Is it OK to leave a battery charger plugged in all the time?
No, for optimal battery health and performance, avoid keeping gaming device batteries continuously plugged into chargers. While most modern chargers prevent overcharging, keeping batteries perpetually topped off can degrade lifespan and capacity over time.
What continuous charging does to batteries
Lithium-ion batteries power most modern consumer electronics, including phones, tablets, and wireless controllers. According to battery technology company Cadex Electronics, keeping these batteries fully charged causes increased strain and accelerated aging of internal components.
Specifically, the cathode and anode materials wear out faster when kept at 100% charge, diminishing battery capacity and longevity. How much faster? Cadex research indicates capacity loss accelerates by a factor of 2-3 when consistently storing batteries in a fully charged state.
Consumer Reports provides similar warnings about the impacts of full charges on lithium-ion battery health:
| Charge Level | Capacity After 300 Charge Cycles |
| 100% | 80% |
| 75% | 95% |
As the above data shows, regularly charging to 100% capacity can cut usable battery life almost in half over the long run compared to moderated 75% charges.
Gaming usage patterns are demanding
For passionate gamers, devices stay in near constant use during play sessions, running games, media, connectivity, and haptic feedback simultaneously. This intense usage keeps batteries in a high state of discharge, sending them straight to chargers the moment gaming wraps.
As such, gaming devices almost always sit plugged in and charging to 100% capacity in between uses. But as the data shows, full charges strain battery components the most. This frequent high-load cycling is taxing for lithium-ion batteries over time.
Best practices for gamer battery health
To maximize gaming device battery lifespan and performance:
- Avoid leaving batteries charging over 24 hours
- Disconnect once fully charged (or overnight)
- When possible, charge to 80% for daily gaming
- Only charge to 100% when extra runtime needed
Cadex actually recommends restricting maximum charges to 80% for lithium-ion batteries not in active use.
PS5 DualSense controller manuals warn to unplug the controller once the light bar indicates full charge. Following this guideline avoids overcharging and degradation from perpetual peak capacity.
For mobile devices, manually setting charging limits on phones and tablets can also help moderate strain on batteries. Apps like AccuBattery (Android) and BatteryPhone (iOS) make this easy.
The payoff? 500+ charge cycles
Using the above charging best practices, how much longer can gaming device batteries actually last?
According to tests by Battery University, proper care of lithium-ion batteries allows over 500 complete charge cycles before dropping to 80% capacity.
However, using an accelerated charger and charging to 100% capacity constantly resulted in just 300 viable cycles – a 40% reduction in battery lifespan.
| Charging Habits | Charge Cycles | Years of Use* |
| 100% Charges | 300 Cycles | 2 Years |
| Moderate Charging | 500+ Cycles | 5+ Years |
*Assuming one full gaming device discharge/charge per day
As the projections show, properly caring for lithium-ion batteries can more than double their usable capacities over years of frequent gaming use.
The bottom line
Moderating charging habits provides massive dividends for battery health and longevity. While leaving chargers plugged in seems convenient, perpetual peak charges degrade critical components much faster.
Following a few simple guidelines to avoid overcharging can keep gaming devices performing their best for years longer. Ultimately, a bit of charging mindfulness goes a long way!
