Charging the PS4 Controller is pretty much self-explanatory. Isn’t it? Connect the gamepad via the cable and turn on the consoles – done!

But how long do you have to wait? How long does it take for PS4 controllers to charge fully? How do you know if the controllers are charging? In this post, I’ll give you answers to these vital questions.

How Long Does It Take for PS4 Controllers to Charge?

A fully discharged PS4 controller Battery requires 2 hours of charging before the battery is charged fully. However, note that the charging efficiency and, therefore, charging time depend on the temperature. The charging time may be affected when the charging temperature goes out of the 50 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 30°C) range, either lower or higher.

Of course, you can always unplug the USB cable beforehand and stop the charging process whenever you want. But PlayStation requires that the controller is charged full at least once a year.

There are several ways to charge your PlayStation 4 controller. The easiest way is to connect the Dualshock 4 controller to a free USB port on the console using the supplied USB cable.

The controller will charge when the PS4 is on. It will also keep charging in sleep mode as long as the USB ports are still enabled.

You can check the current state of charge of the controller on the screen by briefly holding the PS button. If you charge the PS4 controller in sleep mode, the LED indicator on the back lights up orange. When charging is complete, the LED indicator goes out.

How Long Should a PS4 Controller Last After a Full Charge?

A PS4 controller lasts around 8 hours of continuous use following a full charge. One of the PlayStation console’s downsides is the controllers’ battery durability.

Moreso, as the battery wears down, the durability reduces to around 6 hours per full charge.

When you compare the Dualshock 4 with Nintendo controllers (for example, the Nintendo Switch Pro), you can play up to 40 hours with a full charge. However, the PlayStation controller battery durability does get a bit better with the newer PS5, as the controllers last 12 hours per full charge cycle.

But if you still own a PS4, I know it disrupts your fun to go close to the console every 6-8 hours to have it charged.

However, the good thing here is you don’t have to go that close. When a PS4 controller runs out of juice, you can attach any controller to your smartphone chargers, powerbank, or PC with a USB cable and keep playing. Problem solved!

Read also: Steam Not Detecting PS4 Controllers [5 Best Working Fixes]

How Long Does a PS4 Controller Last on 1 Bar, 2 Bar, or Halfway Charge?

By charging your controller up to 2 bars, the controller may last up to 4 hours, and you’ll get around 2 hours of play from a single bar charge. Note that the controller battery indicates 3 bars when fully charged.

The mathematical calculation of 3 bars equaling 8 hours and a single bar equating 2.6 hours doesn’t work with battery technology. This is because the first bar always lasts the longest.

That’s why I think it’s best to wait till full charge before unplugging when you need it for a long game session. But again, note that fully charging and draining the battery at every cycle is not healthy for the battery.

How to Charge PS4 Controller Without PS4 Console?

If you don’t like to sit very close to the TV while using and charging the controller from the console, there are a few other options:

#1: Get a charging dock station

You can get a charging station instead of using USB cables. The best-selling dock station of this type is the OIVO PS4 Controller Dock Station. It does not require any additional charging cables for the controllers.

Place your controllers on both sides of the dock station and click them down. Charging starts with orange indicator light. An advantage of the external charging station is the power pack that you can plug into the socket.

You don’t have to turn on your PlayStation or put it into sleep mode to charge the controller. However, the downside is that you cannot use the controller to play games while charging in the dock.

#2: Use the charging cable with an adapter

The controller comes with a micro USB cable, the same as a connector for Android smartphones. You can also use your smartphone’s charging cable to charge the controller.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to charge from the PS4 console because it brings you too close to the TV, you can buy a longer set of PS4 controller cables. For example, this PS4 Controller Charger Charging Cable from 6amLifestyle is 10 feet long and the most purchased by gamers online. It’s as long as from your TV to the sofa.

Read also: Fixed: PS4 Controller Not Showing Up In Device Manager

Charging PS4 Controller With Phone Charger, Is It Possible?

You can always use your phone charger with a micro-USB or an Android USB connector. But I don’t recommend using your phone’s charger, except it’s a small phone charger. Smartphone chargers have a power rating ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 plus mAh.

Any charger within this range can burn out your controller easily. If you’re using a phone charger, ensure the adapter is rated around 800 mAh to avoid damaging the controller or its battery. Otherwise, it’s better to use your PC’s charging port. The disadvantage of this is the longer charging time.

How to Tell if PS4 Controller Is Charging

Whenever you connect the controller to the console, the orange to amber colored glow light indicator signals the charging process. You can find this indicator light at the back of the controller.

When the orange light stops flashing, this indicates the battery is full. When the controller is not charging, the controller glows blue.

Finally, you can always check the charging process on the screen by holding the PS button.

Read also: Is Your PS4 Controller Charging But Not Connecting? Here Are Some Fixes to Try

How to Take Care of your PS4 Controller to Preserve the Quality of the Battery

The DualShock 4 controller has a glaring weakness: the battery quickly runs out of juice. Many gamers blame the supposedly power-hungry light bar on the back of the controller. But there are other ways to reduce power consumption and tickle a few hours more battery life out of the DualShock 4.

Decrease the brightness of the light bar

The light bar on the back of the controller always points in the direction of the television, and we seldom notice it. So it makes sense to deactivate the unnecessary light as the first energy-saving measure. The light bar cannot be switched off completely, but you can reduce the brightness in three stages.

To do this, from the PS4 menu, go to Settings >> Devices >> Controller >> Brightness of DUALSHOCK 4 Light Bar and select the setting Low.

With dimmed brightness, the PS4 controller lasts about an hour longer than when in maximum brightness.

Turn off Vibration

In contrast to the light bar, the Vibration contributes greatly to the atmosphere and immersion when playing. But the two vibration motors of the controller continuously suck the battery, especially in racing and shooting games.

From the PS4 menu, go to Settings >> Devices >> Controllers >> Enable Vibration and uncheck to turn off Vibration.

Turn down the controller speaker volume

For even more immersive gaming, the Dualshock 4 has a speaker and plays audio clips while you play. But this also consumes battery power. Unsurprisingly, the louder the speaker, the more the battery consumption. You can lower the volume or disable the speaker completely.

You can find the option to do this in Settings >> Devices >> Controllers >> Volume Control. Alternatively, you can press and hold the PlayStation button on the PS4 controller until the quick menu opens. Then, go to Customize devices >> Volume control.

Enable the auto power-off function

As long as the PS4 controller is turned on, it consumes energy. So when you’re not sitting in front of the console but comfortably watching a film on Netflix or Blu-ray, the feature should be enabled where the controller turns off automatically when not in use.

To do this, go to Settings >> Power Saving Settings >> Time Before Controllers Turn Off. There are three time options: 10, 30, and 60 minutes. Ten minutes is enough for a short pee break or to get chips and coke from the kitchen!

Turn off the PS4 controller when not in use

If you don’t want to wait ten minutes, you can manually turn off the PS4 controller. First, call up the quick menu (press and hold the PlayStation button) and switch to Adjust sound and devices >> Turn off the device. Alternatively, you can press and hold the PlayStation button for ten seconds.

How to Turn on Joy-Cons

Unlike the PlayStation 4 Dualshock 4 controllers, Joy-Cons are turned on by simply sliding them to the sides of the Nintendo Switch.

Once they are slid down and make a clicking sound, the Joy-Con controllers from Nintendo turn on, pair automatically, and charge up. They can also be detached from the Switch to be used wirelessly for up to 20 hours when fully charged.

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