What Colour Should a PS4 Controller Be When Charging?
When you connect your PS4 controller to a power source to charge, the light bar on the front should pulsate orange. This pulsing orange light indicates the battery is being recharged.
PS4 Controller Charging Process Explained
The DualShock 4 controller uses a lithium-ion battery with a capacity between 1000-1200 mAh depending on the model. When connected to either a USB port or AC adapter that supplies at least 500mA of power, the battery starts recharging.
During this charging process, the light bar pulses orange to indicate charging status. Once the battery reaches full capacity, the light bar will turn off completely. This usually takes 1-2 hours if the battery was fully drained.
What the Light Colors Indicate
Here is an overview of the different light colors you may see on a PS4 controller and what they mean:
- Blue – Player 1
- Red – Player 2
- Green – Player 3
- Pink – Player 4
- Pulsing Orange – Battery is charging
- No light – Battery fully charged
The color displayed under normal use corresponds to the active player profile. But when connected to a charger, it will switch to a pulsing orange light during charging.
Factors Affecting Battery Life
Several factors impact how long your PS4 controller battery lasts per charge:
- Controller model – Newer models have improved battery life up to 8-12 hours
- Battery wear – Batteries lose capacity over hundreds of charge cycles
- Features enabled – Rumble, motion input, headset and mic use more power
- Brightness – Higher light bar brightness drains battery faster
This table compares battery life across PS4 controller generations:
| Controller Model | Battery Life |
|---|---|
| DualShock 4 | 5-8 hours |
| DualSense | 8-12 hours |
Keeping firmware updated can also help maximize battery efficiency based on optimization tweaks.
Troubleshooting Charging Issues
If your PS4 controller won‘t charge or the light doesn‘t pulse orange, try these basic troubleshooting steps:
- Inspect the USB port and contacts for any debris. Clean out gently with air.
- Try different cables, chargers and USB ports in case of hardware failure
- Reset the controller by pressing the small button on the back
- Update controller firmware
- If the above steps fail, the battery may need to be replaced
Replacement PS4 controller batteries can be found online and installed manually for less than $10 USD in most cases.
In Closing…
I hope this guide gives you a better understanding of what that orange pulsing light means, factors that impact charging times, and how to troubleshoot any charging issues that may pop up! Let me know if you have any other PS4 gaming questions.
