Your PS5 controller will likely need to be replaced before the console itself, but when should you expect it?
If you’re currently worried about the expected lifespan of your PlayStation 5, you may also be losing sleep over the remaining longevity of your DualSense controller. With the rumored PS6 on the horizon, there could well be a new Sony game controller coming soon. But what about your current PS5 device? How long can you expect this to last in a world where stick drift quickly ruins controllers?
There are several angles to look at the longevity of your DualSense controller. What is the general battery life of the pad between charges? How long is its warranty, during which Sony still offers free repairs? And how long can you expect a PS5 controller to work before the stick drift flaw potentially appears? Let’s go over the key points regarding the lifespan of your PS5 controller and potential battery issues.
How long does a PS5 controller battery last?
Not very long, is the sad and short answer. Although it may depend on the game, on a full charge the PS5 DualSense controller will typically last 6 to 12 hours. Next to competitors like the best mobile game controllers, there’s no denying that Sony’s official pad runs out of juice extremely quickly. But why is this?
Part of the reason the PS5 controller’s internal 1,560mAh lithium-ion battery drains so quickly is due to various DualSense components all gobbling up power. The biggest culprits are the gamepad’s light bar, speaker, adaptive triggers, and haptics. The more a game exploits these features, the faster your gamepad’s battery will drain.
With proprietary tiles like Astrobot And Back – both of which make exceptional use of the DualSense’s dynamic resistance triggers and palm rumble – expect the controller to last close to the previously mentioned six hour mark. If you plan to play GTA VI Until you can’t keep your eyes open anymore, you might want to think about investing in a second DualSense so you always have an extra, fully charged pad to swap out. You can also keep a long charging cable next to your gaming spot.
But what about the DualSense Edge? Does Sony’s $200 premium controller offer longer battery life than the standard pad? Given its high price, you would think so, but that’s not the case. Sony decided to go with a 1,050 mAh battery for the Edge, which is considerably smaller than the standard 1,560 mAh model of the DualSense. As a result, the fanciest gamepad only lasts about 5-10 hours. The reason Sony chose a lower capacity battery than the main controller was to accommodate the Edge’s extra hardware, like its rear paddles, removable stick modules, and trigger-stop mechanisms.
Why does PS5 stick drift happen and how can I fix it?
Beyond battery life, let’s take a look at how stick drift affects the lifespan of a PS5 controller. Stick drift refers to a defect in which the DualSense’s analog sticks register input even when you’re not interacting with your controller. While this is annoying in any game, it can be particularly disastrous in racing titles and first-person shooters. Stick drift has affected many game controllers over the years (the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are infamous for this), and unfortunately there is no guaranteed way to fix this problem.
Since this is caused by natural wear and tear or when sweat from your fingers seeps into a controller’s internal components, there’s a good chance your DualSense will eventually suffer from stick drift. If you play your PS5 for dozens of hours a week, the dreaded fault is likely to hit your device much sooner than a casual gamer who only connects to it occasionally. GTA Online session. You can help fix PS5 controller drift by regularly cleaning your controller’s analog inputs with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or with short bursts of compressed air. It’s also a good idea to download firmware updates for your controller as soon as they become available, as they help avoid any potential software issues.
If your DualSense is hit by a stick drift during your pad’s one-year warranty period, Sony is obligated to repair it/offer you a replacement. If the controller’s warranty has expired, you will need to have your pad repaired by third-party repair experts. Consider the lifespan of a DualSense another way: repairing your PS5 pad will only be free for the first 12 months after purchase. After that, all repairs will be paid for out of pocket, in which case purchasing a new controller might be the easiest (and most cost-effective) option.
Which lasts longer: a PS5 or Xbox controller?
In a battery life comparison, the Xbox Wireless Controller beats the DualSense. The easy win for Microsoft’s gamepad is because its design isn’t built around an internal battery. While the DualSense uses the aforementioned 1,560 mAh lithium-ion battery, the Xbox Series X/S controller uses AA batteries out of the box, which typically last around 30-40 hours. Compared to the 6-10 hours of the original PS5 gamepad, that’s quite an advantage in terms of endurance that the Xbox controller has.
While both gamepads are equally prone to drift, there’s no denying that you’ll be charging a DualSense more than an Xbox controller. Even the official rechargeable battery you can buy for Microsoft’s latest official controller crushes the DualSense’s battery life, at around 25 to 30 hours on a full charge. So if you’re planning to check out the best PS5 games, make sure you have a charger or backup controller on hand.
