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Being able to maximize the time you spend gaming in between controller charging is something all gamers try to do. You want your PlayStation 4 controller to last as long as possible so you don’t have to swap out controllers, or worse yet, wait for the controller to recharge.
By being able to tell if your PlayStation 4 controller is fully charged, your controller will last its longest before it next has to be charged. This means more time for gaming.
On your PlayStation 4 console, you can check the charge level of your controller by pressing the PS button on your controller. This will display the charge level on the screen. Another way to tell if your PlayStation 4 controller is fully charged is when the light bar on your controller turns off.
Now that we’ve determined the answer of to the question how to tell if my PlayStation 4 controller is fully charged, let’s look at some FAQs related to PlayStation 4 controller charging. Including, how long it takes to fully recharge your controller?, do controllers stop charging when full?, and top tips for extending your PS4 controller’s battery life.
How Long Does It Take To Recharge A PS4 Controller?
A common question most gamers have when their new PlayStation 4 controller runs out of battery for the first time is how long it will take to recharge the controller.
If you know roughly how long it will take to recharge your PS4 controller, then you can plan accordingly.
Maybe you can take a coffee break or go for a walk around the block with the dog while your controller charges.
It can take roughly 2 hours for a PlayStation 4 controller to fully recharge if the battery has run out. Completely charging your controller from zero charge is the best way to maintain good a battery life in your PS4 controller.
Of course, to avoid having to wait the length of time it takes to fully charge your PS4 controller, you can simply buy a second or even third controller to swap out when needed.
I mention this tip plus some really useful tips for becoming a better gamer in my other blog post:
Will My Controller Stop Charging When My PlayStation 4 Controller Is Fully Charged?
If you are any way familiar with using technology regularly, especially in the past, you might know about the dangers of overcharging batteries and how it can damage them over time.
This might cause you to wonder about the perils of charging your PlayStation 4 controller and if you could be doing it damage by leaving it to charge for too long.
Fortunately, this is less common in today’s technology as in most cases, things like phone chargers are smart enough to stop charging a phone when the battery is full.
The same is true for charging PlayStation 4 controllers.
PlayStation 4 controllers will stop charging when the battery is full. You can tell the controller is fully charged when the light bar turns off. You can leave the charging cable plugged into your PS4 controller and it will not do any harm to your controller.
Can I Use My PlayStation 4 Controller When It’s Charging?
Now that we know how long it takes to fully charge a PlayStation 4 controller, you might be wondering if you can continue to use your controller while it’s charging.
That way, you can continue to game uninterrupted while your controller is charging.
You can still use your PlayStation 4 controller when it’s connected to your PS4 and charging as it will still function. With that said, using your controller while it’s charging will increase the time it takes to fully charge. Additionally, over time the charging port on your controller could become damaged due to movement when using it.
With that in mind, I wouldn’t recommend using your PlayStation 4 controller when it’s charging. Instead, take a break from gaming or invest in a second controller to swap out. This will get the most out of your PlayStation 4 controller and help it to last longer.
How To Charge A PS4 Controller When Your PS4 Console Is In Rest Mode
Putting your PS4 console into rest mode effectively puts it to sleep.
As it isn’t fully powered off, you can still download game updates or install games while it’s in rest mode.
Additionally, when you turn on your PS4 from rest mode, you can immediately start playing a game from where you left it and the boot-up process is much faster.
In order to take full advantage of rest mode on your PS4, there are a number of configuration options including the ability to charge your PS4 controller while your console is in rest mode.
To charge your PS4 controller when your PS4 console is in rest mode:
- On your PS4 console navigate to Settings > Power Save Settings > Set Features Available In Rest Mode
- From here, ensure Supply Power to USB Ports is turned on. You can set this to Always or Three hours depending on your preference. This will allow you to continue to charge your PS4 controller when your PS4 console is in rest mode.
Tips For Saving Battery Life On Your PS4 Controller
Now that we know how long it takes to charge your controller, there are certainly some of you who are now wondering how to save the battery life on your PS4 controller.
If it lasts longer between charges, then you won’t have to charge it as often, simple as that.
For those of you wondering about saving battery life, I’ve got just the thing, a list of top tips for you to follow.
#1 Reduce the light bar brightness
To lower the light bar brightness on your PS4 controller:
- On your PS4 console, navigate to Settings > Devices > Brightness
- From here you can choose the brightness level of the PS4 controller’s light bar. In this case, it is recommended you choose the lowest option to maximize battery life.
#2 Turn off controller vibration
To turn off controller vibration on your PS4 controller:
- On your PS4 console, navigate to Settings > Devices > Controllers
- From here deselect the checkbox next to Enable Vibration to turn off vibration on your controller
#3 Reduce the time until controllers turn off
To reduce the time until your PS4 controller turns off:
- On your PS4 console, navigate to Settings > Power Save Settings
- From here select Set Time Until Controllers Turn Off. You can select from a few options:
- After 10 Minutes (Recommended for best battery life)
- After 30 Minutes
- After 60 Minutes
- Do Not Turn Off
#4 Reduce the controller’s speaker volume
To reduce the volume of your controller’s speaker:
- On your PS4 console, navigate to Settings > Devices > Controllers
- From here you can turn down the volume in the Volume Control (Speaker for Controller) option. In this case, it is recommended you turn this off completely for better battery life but you could just turn it down significantly.
How To Make Your PS4 Controller’s Battery Live Longer
Now that we’ve covered some great tips for saving battery life on your PS4 controller, something worth talking about next is how to help your controller battery to live longer overall.
Simply put the best way to increase the overall battery lifespan of your PS4 controller is to fully recharge it from zero charge.
By performing this full cycle from zero charge to full charge, you’ll be keeping the battery in tip-top condition. This will ensure the battery in your PS4 controller lasts as long as possible.
How To Reset Your PS4 Controller If It Isn’t Working Correctly
If your PS4 controller isn’t behaving as expected, a quick fix is usually to reset your controller. This is quick to do and all you need is a reset tool or a small pin that will fit into the reset hole.
To reset your PlayStation 4 controller:
- First, completely turn off your PS4 console so it won’t interfere with the controller reset process. I recommend simply unplugging it for now.
- Next, locate the PS4 controller reset switch. This is a small hole that is located at the underside of your PS4 controller to the right of the charging port.
- Taking the reset tool, hold down the reset switch for 10 seconds to reset the controller
- Once the controller has been reset, connect the controller to your PS4 via USB cable and power on your console.
- You can now repair your controller to your console by pressing the PS Button on your controller.
In my experience of using PlayStation 4 controllers, simply resetting them will resolve about 90% of the issues you may experience with them.
With that in mind, this is an important thing to learn how to do.
For more information on troubleshooting PS4 controller issues, I recommend reading this article: Fix PlayStation 4 Controller Connection Issues
Conclusion
You’ve reached the end of the article, thank you for reading to the end. Let’s summarize what we covered before we finish:
- Firstly, we answered the question how to tell if your PlayStation 4 controller is fully charged
- Next, we looked at how long it takes to fully recharge a PS4 controller
- Next, we answered the question do PlayStation 4 controllers stop charging when full
- After that, we talked about if you can use your PlayStation 4 controller when it’s charging
- Next, we walked through how to charge your PS4 controller when your PS4 console is in rest mode
- Next, I shared with you some top tips for saving battery life on your PS4 controller
- After that, we talked about how you can make your PS4 controller’s battery live longer
- Finally, we looked at how you can reset your PS4 controller if it isn’t working correctly
I really hope you found some value in reading this article on PlayStation 4 controller charging.
If you did, please consider sharing it on social media. It will help other gamers like you to find this helpful information.
Finally, if you enjoyed reading this post on how to tell if your PlayStation 4 controller is fully charged, you might like to read these articles next: