PS3 controllers: play and toss [update 1]

Oh, one more tiny thing. According to the report, the rechargeable battery inside the PS3 controller can't be replaced once it reaches the end of its recharge life-cycle. That means you have to toss it out and get a new one, like the iPod (although third-party battery replacement units have popped up on the iPod so those aren't totally trash once they go). Surely similar solutions will pop up for the PS3 controllers at some point, or else that landfill in New Mexico will find a ton of dead PS3 controllers next to the thousands of E.T. Atari 2600 cartridges.

[Captain Tuttle]

How hard is it to make an easily removable rechargable battery? This bites.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

Yeagh a rechargeable removable battery...like the 360 controller.

[Islandkiwi]

Lots of products have batteries that aren't replaceable, but it's such a waste, not to mention horrible for the environment.

And judging from Sony's battery recall, making them easy to replace would have been a good idea. If they're defective you lose the whole controller.

[zypher]

with their recent battery woes with Apple, Dell, Toshiba etc., maybe its a good thing to pitch the Sixaxis controllers before they spontaneously combust. ;)

[UrbanJabroni]

See title. ;)

[THAMMER1]

Sike!!!! Horrible planning on Sonys part but we used to this type of crap by now.

[Marriot VP]

Aren't their controllers 60 bucks, dang. They may be 50 I'm not sure. This is a very underhanded move by them to turn a profit considering the hundreds per console they'll loose.

[Tut]

They are $40, the same price as XBox 360 controllers and less than the Wii's controller (obviously).

I would like to know the actual tested battery life, but eh whatever. If all else fails there is always third-party. =)

[Tut]

Update: $50 just stated today. The details on the controller sounded sweet though, so I don't think battery life will be a problem.

[VirtualGamer]

A contact at Sony let us know that the controller does not need to be paired to the console with the USB charging cable; you can pair it by simply pressing the red PlayStation button. They did confirm that the battery would not be replaceable, much like the iPod's; however, how many of us can't remove a couple of screws and get a new battery off eBay?

[CAPS LOCK]

what they dont tell you is how long the controller life span is. i rember i had the same ps2 controller for 4.5 years and i was a really aggressive player and it still survived it is just too soft now. also most controllers last more than the console itself.

[eques judicii]

the controller itself may be fine, but the battery will be dead. you are left with a wired controller basically because the battery won't hold anymore charge. So to make it wireless again you will have to buy a new one.

[TheXgamerLive]

goes low most everytime, even with that though, it's still going to need replaced probably on a yearly basis on average. That's based on an average today's youth's playtime which can easily be, well lets see I played for 5 hours today, so ummm,well a boat load of hours so yeah atleast yearly.

[TheXgamerLive]

$50.00 a year (X)times 5 years = $250.00 on controllers + $600.00 on the console = $850.00 + $60.00 to $70.00 per game w/an average of probably 8 games a year = about $3,650.00 not to mention those still unknown online cost's. A grand total of $$$$$$$$$$$ Way tooooo much.
But we have to be insane to game as much as we do. that's life at ground zero. This doesn't count whatever upgrades, equipment, add on's, etc...
Your probably looking at the average gamer spending over a 5 year period of about $4,000.00, that's adding only $100.00 in add on's and only $50.00 a year in online and yes you'll spend that and more.
Now, if you buy an HDTV for gaming that can be from $400.00 for a small 15" to well over $2,000.00 on a nice plasma. These cost's aren't alot less for a Xbox 360 player either, it's a major money making business isn't it?
2nd or 3rd job anyone??? Maybe a roommate???

[kmis87]

They make the comparison to the iPod battery, and I've had my iPod for three years and the battery still works fine, so that seems to tell me it's not that big of a deal. Plus, I'm only buying one extra controller and waiting until they settle the Immersion lawsuit and reintroduce rumble before I get more than two controllers.

[eques judicii]

my ipod battery only lasts for 45 minutes now... so if the ps3 controller does that... i'll be unhappy

[ASSASSYN 36o]

Just when I was getting done laughing at the stupid mistakes by sony this article gets plastered all over the net. Thanks sony I can laugh again...meanwhile on xbox-live...er I mean my fully rechargable controller. hahhaa

[ChickeyCantor]

dude.....now you are just showing how stupid you can be.
OFf:
trying to bash the Wii, that the Wii-mote + nunchuck is expensive (2 different things !!! i repeat 2 different hardware devices!!!!for 60 bucks thats a real great deal if you ask me)
and now you are saying the SixAxes is to much...get a GRIP.
OT:
i knew someday this artical would come up....but i think they will redesign the controller so you can replace the the battery ( like the nintendo DS......you cant open it up easy but if the battery dies you are able to replace it)

but ......no i dont think that would happen for real XD

[Marriot VP]

who's making fun of wiimote??

I didn't say the prices of 50-60 are expensive, I just said if you have to replace a controller that's costly, hence the "dang". I didn't even mention the Wiimote.

Get a grip, your jumping all over statements I never made.

[timmyp53]

i read that the controller battery life is 8-10 hours well into into its 3-5 year life span and the dev kits were given instruction on how to replace batteries so stop the bs.

[kewlkat007]

since you've been reading, how about showing some links eh? Stop the BS till you show some links.... So that means every 3 years you pay $100 for 2 new controllers, if thats all you had. Which raises the scalability price of hardware. Thats also depends on use I guess...

[joemutt]

When the controller was just thrown together a couple of months ago, how does anyone know what it will do in 3-5 years?

This is another reason to go the logitech route, if they show us anything good.

[ElementX]

Throwing away rechargeable batteries isn't all that good for the environment. Don't some rechargeables have to be recycled? I'm not sure what type the PS3 controller batteries are, but since they're built into the controller, most people will just throw it away instead of recycling the battery. It's not difficult to implement a removeable/rechargeable battery. Look at the 360 controller and mobile phones for instance. You could pay $15-$20 tops for a new rechargeable battery, instead you have to pay $50 for a whole new controller. Battery life depends upon how often you use it, how often it's charged, the materials used in the battery, and how low you let the battery get before recharging. After about a year or two, I'm sure the batteries won't hold a 20+ hour charge. You'll be spending $15-$20 more than the cost of a rechargeable battery because the entire controller has to be replaced. Sony fanboys talk crap about Xbox Live costing $50/year, but they may end up paying that for replacement controllers. Personally, I'd rather pay $50 for reliable online service than for replacement controllers every 1-2 years.

[DJ]

Granted, I don't know how much work goes into making the controllers have replaceable batteries, but controllers definitely aren't as power intensive as MP3 players. Rechargeable batteries decrease in usage length over time, but they don't drop THAT dramatically. Claiming that the controllers are suddenly going to be useless and unchargeable is kind of funny to read. I've never heard of this happening to other devices with unreplaceable batteries.

What I actually wonder is whether or not you can unscrew the controller case and still easily replace the battery in case something unexpected happens.

[calderra]

Maybe you missed the often multi-million-dollar anti-Apple campaigns following the iPod's release? The lawsuits trying to get Apple to pay for replacements? Maybe not. And yes, this is standard with non-replacable batteries. That's why they're called non-replacable.

You also have to remember Sony's multiple statements that they're trying to stop the used market (even if we tend to focus on the games side of things). They don't want you putting new batteries in it, and it's entirely probable the controller will be made to keep the battery from being replaced by your average consumer.

Not convinced? See: iPod. Companies have done this before on major products, and it's happening again.

And as said, at the very least, this is pretty crappy for the environment at the VERY least. Lots of idiot consumers will be tossing out controllers for new ones instead of bothering with any screws. And that's going to discourage what little battery recycling there is among Americans even more. Yeesh.

I mean dang... what about people who wanna play 4player splitscreen? What happens in a few years when people will be replacing controllers? What about people replacing multiple controllers? Consumer confidence in the Sony brand would go straight for the dumps regardless of what solutions had been dreamt up in the meantime.

[peksi]

iPod is many times used in outside environment subjected to moisture and most of all cold. Batteries do not like cold temperatures. Game controller is being used indoors so battery life expectance is much higher.

[Mikey_Gee]

I am not impressed by this news AT ALL.

I really hope a 3rd party makes optional controllers that take regular batteried much like my 360 does.

On two "AA" batteries I get about 25 hours. And at costco I get a pack of 48 for $15. Not to mention the rechargable I already had and use as well.

WHY SONY !!!!!

What a stupid azz move on your part.

3rd party contoller .. here I come.

I also wonder if it will do what my 360 controller does when it runs out .... it actually will pause the game for me automatically and the ring or light flashes to tell me to change the battery.

So .... 3rd party .... if you are listening .... please help us out here.

BTW, my IPOD battery lasted me about 8 months and POOF .. it was done. That is why I did not buy another Ipod and went with a player that I CAN REPLACE the battery on my own without ripping sh!t apart.

[Arkham]

Nice little assy "article" by an anti-Sony pVnk. Fangirls are taking over this site. Please, n4g.com, display some balls. All 3 (well, both...) sides are really getting annoying.

<edit:> Oh, no wonder. It was joystiq. That explains it. What a bunch of skirts.

[BIadestarX]

Interesting... I guess microsoft is going to be acused of making more addons(battery) since batteries are detachable and not integrated.
I'm sure that all Sony fanboys think this is a good Idea. I find interesting that Sony is releasing little by little all these details.
Hey at least the battery will not fly off the controller if it blows up, maybe they did it for safety. Smart move Sony we wouldn't want any Sony fanboys losing an eye with one of these (excep DJ).

[THELANDSOFSAND]

play and toss?

sounds like good instructions for PS3 products...

[ChickeyCantor]

you are not really getting my point.
on one of the nintendo articals you start bashing about the price...now you start about the PS3 controllers price, that its "costly" so in other words you do think its expensive ;). i didnt say you said something about the Wii in this artical. im pointing out that you have been bashing about the Wii-mote+ nunchuck price

maybe if you think before you comment on stuff, maybe then you can remember the statements you made.

[Marriot VP]

i said replacing it's expensive not the controller itself numb nuts.

[ChickeyCantor]

still you think its expensive ;)

[crystallakekiller]

the more i hear about sony the more i begin to hate them! they just want money,they dont care about their fans,customers and they dont even care about the environment!!! the last time i had something from sony it was the ps2,and i'm seriously considering to never buy something from them ever again...anyway they are way too expensive for what they offer! sony really sucks!

[peksi]

Grow up and get your facts together from somewhere else than PS/MS/Wii fanboy forums.

[THELANDSOFSAND]

sounds like he got his facts from this article...

$50 a year in pad fees... nice!

[peksi]

After 1000 charges a lithium battery operates on 80% effciency. One charge gives you 30 hours of gameplay. Conclusion: the controller's battery will last as long as the controller itself. End of speculation?

[kikilala]

i was about to tell the same thing...

if one charge can get u to 30 hours of gameplay.. and let say each day u play an average of 6 hours... it means u only charge it once every 5 days... now we times that with 1000 charges.. that goes for 5000 days.. 5000 days equal to more than 13.7 years... dude.. thats more than the targeted system life...

if that is still isnt enough i guess u could wait till sony produce a controller using hydrogen fuel cell technology.. that way u dont need to recharge ur batteries for around 5-6 years.. more if they could increase the efficiency of the fuel cell itself...

[ChickeyCantor]

you are forgetting that rechargebles battery decreases in energy after each recharge.
this means after a year it wont be 30 hours but less.....
so it wont be 13 years but more like a few years.