How Long Does It Take A PS4 Controller To Charge? (Explained)

Sony’s PS4 controller offers a wide range of features and an exciting gameplay experience.

It comes with a 1000mAh battery that makes it last longer.

Since the battery is of good power, most people struggle to find out the exact time required to completely charge it.

Let’s discuss how long the PS4 controller takes to charge and what factors influence its charging time.

How Long Does It Take A PS4 Controller To Charge?

Sony’s new PS4 controller takes approximately two hours to charge fully if you don’t use it while charging.

The charging time might increase drastically if you keep using the controller with the charging cable plugged in.

Different factors can influence the charging time of the PS4 controller.

Most importantly, the age of the battery directly impacts the charging time.

Other factors include the charger’s condition and your method of use of the PS4 controller.

Take a look at some of the other factors that influence the charging time of PS4 controllers.

Factors That Impact The Charging Time Of A PS4 Controller

Considerably, various factors have an impact on the PS4 controller charging time.

From the types of games you’re playing to the age of your PS4 controller’s battery, a wide range of factors determine the exact charging time of your PS4 controller.

Let’s discuss the eleven major factors in detail.

1. Charging Accessories

The major factor that influences the charging time is the charging accessories of your PS4 controller.

Most of the time, gamers use non-branded charging accessories as soon as their original ones get defective.

This becomes the reason for the poor performance of the controller and results in an excessively long charging time.

Take a look at some of the charging accessories you can utilize to improve the charging time of your PS4 controller.

A. Wall Socket/Charger

Typically, gamers use a power brick with high wattage and a similar 5V voltage rating to charge high-end devices.

This works pretty well when charging a PS4 controller and improves the charging time as well.

Certain after-market chargers tend to deliver ample power and boost the charging speed.

They are embedded with a 10W or 12W power brick that charges your controller faster than the PS4 USB port.

However, these chargers have a voltage rating greater than 5V, which makes them a major risk of damaging the controller’s battery charging capacity.

B. Charging Dock

A PS4 charging dock lets you simultaneously charge two or more controllers while decreasing the overall charging time.

A low-end, standard charging dock can charge two PS4 controllers approximately in 2.5 hours.

However, a good charging dock like OIVO PS4 Controller Charging Dock can boost charging speed to fully charge your PS4 controller in only 1.8 hours.

If you are a passionate gamer and spend a significant time gaming, these accessories can really help you out in optimizing the charging time of your controller.

2. Battery Health

The battery health of a PS4 controller has a direct impact on the charging time.

PS4 controller’s battery charging capacity decreases as the battery becomes older with time.

Older batteries take more than two hours to charge fully.

Sony uses Li-Ion batteries in their controllers, which tend to lose 30% of the battery charging capacity after 1,000 recharge cycles.

3. Temperature

According to Sony, the ideal temperature range for efficiently charging your PS4 controller is between 10°C to 30°C.

The lower and higher temperature differences reduce the charging mechanism efficiency.

Harsh temperature conditions and too much heat badly affect the charging time.

Due to this reason, it is necessary to charge the battery in cool surroundings.

Make sure that the temperature of the room is within the prescribed limit and that the battery is placed on a hard surface.

This will also increase your PS4 battery life and improve its performance.

4. Usage

When charging idly, the PS4 controller charging time is around two hours.

On the other hand, if you keep playing games while the battery is charging, there will be a significant increase in the charging time.

You can afford to keep playing while the charge is ON sometimes, but making it a continuous habit is not recommended.

5. Charger Specification

The output specifications of charging ports and chargers also affect the PS4 controller’s charging time.

If you are using the PS4 USB port or a charging dock, the average controller’s charging time will be 1.5–2 hours.

However, the charging time will rise if you use a low spec output charger of less than 800 mA/5v or 4 W.

Hence, you should use the recommended charger to charge your PS4 controller efficiently.

6. Controller Brand

The average charging time for Sony DualShock PS4 controllers is approximately two hours.

However, third-party controllers may not have the same charging time as Sony’s controller.

For example, YCCTEAM Wireless PS4 Controller requires 2.5 hours to charge fully.

Therefore, it is always better to use a Sony charger and battery for PlayStation controllers.

7. Connectivity Issues

The USB cable quality also has a direct impact on the charging speed.

Nylon-coated USB cables tend to charge fast as they ensure the safety of the copper wires inside the cable and leave no connectivity issues.

On the other hand, a low-quality cable tends to slow down the charging speed as the copper wires inside the cable get damaged easily.

This results in connectivity issues between the controller and the charger.

A damaged USB port sometimes also increases the charging time of a PS4 controller as it results in connection problems between the cable and the console.

8. Dim The Light Bar

The PS4 controller has a forward-facing light bar that changes color when you play specific games.

Apart from its cool look, it enhances the gaming experience greatly.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to switch it off completely, which results in the draining of the battery.

Although you can’t shut down the light bar completely, you can reduce its light power to minimize the power consumption.

Take the following steps to reduce the power of the dim light bar.

1. Press the PS button on your controller and bring up the quick menu.
2. Select DualShock 4.
3. Toggle to reduce the light.

Perform these simple steps and add life to your PS4 controller’s battery.

It’s also effective in increasing the charging capacity of your controller.

9. Cleaning Dust

Dust gathers around the ports of a PS4 controller charging port as it ages with time, which reduces the charging speed.

Most gamers don’t pay attention to it and ignore it completely.

This eventually results in bad performance from your battery and charger.

You can begin the cleaning process by using a toothpick or a needle to remove dust.

This will result in a better performance of your charger and the controller will charge in a minimal amount of time.

10. Reduce Controller Volume

The PS4 controller has a small built-in speaker for notifying the users about various activities.

Whereas the main sound and music of the game come from your stereo system or TV, some games use the PS4 controller speaker to produce unusual sound effects.

The controller speaker produces a much louder sound, and for that reason, it consumes more battery.

However, there are several steps you can follow to reduce the controller’s volume to have an improved charging time.

Let’s have a look at them.

1. Hold the controller’s PS button and go to the Quick Menu.
2. Select the Devices option and then the Volume Control option.
3. Adjust the sound according to your need.
4. Press Ok.

Once you reduce the volume of your PS4 controller, there will be a significant reduction in its charging time.

11. Turn Off Vibration

The PS4 controller is embedded with a powerful motor to deliver strong vibrations.

Unfortunately, these vibrations consume energy from your PS4 controller’s battery, which results in a long charging time.

However, there are ways to turn off these vibrations, and you must implement them for a reduced charging time.

1. Go to Settings on your PS4.
2. Select Devices and then choose Controllers.
3. Scroll down to Enable Vibration option.
4. Long press the X button to deselect the Vibration.
5. Press Ok.

This trick disables the motor from consuming more energy and reduces the charging time.

PS4 Controller Charging Facts

1. Annual Charge

You must fully charge your PS4 controller at least once a year to ensure its proper functionality.

If you don’t do that, you may face issues connecting the controller to your console.

The annual charge method also increases the controller’s charging capacity and maximizes the battery life.

If you are using a PS4 controller after a long time and facing a connectivity issue, allow your PS4 controller to charge fully before using it.

2. Rest Mode Charging

The rest mode charging option allows you to charge your PS4 controller by turning on the power in a USB port.

The default settings don’t allow you to charge your controller in rest mode.

However, there are several steps you can follow to enable charging in rest mode.

1. Go to Settings and select Power Save options.
2. Go to Rest Mode and set available features.
3. Select the Supply Power to USB Ports option.
4. Select Ok.

Fortunately, you can charge your controller while letting your console rest.

This will really help in improving the performance and life of your PS4 gaming console.

PS4 Controller Battery Time Vs. Other Controllers Battery Time

According to Sony, a PS4 battery lasts around four to eight hours if it is in good condition.

However, the eight hours time limit is only valid for batteries that are relatively new and have not been exposed to high temperatures during gaming.

The battery time reduces over time.

An older battery might even give you a battery timing of fewer than four hours.

Therefore, the battery timing completely depends on its life and your use.

What Indicates A Low Battery Level In A PS4 Controller?

The simple way to identify the low battery on your PS4 controller is by pressing and holding the controller’s PS button.

It will show the battery level on your screen.

The console also shows warnings on your gaming display if your battery is relatively low.

If you missed the warning of low battery on your display, it will prevent your PS4 controller from sending an input alert to the console and might turn off as well.

Additionally, your PS4 controller’s light bar will stop producing light until your controller is connected to your console.

After getting the low battery notification from the console for your PS4 controller, you must immediately connect a USB cable to charge it.

You can continue gaming while your PS4 controller is charging.

Is It Safe Charging A PS4 Controller While Gaming?

Yes, it is completely safe to charge your PS4 controller while gaming.

There’s nothing wrong with plugging in and using the controller simultaneously.

However, it reduces your battery’s life span and increases the charging time.

Due to this, we highly recommend you charge the battery when you are not using it.

There are a few things you must keep in mind when gaming and charging your controller at the same time.

1. Ensure the area has enough ventilation where you are using the controller because no ventilation causes overheating and leads to accelerated battery depreciation.
2. Avoid overcharging your controller. Although Sony claims it automatically cuts the charging, Li-Ion batteries get damaged easily even with a slight overcharging.

It is not a good idea to charge and use the controller simultaneously, but if you have to do that for some reason, make sure to follow the tips we have mentioned above.

What Makes A PS4 Controller Battery Die So Fast?

There are several features embedded in the PS4 controller that become the reason for the short battery time of the PS4 controller.

It consists of the speakers, vibration motors, light bar, and a default setting that remain active as long as the console is on.

These factors affect the battery life and minimize it to a great extent.

You can follow some fixes to increase your battery life.

1. Disable The Default Always-On Setting

You can follow these steps to disable the default Always-On setting.

1. Press the PS button.
2. Select Customization options.
3. Select Switch Off your PS4 Controller option.
4. Select Ok.

2. Replace The Battery With A Stronger One

If you have been using the same PS4 controller for a long time, there is a high chance your battery has reached its expected life span.

The only solution to this is the use of a newer and more improved battery.

Take the following steps to change the battery of your PS4 controller.

1. Introduce an opening by pinching the left and right handles and slide it upwards with the help of a plastic opening tool.
2. Pull down the crack near the share and options buttons to open the casing.
3. Disconnect the motherboard ribbon from both sides of the controller.
4. Use the forceps plug to remove the battery plugs gently.
5. Insert the new battery with a similar method.

Conclusion

Your PS4 controller needs charging when it starts blinking the light bar.

The total time required to charge a PS4 controller is two to three hours.

However, you can utilize certain tricks to reduce the charging time greatly.