PS3 Controller Charging

Charging Your PS3 Controller Battery

Your PS3 controller charging should have a strategy. That’s right – it’s not just playing the PS3 that demands tactical thinking.

You see, someday your PS3 (aka Sixaxis or DS3 or, if you’re looking at the controller’s model number, CECHZC2U) controller battery is going to crap out. Not today, probably not next year, but someday. Every rechargeable battery someday becomes unusable. You’ll be charging the battery over and over again for minutes and then mere seconds of gameplay.

You want battery failure day to be a long way off. So with rechargeable controller batteries, you want a charging strategy that extends the battery’s life as much as possible. Unfortunately, controller charging strategies vary radically depending on what kind of battery’s inside your controller.

What’s in Your Sixaxis: Lithium, NiMH, or NiCad?

Fortunately, some other geeks have already sacrificed a PS3 controller for science, and here’s what they found: a nice large flat lithium battery.

Not only is lithium handy for settling scrambled brains (under supervision of a medical professional), but it’s perfect for most gamers’ play habits. Lithium controller batteries thrive when charged frequently. On the flip side, they fail sooner when they are subjected to frequent full discharges.

So don’t let that USB controller-charging cable gather dust. Connect up your PS3 controller regularly and let it drink deep from the power of your sleek PS3. Charging is good. Repeat after me. Charging is good.

Other PS3 Controller Charging Tips

• You can charge your PS3 controller off any USB port that provides power. Your laptop or cable box is fine.
• Don’t expose your PS3 controller to extreme heat. Batteries hate heat.
• Don’t freeze your PS3 controller to save the battery, either.
• Lithium batteries don’t have a memory effect. Again, partially charging your PS3 controller is a good thing.
• Lithium batteries have a lifespan, even when in the box, so be careful about buying a PS3 controller that’s used or has been rotting on the shelf.

I’ve also researched Xbox 360 controller charging strategies, and I’ll unload that on you folks next. Hint: it’s not the same as the PS3 controller charging technique.