Wii, Xbox 360 & PS3 controller battery life tested

2 February 2008
Josh

Wii, Xbox 360 & PS3 controller battery life tested

Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 Battery Life Ever wondered which of the next-gen consoles has the greatest battery life? Is it the Nintendo Wii? The Playstation 3? Or Microsoft’s Xbox 360?

Well Gamepro but all these consoles to the test and came out with some surprising results. But first here is the criteria they used:
* Used straight out-of-the-box hardware only
* No charger packs were used for neither 360 or Wii
* A wide variety of games tested on each system, including lengthy single-player adventures and shallow downloadable games, both online & off.
* Played a variety of time intervals, from fifteen minutes to upward of 8-hours
* The specific batteries used for Wii & Xbox 360 were Duracell’s “coppertops” that most people will use.
* Batteries were considered dead if they failed to reconnect the controller for a third consecutive time.

So what were the results? Check them out!

PlayStation 3
Sony’s Sixaxis is light in both weight and battery performance. If it weren’t for its ability to recharge via USB, we’d call it a show-stopper. But its internal battery does recharge, which is more than either the Xbox 360 or the Wii controllers are capable of, resulting in big savings over the life of the console. Like any good Blu-ray player, our PS3 was used to watch a handful of high-definition movies in addition to games. But due to the lack of an auto-off feature like the Wii and 360, Sixaxis lasted a meager 18 hours and 41 minutes; the first controller to die on us. ProTip: Get in the habit of turning your controller off when not in use (via the PlayStation button menu), or invest $20 bucks in the lovely Bluetooth remote.

Xbox 360
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controllers are the most weighted when compared to either Wii or PS3 — by far. They also pack the most rumble punch, shaking profusely during intense gaming moments. So it would make sense to think the added density and tactile feedback would drain batteries with haste, but our lab results proved quite the contrary. The Xbox 360 controller endured an impressive 56 hours and 56 minutes, the most of any wireless controller we tested. Fittingly, our second to last play session went 360 minutes on the dot. The dashboard battery meter isn’t as accurate as PS3 or Wii, but for maximum gaming on a single battery charge, the Xbox 360 can’t be beat. ProTip: Consider an Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit or alternative to avoid disposable batteries, though you’ll get a bit less mileage between charges.

So which battery setup works best? That, like the consoles themselves, is entirely subjective. The PS3 controller is rechargeable, the Wii Remote customizable, and the Xbox 360 long-lasting. Now that’s playing with power.

Wii
The Wii Remote and Nunchuck are the most technologically advanced controllers on the market. Given that the pair include speakers, gyroscopes, and other motion-sensing doohickery, we assumed the waggle pads would be the first to cave when it came to battery performance. Surprisingly, Wii controllers lasted almost 20 hours longer than the PS3 controller when playing games, watching YouTube videos, or admiring handsome Miis. At the end of the day, the Wii CopperTops tarried for a solid 36 hours and 43 minutes on default controller settings. It should be noted, however, that battery results may vary on Wii, for better or for worse. Given the level of customization, players can forgo both rumble and remote audio for improved battery life, or rely heavily on them for a quicker death. ProTip: Consider a reusable third-party battery pack, though it likely won’t last as long.

WINNER: Xbox 360 — Via GamePro

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3 February 2008 10:29
Reeteshinator

I can’t whole heartedly agree with this

They are saying that when they played those movies and other things since the Ps3 controller didn’t automatically turn off the battery was being used (hence lesser life)

as in, while watching movies in 360 the battery turn off automatically and hence giving a better life.

because , after personal experience, i feel that the Ps3controller works for a longer time (yeah, well, with appropriate usage, i.e turning the controller off when not in use)

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3 February 2008 15:50
supadupagama

I understand where you’re coming from Reeteshinator, but to be honest I’ve spread my playtime out over all three consoles and ended up charging my PS3 controller the most after the Wii’s battery and least often the Xbox 360 controller (with battery pack). I only have one Blu-Ray movie, Planet Earth, so I can’t have forgotten to turn it off that often. But that’s only my experience so far.

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4 February 2008 08:07
pixelsword

Well, I don’t know what’s true, as I only had to recharge a PS3 controller so I’ll need you guys help, but isn’t the PS3 the only controller you can play while recharging?

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4 February 2008 08:08
pixelsword

so (to follow up) so isn’t the PS3’s “downtime” technically zero?

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4 February 2008 08:09
pixelsword

Oh, yeah; lol sorry to blog this up, but doesn’t regular batteries generally last longer than charge packs?

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4 February 2008 08:23
supadupagama

Pixelsword, you can recharge the Xbox 360 controller (with battery pack) while playing as well.

Haha that’s cheating, cause I imagine the test’s goal was to see how long fully charged (whether it has rechargable batteries or not) controllers would last. And I use rechargable loose batteries for my Wii controllers, and it’s actually usually equal or better than regular batteries, but there are so many different brands of batteries I really can’t say for sure.

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