PS3 Dead Battey = Dead Controller

T

TheBlackAngel

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 3, 2004
Messages
159
http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2006/10/19/5676

Sony locks batteries in the PS3 controller

The good news about Sony's Sixaxis controller is that if you give it a charge for 2.5 hours you'll get 30 hours of playtime. That's pretty impressive, although without rumble to worry about I'm sure extending battery life wasn't much of an issue. The bad news is that the battery inside can't be removed. It's nice not to have to pay for a charging kit for the PS3 like you do with the 360, but if the battery is stuck in there, a dead battery will mean a dead controller. Of course, Sony makes great batteries so we don't have anything to worry about, right? I know, shudders all around.

I wonder how long before third-party batteries hit the market. It was just a few months after the PSP's release that we could buy aftermarket batteries, and I doubt they'll pour the plastic around the stock batteries, so a screwdriver and an aftermarket replacement may fix the problem if anything happens. Still, it seems silly Sony doesn't just make the controllers pop open and sell replacement or backup batteries themselves. This strategy didn't work out that great for Apple, if you recall.

Sony and batteries. Are they ever going to learn?
Click to expand...

Just one word.... WOW
 
This is nothing to be mad about. Lithium ion batteries have a limited number of charge cycles.

It's the same other devices too (iPods, for example). The controller should last (in theory) at least 3 years of use before it can't hold a charge.
 
The batteries will last for many, many years. What happened with Sony's laptop batteries is irrelevant as the design for a controller battery will be significantly different and the load the battery is subjected to will be SIGNIFICANTLY less.
 
They keep saying that the latest Li Polymer batteries have no memory effect...but ya know what I have two batteries for my laptop sitting around here that say otherwise. Stupid 15 minutes of battery life or less on each of em.

Sony says they will provide a service for replacing dead batteries, they didn't say they would do it free of charge. Pretty smart of Sony from a money standpoint. Most people will just go out and buy a new controller, something that is a big profit item. For those that send it in to this "service" will wait weeks, and still probably end up paying the cost to Sony for replacing the battery.

I think I much prefer the 360's approach of removable battery packs. Especially because with one extra battery pack and the charging station I can keep all my controllers completely wireless and never have to worry about a thing. Battery dying? Just pop in a new one. With the PS3 you have to sit there tethered to your console for a couple of hours if it dies in the middle of a gaming session. That can be pretty darn annoying once you have gotten used to the freedom of wireless.
 
This does not seem like a big deal. Like the article said, within a few months of the PS3 relsease there will be aftermarket batteries for the controllers, and I'm sure there will be numerous how-tos floating around on how to disassemble the controllers. People who want to will do it themselves, and others will continue to complain while they send the controller to Sony or buy a new one!
 
Yeah, while I have no respect for Sony anymore, I don't think this is worth flaming them over. If such batteries were in Wiimotes or 360 controllers, I'm sure everyone would be very happy about it. Hey, guess what, my 3-year-old Sony digicam has a Li-ion battery in it, too, and it still works! These controller batteries won't see anywhere near the abuse that a laptop battery would. This very much strikes me as a case of Sony haters latching onto any bit of spinable news.

Please save the hate for real concerns. Thank you.
 
This is not worth flaming about. Enough with the anti sony crap that seems to fill every second post and thread lately.
 
Michael.R said:
This is not worth flaming about. Enough with the anti sony crap that seems to fill every second post and thread lately.
Click to expand...

:confused: This 'could' be worth discussing and are we not allowed to post negotive things about Sony anymore ? Is there some international law or should we just listen to you since you said so ? :rolleyes:
 
Michael.R said:
This is not worth flaming about. Enough with the anti sony crap that seems to fill every second post and thread lately.
Click to expand...

It'd be easier to stop if they made less poor decisions.

I have very little faith in Sony and their LiOn batteries, for obvious reasons. Being responsible for the largest recall of laptop batteries doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the technological world. I've never heard of a mass recall on iPods because they catch fire.
 
theNoid said:
:confused: This 'could' be worth discussing and are we not allowed to post negotive things about Sony anymore ? Is there some international law or should we just listen to you since you said so ? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Sure it is worth discussing, just have a fact based discussion about it and leave bias out of it. I'm just tired of seeing all this bashing all the time now when one person clearly chooses to ignore certain facts so they can get their original argument across. To bad some people don't put as much effort into politics as they do discrediting gaming companies and other consoles. Something that was said in another thread and I have to agree with it. I'm sure not everyones thing is politics though. Man can it get boring sometimes.
 
some of you seem to think the battery will be replaced by Sony for free when it dies, which is obviously NOT the case. Get a clue, Sony will offer a service for replacement, but it will NOT be free.
 
theNoid said:
:confused: This 'could' be worth discussing and are we not allowed to post negotive things about Sony anymore ? Is there some international law or should we just listen to you since you said so ? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
"Help, help! I'm being repressed! Did you see that?! He was repressing me!"

Yes, he's actually a Sony representative sent to quell any anti-Sony feelings you rebels might be stirring up. You've caught onto the scheme...amazing work, detective.

...orrrrr this really isn't a big deal. I will laugh my ass off at every news story I read that Sony is having financial problems or isn't meeting market share projections in the next 5 years, and even I think that getting all worked up over this is frigging stupid.
 
Tutelary said:
some of you seem to think the battery will be replaced by Sony for free when it dies, which is obviously NOT the case. Get a clue, Sony will offer a service for replacement, but it will NOT be free.
Click to expand...
Is it free when your batteries go out in anything? Last time I checked the Wii remote and Xbox controller used batteries. If they are AA batteries. Even if you buy rechargeable batteries (which is already an initial cost above the cost of the controller) they will have to be replaced (sooner than these will) which costs more money.
 
VoodooChi|d said:
Is it free when your batteries go out in anything? Last time I checked the Wii remote and Xbox controller used batteries. If they are AA batteries. Even if you buy rechargeable batteries (which is already an initial cost above the cost of the controller) they will have to be replaced (sooner than these will) which costs more money.
Click to expand...

I dont see how you can determine which is "more money" seeing as how you havent had to replace a ps3 controller battery with Sony yet. I wouldnt doubt itll be something absurd like $30, which will push people into simply buying new controllers.
 
Tutelary said:
I dont see how you can determine which is "more money" seeing as how you havent had to replace a ps3 controller battery with Sony yet. I wouldnt doubt itll be something absurd like $30, which will push people into simply buying new controllers.
Click to expand...
Your speculation is as valid as mine. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top