Earlier this month, we got an extensive hands-on look at the PS5 DualSense controller courtesy of Geoff Keighley. We came away with some definite highlight features that we are excited about, but one detail that didn't emerge was battery life.
This was one of the few sore points for some users with the PS4's DualShock because it would often only last about four to five hours on a charge. But according to a Reddit user named "viper_on_fire" who briefly posted a quick clip of the controller, the PS5 DualSense will be able to go three to four hours longer than the DualShock 4 (via Game Rant).
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PS5 DualSense Battery Life
We haven't seen a specific specs breakdown for the PS5 DualSense controller yet so we don't know if the added endurance is because of it having a larger battery than its predecessor, or if it's a combination of a slightly larger battery and the removal of that pesky bright light bar in favor of the "much dimmer" (per the leaker) light strip.
While we haven't really heard anyone specifically comment on the PS5 DualSense being heavier than the DualShock 4, the side-by-side that Geoff Keighley posted following his hands-on gave us a good look at how much bigger it is, so it's pretty safe to assume Sony is using some of that space for more battery.
A new member of the family. #PlayStation5 #SummerGameFest pic.twitter.com/xuCTkBmq8hJuly 17, 2020
PS5 DualSense overall impressions
The Reddit user offered up a few more impressions on the rest of the controller, including thoughts on the buttons, controls, triggers and overall comfort.
According to the leaker, there is very little difference between the face buttons and the d-pad on the two controllers, but that's where the similarities stop. The revised touchpad is apparently "more responsive" and "clicky" than the DualShock 4's.
Turning to the trigger buttons, while they weren't able to test the adaptive trigger functionality, the feel of the L1 and R1 trigger is quite distinct from what most are familiar with now as they don't click, but rather, simply push down. L2 and R2, by comparison, were more difficult to depress than normal controller triggers, even when powered off.
Unfortunately, they were also unable to test the haptic feedback and microphone, the upgraded haptics are definitely high on our list of potentially compelling new features for the DualSense.
Finally, they were extremely impressed with the overall comfort of the controller, stating that they preferred it to the DualShock 4 and even the Xbox One controller in this regard.
Now a 1.5-2x increase in the battery life over the DualShock 4 is pretty solid and should push most gamers into a range that could get them through even an extended gaming session, but it's worth noting that this is still a far cry from what Xbox One gamers are used to: roughly 30 hours with the rechargeable kit and 40 hours on two standard AA batteries.
We are getting another PS5 State of Play event later this week, which will give us a look at some additional PS4, PS5 and PS VR games, but reportedly nothing in the way of hardware discussions this time around, so we'll just have to keep our eyes out for any more leaks.
