

I got one of these and never looked back since

Gives me many, many hours without having to recharge the controller

Click to shrink...

Seconded, I've replaced the battery in 3 of my controllers with these and the battery life improvement is glorious.

 

[NLCPRESIDENT]

I voted yes for me. But my brother has the worst luck with them. He just traded in a bag full of beat down controllers.

His problem was he'd leave them uncharged for long periods of time and you can't do that.