GoKawiilNot terribly long, is the sad and short answer. Though it can depend on the game, on a full charge, the PS5's DualSense controller will generally last 6 to 12 hours. Next to competitors like the best mobile gaming controllers, there's no denying Sony's official pad runs out of juice in annoyingly quick fashion. But why is this?
Part of the reason the PS5 controller's internal 1,560mAh lithium-ion battery drains so fast is due to various DualSense components that all gobble up power. The biggest culprits are the gamepad's light bar, speaker, adaptive triggers and haptics. The more a game taps into these features, the more quickly your gamepad's battery is going to drain.
With first-party tiles like Astro Bot and Returnal — both of which make exceptional use of the DualSense's dynamic resistance triggers and palm-shaking rumble — expect the controller to last close to the previously mentioned six-hour mark. If you're planning to play GTA VI until you can't keep your eyes open, you might want to think about investing in a second DualSense so you've always got an additional fully-charged pad to swap out. Alternatively, keep a long charging cable next to your gaming spot.
What about the DualSense Edge, though? Does Sony's premium $200 controller offer longer battery life than the standard pad? Given its elevated price point, you'd think so, but that's not the case. Sony decided to go with a 1,050mAh battery for the Edge, which is considerably smaller than the standard DualSense's 1,560mAh model. As a result, the fancier gamepad only lasts for around 5 to 10 hours. The reason Sony chose a battery with less capacity than the core controller was to accommodate the Edge's extra hardware, like its rear paddles, removable stick modules and trigger stop mechanisms.