The controller PS5 DualSense is praised for its innovations – haptic feedback, adaptive triggers or even integrated microphone – but its autonomy remains a weak point for many players. While some left it constantly charging out of habit, a simple setting change can now significantly extend the life of the battery between charges.
This setting is not highlighted by Sony in the main menus, and many players miss it. However, by changing the PS5’s power saving options, it is possible to reduce battery consumption without completely sacrificing the gaming experience.
Disable adaptive triggers to save power
The first tip is to deactivate the adaptive triggersa feature that simulates different resistances when pressing the L2 and R2 buttons, for example when drawing a bowstring or firing a gun. Although this option improves immersion, it puts more strain on the battery.
By disabling adaptive triggers through the console settings, you reduce the load on the controller’s battery. This means you’ll be able to play for longer before needing to recharge the DualSense – a change that may seem minor but, for some gamers, makes a clear difference.
Reducing the brightness of the light bar: a surprising gain
Another little-known setting that has a real effect on battery life is to lower the brightness of the light bar present on the controller. Although the visual impact is minimal, reducing the light intensity allows the battery to drain less quickly, because less energy is consumed to illuminate this bar.
In tests carried out, this trick saved around 30 minutes of additional battery life, simply by adjusting the brightness in the PS5 options. This may not seem like much for a very long gaming session, but for casual gamers or those who play wirelessly for extended periods of time, it’s a significant improvement.
Adjust the auto-shutoff delay to preserve battery life
The last effective option is in the “ Delay before controllers turn off » PS5 power saving settings. By setting the controllers to automatically turn off after a certain amount of time of inactivity – e.g. 10 minutes – you avoid unnecessary battery drain when the controller is not in use, such as during long cutscenes or when watching a movie via a streaming application. This setting is especially useful for those who often forget to turn off their controller or who alternate between gaming and video content.