New PlayStation 5 Controller Fixes the Biggest Problem With DualSense

Modern gamers benefit from plenty of quality-of-life upgrades that older generations of players could only dream of. This includes controllers, which have evolved rapidly over the years. I can still remember being blown away by my first wireless controller, the WaveBird for the Nintendo GameCube. After growing up with knotted cords and third-party controllers that always fell short in one way or another, the idea of a consistently effective wireless controller was an especially exciting development.

Wireless controllers have since become the norm for console gaming, although many of them still aren’t perfect. This includes the PlayStation 5 DualSense controllers, which are great from a gameplay standpoint but still suffer from some functionality issues. This includes a battery life that can vary wildly depending on the player, the games being played, and whether all the controller functions are still active. Now, that issue might become less of a problem because DualSense controllers are getting a tweak to their construction going forward.

The PlayStation 5 DualSense Controllers Are Getting Better Battery Life

According to reporting from TwistedVoxel, the next version of the DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 is set to have an enhanced battery life. The revised controller, which can be identified by the model number CFI-ZCT2W, will include a new BDM-060 board in the design. By removing internal components such as the secondary mic, the developers have been able to change up the build so that they can optimize the internal electronics. As a result, the controller will have a longer battery life while unplugged, increasing the number of hours players can go uninterrupted.

Going forward, the updated controllers will be included in all PS5 Pro and Slim bundles. It will also reportedly be the underlying controller for new color/themed releases, such as the Ghost of Yōtei Gold Limited Edition controller. This is just part of the overall upgrades that are going into effect for the PS5, with Sony also incorporating a new cooling system designed to give the console greater longevity. It’s a nice development for fans who have been otherwise complaining about the PS5 DualSense controller since the console launched and could be the key to resolving the most frustrating element of the controller.

The DualSense Controller Is About To Get A Lot Better

The DualSense controllers are largely impressive from a design point of view, but the battery life has always been something of an issue. While the average battery life for a controller is meant to be 6 to 8 hours, plenty of gamers were struggling to even get 1 or 2 hours out of the wireless controller before needing to plug it back in. The issue is that the controllers have so many functions and features that, even when unused, can secretly be draining the battery.

The controller’s microphone, speaker volume, and high vibration settings all contribute to the controller’s poor battery life, especially when left unchecked by gamers who aren’t even thinking about those functions. While turning off those functions can increase the battery life, the current charge still isn’t anything particularly impressive when compared to the battery life of other controllers for the Xbox or Nintendo Switch, which can go above 20 hours or beyond with battery packs or third-party creators like SCUF. Personally, the battery life has been the only thing I’ve disliked about the DualSense controllers that came with my PS5.

The controller itself functions well overall, even after a few years of use, but I’ll only get a few hours out of my standard controllers before needing to plug them back in — which can be somewhat frustrating when sitting down to try and binge my way through an immersive adventure. This new tweak on the DualSense controller’s mechanics sounds terrific, especially as they seem to be focused on reducing the impact that add-ons like the built-in mic have on the battery life. This might give gamers the impetus to look for a new DualSense controller, but make sure you get the right one by keeping an eye on the model number.