Which controller has the best battery life? Options

[Xbox-Scene]

Which controller has the best battery life? Posted by XanTium | January 31 12:36 EST | News Category: (default)

From gamepro.com: [QUOTE] GamePro tests the wireless stamina of Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3 controllers in comparison. Microsoft's Xbox 360 controllers are the most weighted when compared to either Wii or PS3 -- by far. They also pack the most rumble punch, shaking profusely during intense gaming moments. So it would make sense to think the added density and tactile feedback would drain batteries with haste, but our lab results proved quite the contrary. The Xbox 360 controller endured an impressive 56 hours and 56 minutes, the most of any wireless controller we tested. The dashboard battery meter isn't as accurate as PS3 or Wii, but for maximum gaming on a single battery charge, the Xbox 360 can't be beat. So which battery setup works best? That, like the consoles themselves, is entirely subjective. The PS3 controller is rechargeable, the Wii Remote customizable, and the Xbox 360 long-lasting. Now that's playing with power. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamepro.com

[metalcoat]

They fail to mention in the summary that for the tests the Wii and 360 used Duracell Coppertops not rechargeable batteries (only what came in the box). I suspect the Dual Shock 3 will reduce the battery life in PS3 even further.

Quick question are the PS3 controller batteries replaceable? Like eventually they will die, so easily replaced?

[tomgreen99200]

intresting article but i think it doesnt clearly make a point, atleast on this website. Bong !

[mlapaglia]

very nice how much?

[HotKnife420]

I think there's a significantly good chance they didn't evaluate the DS3 controllers. I've noticed quite a bit of rumbling on the DMC4 demo, and I'm about to go buy Uncharted today, so we'll see how it does. Either way, I wouldn't put the 360's rumble ahead; rather on par (play the same game on both systems and see the difference).

Another oddity is that they used replaceable batteries in the 360 controller, rather than an official battery pack. I can only assume this is because of the many people like me who bought an off-brand battery (Nyko is the only one, tmk) pack, and they didn't want to test two different battery packs. I don't think it's exactly 'fair' to compare the battery life of a disposable long-lasting battery versus a lithium-ion rechargeable battery (which never last as long as regular batteries).

Furthermore, they added the PS3's 'recharge while playing' as though it were something the 360 didn't offer (little do they know, I used my 360 to charge my PS3 controller just the other day! Mua ha ha!). Perhaps they were trying to point out the fact that the PS3 uses a 'mini-USB' cable, and many people have several lying around the house so they don't have to buy Sony's for $10+ (that just brought another idea to mind, but I don't want to get off-topic).

I could swear I remember a test before on 360 vs PS3 battery life, but I suppose that won't stop more tests from being done until variables (like the ones I mentioned and others) can be eliminated. In my own experience, I have a Halo 3 LE wireless controller, and a PS3 DS3 controller. Both have excellent battery life. It's been weeks since I've had to charge either one!

They fail to mention in the summary that for the tests the Wii and 360 used Duracell Coppertops not rechargeable batteries (only what came in the box). I suspect the Dual Shock 3 will reduce the battery life in PS3 even further.

Quick question are the PS3 controller batteries replaceable? Like eventually they will die, so easily replaced?

You can dissemble the PS3 controller and remove the battery, I don't know how easily it's replaced, but shouldn't be rocket science, either way.

[steveju]

You can dissemble the PS3 controller and remove the battery, I don't know how easily it's replaced, but shouldn't be rocket science, either way.

Maybe you should be able to change the battery without breaking the warranty?

[warmaster_670]

Maybe you should be able to change the battery without breaking the warranty?

by the time you would have to replace the battery, you qwouldnt have a warrenty anymore.

chances are that is

[fiya]

by the time you would have to replace the battery, you qwouldnt have a warrenty anymore.

chances are that is

sony replaces the battery no matter what


Another thing ppl dont realise is that if you buy rechargeables that have high 'mah' like 2600 or so, it increases the battery time considerably. Thats an advantage to using off the shelf batteries rather than a built in one.

the DS3 controller lasts longer than the SIXAXIS but not greatly.

[HansiHusten]

Ehm... it depends how high the mA value is. Well i got very nice batteries and i played (with a real fresh set) Lost Odyssey and the batteries were drained after 15h (wireless) and there is not THAT much rumble stuff....

[21cwSpanky]

sony replaces the battery no matter what
Another thing ppl dont realise is that if you buy rechargeables that have high 'mah' like 2600 or so, it increases the battery time considerably. Thats an advantage to using off the shelf batteries rather than a built in one.

the DS3 controller lasts longer than the SIXAXIS but not greatly.

You've got that backwards, the DS3 has a shorter battery life.

With that said I can definitely say I've had my sixaxis last longer than my xbox 360 controller using generic batteries. To be completely honest I stopped using my wireless 360 controller because it'l drain the batteries to the point where the controller can no longer keep a connection in about 30 hours.

I can charge my sixaxis for about 3 hours and it'l work for the rest of the week non stop. My only complaint is no auto-shutoff.

This post has been edited by 21cwSpanky: Jan 31 2008, 09:47 PM

[matt77303]

''The dashboard battery meter isn't as accurate as PS3 or Wii''

where is that in the dashboard? how do i find out how much battery life is left?

Thanks Matt

[0794]

i love the battery life of the 360 controllers...especially with the MS rechargeable packs and the quick-charging stand i never even think about battery life or the cost of replacing batteries...just a simple quick swap...

[ILLusions0fGrander]

my 360 controller battery from around launch dies very fast, less than a couple hours of straight gaming. just leaving them in the controller overnight seems to drain them to 25 percent.

oh well.. thats why we have rechargeable batteries.

[0794]

''The dashboard battery meter isn't as accurate as PS3 or Wii''

where is that in the dashboard? how do i find out how much battery life is left?

Thanks Matt

simply tapping the big guide button while in game will pull up a blade and the battery life for the wireless controller and headset can be seen in the upper left corner - the display shows only 3-4 bars to represent battery life...

[brandon_r87]

Except the Xbox 360 controllers constantly drain, even when the system is off. I noticed one night that in the dark, the ring around the guide button still glowed faintly. I unplugged the battery and the glow went off. It's always partially on, meaning that if you don't play for long periods of time your battery could still be dead when you do finally play. I haven't noticed that at all with my Wii remotes, which seem to last me much longer between changing rechargeable batteries. On the 360, it seems like I'm plugging in the charge n' play I have every other time I play.