The PS3 may be long since retired, but by no means does that mean there’s no value to still using it.
There are plenty of solid games available for the PS3, and while it does not have as many great titles as the Xbox 360, it had plenty that stood out.
Whether you are a fan of Japanese third-party games, Japanese first-party games from Sony, or western IPs, the PS3 offers a wide selection of quality titles. One issue, however, is that being an older console means it may have some problems, such as with the controller.
One question people have about their PS3s, however, is how long it takes for the controller to charge?
A new DualShock 3 controller takes about two hours to become fully charged, and once fully charged, will last an average user about two weeks before it needs to be charged again. However, the older the controller is, the less time the charge will last.
But how bad a charge can a PS3 controller have? And is there any way to extend the length of a PS3 controller’s battery?
How Long Does It Take for a PS3 Controller to Charge?
If your PS3 controller’s battery is completely drained, plugging it in to your PS3 to charge should take approximately two hours, assuming the most optimal circumstances. This time assumes that you are not currently using the PS3 controller while it is charging. If you are, the PS3 controller will take longer to become fully charged as a result.
How can you tell when the PS3 controller is fully charged?
While it is not a big deal, leaving a controller plugged into a charging port when the controller is fully charged is wasteful, especially if the controller is powered on at the time.
Thus, if you are concerned by this, you naturally would want to know when the PS3 controller has finished charging. Thankfully, it is obvious whether the controller is done charging once you know what to look out for.
The PS3 controller has a red light on it, and when it is charging, this red light will flash.
If the red light is off, this means that the PS3 controller is dead or fully charged, and with context clues, you can assume the latter rather than the former. Just make sure the PS3 is powered on, as it cannot charge when it is off, even if it has power.
What methods of charging can be employed to charge your PS3 controller?
While the PS3 controller is designed to be used with the PS3, that does not mean that it is the only device it can work with. Heck, you can even charge it by plugging it into a wall outlet via USB. USB ports are universal for the most part, so as long as your PS3 charging cable can fit in a USB port, it can be used to charge your PS3 controller (usually).
You can use a phone cord or a power brick to plug your PS3 USB cord into a wall, ensuring that you can charge your PS3 controller and use it at the same time, no matter how far away from the device you may be. This also allows you to charge your PS3 controller while the device you intend to use it on is turned off, thereby saving power.
The PS3 is also compatible with your PC, both to play games with it and to charge the controller through one of its USB ports. The charging time of the PS3 controller may be comparable with the charging time on PS3, depending on the type of port anyway.
Certain ports are older than others, meaning that these older ports will take longer to charge than the newer USB ports. If you are using the PS3 controller in such a port while it is charging, you could even wind up draining the battery faster than it charges.
You can also connect your PS3 controller to your PS4, but the PS4 can only be used to charge, not actually to play anything on the PS4.
How does the charging time of a PS3 controller compare to the PS4 and PS5 controllers?
Batteries have come a long way since the PS3 controller’s battery was originally developed, and the PS4 and PS5 controllers have had better technology implemented in them compared to the PS3 controller. However, how does the battery charge and capacity compare?
The PS4 controller charges about as quickly as the PS3 controller. However, the battery capacity is considerably smaller.
This is in part because the PS4 controller is more advanced, and thus has more that is draining the battery. Compared to the PS3’s upward of 20 hours of usability, the PS4 lasts for only about 8-9 hours.
Why is my PS3 controller charging slowly?
Over time, all kinds of electronics will inevitably lose their luster in one way or another.
For a controller with a rechargeable battery, for example, every time you charge your battery, the battery will be ever so slightly reduced as a result.
Over time, the battery will have a reduced capacity, and if you used it extensively since 2006, it will still be working, but it will not have as much capacity as it used to.
What do I do if my PS3 controller does not charge anymore?
If your PS3 controller’s battery is no longer functional, changing out the battery is quite a lot harder than it may be with certain other devices.
However, there are still ways to remove the old battery and install a new one. To do this, while the controller is powered off, you need to remove the five 7.2 mm Phillips screws on the rear of the controller.
Gently lift the backplate off, taking care to not break any plastic or dislodge the trigger buttons. Move the battery and, using tweezers or pliers, gently pull the battery connector out. Then plug the new battery in, and reassemble the PS3 controller.
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