Why My Controller Was Dying More Quickly
Playstation and Xbox controllers are great comfortable devices that I have considered to be the best in these recent years. Still, the battery life of these controllers is one of the issues that developers are still trying to improve constantly. From changing a couple of settings to buying new batteries, there are many strategies you can use to save more battery.
One of the things that I found online, especially in forums of people with similar issues, was that there were multiple reasons why controllers suffer from fast battery drainage.
The most significant things that will cause an XBOX controller to run out of battery prematurely include:
- Exposure to heat
- Using cheap, rechargeable AA batteries
- Excessive settings with 3rd party drivers
The solutions for improving battery life that I found are not complicated at all. Many of them require you to customize certain settings on your console or a simple replacement of batteries that I will discuss here.
Exposure to Heat
If your battery has been exposed to heat, then your battery might have suffered some sort of damage. This can happen if you place your controller on a high-temperature surface. Since Playstation controllers use lithium batteries, they can get easily damaged if they are exposed to non-recommendable temperatures.
Cheap Batteries
But I also discovered a variety of other reasons as to why this might be happening. For example, Xbox One controllers come with a pack of interchangeable batteries, which is compatible with a variety of different battery brands, but not all of them work effectively inside the system of the controller.
Tips to Increase Battery Life and Prevent Damage
Xbox Controller Tips
Microsoft disappointed many, myself included, with its decision to forego including chargeable batteries in the Xbox One controllers. Xbox controllers in the past have come with an integrated pair of batteries, which you can replace for rechargeable batteries if you wish.
Even with this limitation, I researched a variety of solutions that could improve the battery life of my Xbox One controller, whether they are replaceable or rechargeable batteries.
- Turn off the controller
- Switch disposable batteries for rechargeable batteries
- Turn off controller vibration
- Connect headset to console instead of controller
These tips will prolong the life of the Xbox controller and allow for more gameplay.
Turn Off Controller When Not in Use
We all have suffered from this. We leave the console on and decide to stream videos or listen to music, but forget to turn off the Xbox controller. This is something I seem to do every time I use it.
But there is no need to leave your controller on at all times.
To turn off your Xbox controller, press and hold the Xbox button that is placed in the middle, and then choose the “Turn Off Controller” option.
This will help you save battery while you are not using your device. This helped me a lot in conserving my battery time. There is also an option that automatically turns off your Xbox controller, so be on the lookout for that.
Use Rechargeable or AA Batteries
The Xbox controller comes with a pair of disposable batteries. However, I did not want to be replacing batteries all the time, so I looked for options for rechargeable batteries for Xbox. That was when I discovered that Xbox had a Play and Charge Kit that comes with rechargeable batteries that contain 1,400mAh.
These batteries allow players to play games for up to 30 hours. Still, like any other battery for a controller, its longevity all depends on the usage.
I also discovered that AA batteries offer longer hours of play. Instead of the 1,400mAh that comes with the Play and Charge Kit, with AA batteries, you get long hours of gaming since they can contain up to 2,000mAh.
Depending on what you buy, they have a similar price as the Play and Charge Kit by Xbox or more. Remember to dispose of them every few months since their battery life can worsen if you spend more than six months with them.
Turn Off Controller Vibration
Similar to the Dualshock 4, the Xbox controller can be significantly impacted if you decide to turn off the vibration on your controller.
This can extend battery life, but it might overall decrease the experience of playing games due to the immersion the offer. However, if this is not something that matters to you, you can disable it whenever you want.
To do this, go to the Xbox Menu, Settings, and then select Ease of Use. After this, choose Controller, and then you will see an option to disable the vibration.
Connect Headsets Directly to Console
This was surprising news for me. Connecting your headset directly to the outlet of the Xbox controller can decrease its battery life significantly. It is recommended that headsets are connected directly to the console instead of the controller since it can actually save you a lot of time dealing with your battery.
I have noticed my controller dying out faster every time I played online games with my friends, and I never understood why. But your headsets drain a significant amount of your battery’s energy.
Expectedly, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One controllers have been the ones to suffer from faster battery drainage the most, but there are a couple of solutions that helped me solve the problem.
Note that these tips are going to be specific for controllers of the following gaming consoles:
- PS4
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox One controllers
Dualshock 4 Controller Tips
It has been seven years since I bought my first PlayStation 4. As impressive as the controller might seem, with its snappy triggers and big comfortable buttons, the controller is far from perfect. Its questionable battery life was one of the issues that I noticed when I first used it.
Still, there are multiple ways which you can use to improve the battery life of your controller, which also worked for me, without having to spend any money on new equipment.
- Reduce controller brightness
- Reduce controller volume
- Replace controller battery
These steps are simple, but it is easy to overlook them.
Reduce Controller Brightness to Save Battery
This change is less impactful on your gameplay experience, as it does not interfere with any of the functionality of the controller. Changing the brightness of your Dualshock 4 controller can improve the durability of the battery during a game session.
The light bar cannot be turned completely off, but you can dim the light to be less bright. I completed this by accessing the menu of the Playstation 4, going into Settings, and selecting the Dualshock 4 in devices. This will give you the option to reduce the brightness of the lightbar.
Reduce Controller Volume to Save Battery
There are some games, such as Grand Theft Auto 5, I noticed used this feature. It blares out sounds from the speakers integrated into the controller, which I did not know consumed more energy than necessary.
The way in which I discovered this feature could be turned off was by going into the Playstation 4 menu, then into settings > Devices Controllers > Volume Control.
After this, I saw an improvement in the battery life of my controller. Surprisingly, this feature causes a lot of your battery to drain in a matter of minutes.
Replace Controller Battery
I also looked for battery alternatives, just in case I wanted a battery that lasts longer. I noticed that disabling certain features of the controller could affect my immersive experience while gaming. If you do not want to do that, then I would recommend replacing your controller battery altogether.
This will help you in the long run, as you will know which steps to take to preserve your battery life. The Dualshock 4 comes with an integrated 1,000mAh battery, but you can also get a stronger battery by replacing it with a 2,200mAh battery.
Conclusion
But no one wants to wait for years for a new controller release with better battery life. These methods worked for me, and you should try it out to see if it works for you as well.
Similarly, Playstation 4 controllers have a variety of different functions that can drain the battery life of your DualShock 4 even faster than before. Nevertheless, there are a variety of solutions you can use to optimize your controller from dying out. This will prevent you from having to buy new controllers or new batteries if they end up being damaged.