Sony to replace PS3 controllers when/if they die
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Oct 20th 2006 at 9:15AM }
Sony tells GameIndustry.biz that they will replace PS3 controllers "when and if" they die. As reported yesterday the PS3 controller does not have a replaceable battery pack. The controllers were designed to be play and toss at $49.99 USD when the lithium battery degraded to the point where it could no longer recharge.A Sony spokesperson said, "The latest generation of Lithium Polymer batteries hardly suffer any memory effect at all, so it'll be many years before there's any degradation in terms of battery performance." And with Sony expecting the PS3 life-cycle at 10 years we're hoping they'll be efficient in their replacement procedure.
Who wants to write the story on how much money you'll save with the PS3 controller over 360 and Wii battery replacement (or battery packs) in the long run?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BlindsideDork @ Oct 20th 2006 9:25AM
Aww they will replace them and guarantee years before replacement, HOORAY!
Wait, doesn't Sony say a LOT of random and off wall things that aren't based on any truth?
Hmmm, fishy!
And as for Wii, just get TWO sets of rechargeable AA batteries, leave one charging, controllege goes out, switch and PLAY!
the Brayn @ Oct 20th 2006 9:30AM
You failed to grab the entire quote:
A Sony spokesperson said, "The latest generation of Lithium Polymer batteries hardly suffer any memory effect at all, so it'll be many years before there's any degradation in terms of battery performance... provided they don't blow up in your hand."
Ryan LN @ Oct 20th 2006 9:26AM
A great move in response to exceedingly poor foresight- this could end up costing them a fair amount of money. Granted, a smarter-still move would have been to have provided replaceable battery packs that they could jack up the profit margins on, but at least this almost completely removes the feeling of disgust that I had when the controller design was announced yesterday. Now we still have the problem of the probable three to four week wait for controller replacement, and for those one controller families this will be a hardship- but hey, you can't beat free- plus shipping and handling.
> @ Oct 20th 2006 9:26AM
The followup qoute is "When and if this happens, then of course we will be providing a service to exchange these items." ....
So, its not FREE .. its a service. You send it in, pay whatever, and get your controller back in x number of days. Much like the iPod replacement plan.
So, wtf are you suppose to use in the meantime?
Or, it will a month at most for replacement sets to start showing up on eBay.
J.Goodwin @ Oct 20th 2006 10:17AM
That's all well and good...as long as these batteries don't explode.
Or is thermal response a hereto unannounced feature?
The Intangible Fact @ Oct 20th 2006 9:31AM
mmmm sounds good, but there must be a catch. Only pay 29.99 for shipping.
Yoda @ Oct 20th 2006 9:34AM
Are we expecting the PS3 controllers to catch on fire and/or blow up while playing? :)
Shad Genki @ Oct 20th 2006 9:37AM
Wow, Sony really doesn't like making money, do they? /snide
Anyway, haven't you guys ever heard of rechargable batteries? Many of us own them for our digital cameras and other gadgetry. Maybe you could use them in your other wireless controllers. WHAT A COUNTRY!!! ^o^
BklynKid @ Oct 20th 2006 9:38AM
Exploding PS3 ontroller jokes gallore! :)
FuzzyPickles @ Oct 20th 2006 9:38AM
Whatever happened to replaceable batteries? Between my cell, my DS, my portables, and now PS3 controllers, I don't think there are enough free outlets in my apartment, nevermind my room.
A year ago, before the guys at Sony started sounding like bumbling goons, I would have said this was amazing news. But today, I have to be skeptical. How long am I expected to live without Ridge Racer 7 while my dead controllers are in transit? How conveniently is the word "free" left out of their statements?
Calous @ Oct 20th 2006 9:38AM
"Who wants to write the story on how much money you'll save with the PS3 controller over 360 and Wii battery replacement (or battery packs) in the long run?"
No one at joystiq, thats for sure.
Kendrick @ Oct 20th 2006 9:41AM
Is there a wired equivalent to the Sixaxis, the way there is a standard USB wired Xbox 360 controller? There's enough RF radiation in my house, and I sit inches from my gaming TV, so wireless controllers aren't an option I exercise if I can help it. I also can't find any information to indicate that Sony even supports a wired controller on the PS3, but that might be because I'm not entering the right search data.
Martin @ Oct 20th 2006 9:44AM
How come when I had a PSP the battery was crap and wouldn't hold a charge in the 6 months I owned the thing!!!! Oh yeah, and it probably takes 6 to 8 weeks to get your replacement and you have to send yours in before hand. So basically you have to buy another one anyways.
and of course since you need to have 4 controllers for a Wii, you need to have 7 controllers for the PS3 which adds $350 to the already $600 price tag. So the PS3 costs you $950 with no game and no HD. You have to buy an HDMI cable (you can probably get one for about 10 bucks easy so $960, plus you need to buy the memory card converter, $20 = $980, a PS2 controller converter to play Guitar hero (probably be about 20 bucks, $1000, you need the PS3 remote to play BluRay movies= what 30 bucks so $1030 and then you still need an HDTV and a few games.
(I am not serious, but you people do this to make the Wii look more expensive so why not!!)
Keef @ Oct 20th 2006 9:51AM
Something with a Sony battery in them...... that you are holding......
anyone els not feel safe?
wounder if they will have Controler battery recalls because they blew off a kids hands while playing.......
bobeotm @ Oct 20th 2006 9:43AM
Well, at least they are doing the right thing by replacing them if they degrade. In the long run the ps3 controller will cost much less, even if you put rechargeable AA in the other controllers, eventually, even those have to be replaced (most dont provide sufficient battery life after about 100 charges from my experiences).
Also may believe you probably can still play corded even if the battery died, but with the replacement plan, that make me breath a little easier.
DBX00 @ Oct 20th 2006 9:45AM
The whole point of the article is that the batteries last several YEARS with extended use, so you're more likely to have problems with the analog stick and buttons before you have battery issues. In essence, everyone is assuming the battery will be the first thing to go on the system, but it's more likely the analog stick or buttons from the extended gameplay. I would also anticipate that one controller would get more use than the other, so you won't send all your controllers in for service at once because they batteries won't all die at the same time.
Evan @ Oct 20th 2006 9:44AM
I'm more worried that the PS3 harddrive is not removable, than about the controller's battery being not removable. If my PS3 breaks down, what'll happen to all my saved games?
dsub @ Oct 20th 2006 10:20AM
sure, the 360 batteries COULD cost money over time, but the rechargeable battery packs should last every bit as long as the ones for the 360 controller.
However, there is always a negative to every positive. What do you do when your controller is gone in the mail for 3 weeks while you wait for a new one? You don't actually believe there going to overnight the SOB to you do you? Better have a backup. There you have it, sony wins anyways. They just sold you another controller.
Then again though, these batteries shouldn't die for at least a year if you play your PS3 tons of the time. The average player should see at least 2 years out of a controller. I'm curious if they plan on replacing the entire controller, or just the battery. Mostly because I tend to buy a new controller every couple years anyways. Even the good first party controller from MS/Sony/Nintendo suffer from wear and tear after 2 years of constant use.
Jason W @ Oct 20th 2006 11:08AM
Sony makes great bateries why would anyone worry?
Paul P. @ Oct 20th 2006 9:46AM
Why is the fact that they will die even a story. Lithium batteries will last through, what... 2000 charges or so?
WhetWurm @ Oct 20th 2006 9:48AM
No battery lasts forever. Not even 10 years. It's just basic chemistry...
...unless they are using some kind of renewable fusion.
Rask @ Oct 20th 2006 9:48AM
I guess that by now, Sony knows a thing or two about replacing a battery for free anyhow.
What funny is that this is probably the most proven thing about the whole PS3 platform.
DBX00 @ Oct 20th 2006 9:49AM
Martin
Everyone else is talking about batteries and you came out of left field with bundle pricing. It's about time that we all just focus on getting these companies to respond to what the consumers want, instead of trying to claim one is a better deal than the other. That's not really pointed toward you, but to everyone on this blogging site.
FuzzyPickles @ Oct 20th 2006 9:51AM
lol, biggest selling point
spoo @ Oct 20th 2006 9:51AM
What will they do after the controller blows up in my hands? ;) J/K
This is good news from a company that has had nothing but bad news about batteries this year.
Matt @ Oct 20th 2006 9:52AM
Personally, I hate re-chargeable controllers. I prefer to just leave the controllers in the coffee table and replace the batteries when the controller dies. I think my wife will kill me if I add a recharger to our living room....I already catch enough sh*t for the universal remote charger.
Hopefully a third-party controller with replaceable batteries will come out, and hopefully it will be comfortable like the 360 controller, by the time I pick up my PS3.
Mr BoomStick XL @ Oct 20th 2006 10:05AM
WOW, another silly and horrible move/situation for Sony!! They apparently rushed out the PS3 to match the Wii and 360. I say this because with ALL of the BS that Sony has been putting out there since E3 you would think that they never launched a system before!!! I won't be suprised if my PS3 blows up on launch day!!
bassbeast @ Oct 20th 2006 10:16AM
"Who wants to write the story on how much money you'll save with the PS3 controller over 360 and Wii battery replacement (or battery packs) in the long run?"
Robert Summa will! ^_^
SuicideNinja @ Oct 20th 2006 3:24PM
So what will they do if the battery blows up while you are playing? Sure, a $50 controller is nothing like a $1000 laptop, but safety? LOL
FSK405K @ Oct 20th 2006 10:19AM
Those of you asking for wired controllers, you can leave the suxaxis plugged with its recharging wire while you play.
Sean D. @ Oct 20th 2006 12:42PM
Stupid. I'm sure we'll see 3rd party controllers with rumble, SixAxiS, and removable batteries before too long. Logitech, I'm looking at you!
The batteries will be user-replacable - it might be frowned upon, but it'll be possible. It's incredibly stupid for any system, or electronic device to be built with an "expiration date" and 10 years isn't very long... Of course, the hard drives will probably die long before 10 years is up.
Stupid expiring hard drives...
Jeff @ Oct 20th 2006 10:41AM
"It's incredibly stupid for any system, or electronic device to be built with an "expiration date" and 10 years isn't very long..."
Stupid for the consumer, not for the manufacturer. Planned obsolescence has been a marketing practice for years now.
It's somewhat ironic that an Atari 2600 in good working order and properly taken care of will more than likely keep working until it literally crumbles to dust thousands of years from now, but any one of the modern consoles will be lucky to have a 10 year lifespan. Whenever you start adding moving parts, you build in an expiration date - it's not just the hard drives, but also the optical drives. Now we've got batteries to contend with too, which is just another failure point - and not a potential failure point either, but a guaranteed one.
Of course, the DS is one modern system that'll last as long as the home consoles of old, and it's also an example of the kind of modern games that can easily be made using solid-state technology. I think the whole hard drive thing in a game console is a complete red herring, myself, and I wouldn't mind if they all just went back to cartridges. The DS is the most popular system on the market right now; it doesn't seem that being a solid-state system has hurt it any.
Joe P. @ Oct 20th 2006 10:51AM
LOL - you dudes are pathetic. Grasping at every scrap of news and trying desperately to spin it as negative against Sony.
"OMFG! My controller's gonna go bad! The battery's gonna blow up! It's just like a bad laptop battery - waaaahhh! What a crappy manufacturer Sony is! I want ironclad guarantees for my natural life that nothing will ever happen to anything I buy - just like Microsoft and Nintendo do! Those trigger buttons are gonna suck, man! The controller is too light - I want something I need to heft around so I can get a wrist workout!"
Okay, we get it, you're never gonna buy a PS3, and the Wii and 360 are the mostest awesomenest ever. And Sony will be bankrupt this time next year, and good riddance. Move on.
SparkStalker @ Oct 20th 2006 11:00AM
Everyone do yourselves a favor and go read the original link. Here's the exact quote:
"The spokesperson went on to confirm, "When and if this happens, then of course we will be providing a service to exchange these items.""
Note the glaring omission of the word "free" anywhere in there. Also note the word "service"...the exact same thing Apple offers on Ipods:
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/service/battery/
Pulse @ Oct 20th 2006 5:12PM
People, stop being immature, just beacuse Sony had a recall on recent battery problems does not mean everything they make with batteries will catch a light, that has got to be the most brain dead comment I have come across, thats like me saying "Oh no, I hope Xbox doesnt get viruses," because the Windows XP was utter crap to be honest, I just hope Vista is better.
The PSP never caught fire, and besides, it wasn't Sony that directly worked on the batteries, they are simply taking the blame for the person they put in charge of creating those batteries.
Either you people are so fanboyous that it makes you thick, or you just read so little but bring up news and info that you heard from someone else, but too stupid to read it for yourself.
crono141 @ Oct 20th 2006 11:08AM
Jeff,
I would agree, except for the prohibitive cost of solid state memory. Sure, you could probably get solid state cartridges the size of SNES games that could store 50 gig (with almost 0 load time), but the hardware itself would cost hundreds.
People complain about expensive games now, wait until games cost as much as consoles.
Robotic House Plant @ Oct 20th 2006 11:57AM
Sony makes a surprisingly large amount of the world's rechargable [computer] batteries, and recent events have shown that there can be unforeseen problems. Practically every laptop manufacturer has recalled batteries produced in the last couple of years, which were ultimately produced by Sony, due to risk of fire.
I'm not saying this will happen to the controller, but I don't think you can discount it either.
I really hope Sony is right about this, and the controllers do last a long time.
kriswlak @ Oct 20th 2006 12:12PM
Bitch, bitch, bitch. Doesn't this ever get boring to you all?
riskbreaker @ Oct 20th 2006 1:25PM
the amount of ignorance i see everyday amazes me. sony is saying they will replace the controller if they die and its a bad thing? if they had said just buy a new one thats when i would worry. and why do 360 fanboys care about the ps3 controller so much anyway?
AG @ Oct 20th 2006 2:16PM
You Xbox/Wii fans need to get a freaking life...
This is great news about the PS3 and their has been alot of good news recently, but yet you guys continue to bash. I guess that proves a point that many of the PS3 gamers will be adults, wereas XboxWii gamers will be younger and immature. It is pretty obvious based upon comments at joystiq and sites like digg.
The ZeroCorpse @ Oct 20th 2006 2:43PM
To power my 360 wireless controllers I had to spend . . . $11 total for the past year, and beyond.
That's because I already owned a 15-minute NiMH AA/AAA charger. I just bought an extra pack of rechargeable batteries for the 360, and I'm all set.
Even if I didn't own the charger, they can be had for $27 (for a 15-minute model) or $17 (for a standard hours-long model). The batteries last a long time, and are easily replaced when they finally stop taking a charge.
I think that's a lot better than sending my whole controller in and waiting for a replacement.
Ethan @ Oct 20th 2006 3:08PM
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH,
What Now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/19/ps3-peripherals-priced-50-for-a-sixaxis/1#c2471223
This goes out to all the retards in the last post who were doing there usual "sony suxxors" chant, you got OWNED. I was right. Owned Owned Owned. Now go back to your xbox live youll be payin an extra $50 for, with your crappy 9 gb discs, and your insufficient 20 gb HDDs, with your crappy non motion sensing controllers, that dont have bluetooth, and dont use rechargable batteries. PS3 future owners win, 360 owners lose.
Lord Minougue, SonyBlowsGoats, 360us maximus, F8X, derrick_101, Bret DeCelle, Tachion, Jin Dogan, this goes out to all of you.
http://www.360%20fanboys.justgotowned.com/
Ian @ Oct 20th 2006 4:09PM
So your gonna half to buy a controller if you want to play your PS3 in those 4-6 weeks, right? Pointless anyone?
Sam Goldman @ Oct 20th 2006 4:15PM
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's best
When they lay me down to die
Goin’ on up to the Sony in the sky
Goin’ on up to the Sony in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best
Prepare yourself, you know it a must
Gotta have a friend named Joystiq
So you know that when you die
It's gonna recommend you to the Sony in the sky
Psaakyrn @ Oct 20th 2006 5:26PM
Anyway, I doubt there will be significant savings over power costs compared to the Wii. Don't forget that the Wii console presumely uses negligible power to run. The total savings from that would outweigh any cost from recharging your own batteries for the remote.
Mat @ Oct 20th 2006 5:56PM
I cannot believe they are using lithium batteries in their controllers, they reach a half life twice as fast as NIMH batteries, and they are very tempremental, If they slightly over charge, they will bulk and leak/explode.
And no doubt people will drop their controllers which will set off some lithiums
Ben @ Oct 21st 2006 12:35AM
That is the most idiotic idea that I have ever heard. Since when did one-time use cameras become the new business model for the gaming industry?
DarkTetsuya @ Oct 21st 2006 12:38AM
"If" my ass. This *is* Sony we're talking about.
Sonic_EXtreme @ Oct 21st 2006 1:14AM
"The PSP never caught fire, and besides, it wasn't Sony that directly worked on the batteries, they are simply taking the blame for the person they put in charge of creating those batteries."
UMMMM did ENRON say to those poor investors the same answer. "ohh wait it was the person in charge who ripped you off. Not the Enron company."
Or did FORD say "OHHHH dont sue me.. I didn't make those faulty explosive tires that make your SUV crash. It was the person we put in charge that did it."
You dont know about business do you?
A person whether its a CEO or a grunt is part of that company. The company looks bad no matter what.
At my company a worker lost a tool that tool ended up being used by a 2 year old and lost her ear drum. Guess was to blame?? not the worker .. The Company.
mesocool @ Oct 21st 2006 2:27AM
Some of these dumb people actually think this is the main batteries. NO FAN boys these are the batteries that keep your settings. Like the battery for the CMOS on the computer, you still need power for the computer. You Still need AA batteries for the controller. YOU ALSO need this battery for the controller to function. I hope Nintendo does not do the same bull to get a second dime as Sony is. They could have easily used permant memory instead of temp. and there would be no need for the batteries in the first place....him I smell a fish also.
Do you Dummies actually think you have no need for a battery on a wireless controller for several years? (gullible to the infinate power). In reality NOW you have a battery for the wired controller. The wired one, it has the same settings, and they need to be kept also because they will sometimes be unplugged from the system.
albinob280176
Will you look at that? We are suppose to fall for this ‘replacement program’ crap?
Last time I checked even when Sony calls something free like ‘the PS2 online’ you
end up paying more than you would to the competition, for the ‘free’ service. I noticed they didn’t even Bother to say free on this ordeal. Some people just never figure out why Sony has that jar of Vaseline in there hands until they are hurting.
I can see it now there is a watch shop that runs a scam. You get free watch replacement for 7.50 for life! Except you have to have the receipt even if it is there brand of watch. And you have to bring them the watch, or pay for shipping $39. AND you have to pay the another $7.50 when they change it. And if they don’t have there seal on the replacement battery your warranty is broken……..Hmmmm…Hmmmm I would like to read the SMALL print except they are not providing that it will come in the box for you to read. AFTER YOU BUY THE SYSTEM.
Lets see a battery that requires the manufacturer to replace it! Yep it smells like fish! You was right! Lets see be a company that just had the biggest recall on batteries ever! Sounds like a Sony division is trying to get some more money.
Dang Archvile609 why did you regulate and stump him down like that? That was uncalled for! SIR(good job). Seriously! In the future I expect you to be more gentle to a ignorant poster ( keep doing what you just did). Yep that was over the top (wish I had thought of it first).