Sony is under immense pressure to overhaul the DualSense. EU Regulation 2023/1542 mandates user-replaceable batteries by February 2027, effectively ending the era of sealed controller housings. Industry insiders are already bracing for a significant hardware revision.
Starting February 18, 2027, new handhelds and peripherals must hit EU shelves with user-replaceable batteries. No proprietary tools. No chassis damage. This spells the end for the current PS5's DualSense design. The internal lithium-ion cell is buried behind clips and plastic brackets, killing any chance of a quick swap. Sony needs a redesign.
The hurdles of the current DualSense architecture
Unlike Microsoft's Xbox controller, which has relied on an external battery compartment for generations, Sony takes an integrated approach with the DualSense. While the battery isn't glued in like in many smartphones, accessing it is risky for the average user.
- The housing has to be pressed on using lever tools, which often leads to the plastic tabs breaking off.
- Sensitive ribbon cables for the touchpad and triggers are located directly in the work area.
- The warranty issue when the case is opened is, in its current form, a gray area.
Under the new EU regulation, this status quo is no longer sufficient. "Easy removal" is legally defined as requiring no special tools or thermal energy. This requirement applies to the entire ecosystem – including the DualSense Edge and the PS VR2 Sense controllers.
Sony in the shadow of Nintendo and Microsoft
Sony is facing massive heat from the competition. While Microsoft dodged the issue with its AA battery design, Nintendo is already moving to stay compliant. Posts from Nikkei confirm a hardware revision for the Switch 2 and Joy-Cons specifically targeting these EU mandates. Sony is at a strategic disadvantage if they stall. A dedicated, externally accessible battery compartment would require a total overhaul of the internal layout. The clock is ticking.
The forced switch to replaceable batteries represents a massive gain in sustainability for end users. Previously, a DualSense often ended up in e-waste prematurely or had to be expensively repaired by third-party providers once its charging cycles were exhausted. Since the permanently installed batteries effectively dictate an expiration date, Sony was reducing a precision engineering tool to a disposable product.
Hardware revision as a life insurance policy
This also makes buying expensive limited editions unattractive to me personally – the collector's value simply doesn't correlate with the limited lifespan of the cells. Currently, the standard models in my PS5 Slim (2023) and PS5 Pro (2024) are still working flawlessly, but the batteries' biological clock is ticking. A standardized, tool-free replaceable battery would likely double the effective usage time of the controllers and transform the DualSense from a consumable item into a long-term investment.
Sony will not produce a "European Special Edition"; the logistical effort would be too great. The DualSense redesign will become the global standard for the second half of the PS5's lifespan and the upcoming PlayStation 6. For gamers, this means fewer new purchases due to weakening batteries, but potentially a slightly altered weight or a new feel due to necessary locking mechanisms on the bottom of the console. The era of sealed consoles is officially over.
A replaceable battery is all well and good. However, the problem with this controller is that the joysticks don't last longer than about a year; after that, one of them develops stick drift.
Quite frankly: Sony designed the controller as a disposable product, and that's not going to change anytime soon!
Does this also apply to my DJI controllers, for example?
I find this to be nothing short of SICK!
Ah, guys, Sony thinks "for the payers" and not "for the players".
Even if consumer rights regulations are enforced, Sony will make the battery replaceable and then sell the kit for €20-40 with the same low battery capacity. This solution is actually to the detriment of consumers. The motherboard will likely be redesigned so that only the official battery kit will work, and since the controller can receive software updates, Sony will probably try to partner with third-party providers. This means that all hobbyists like myself who upgraded their DualSense devices with larger, more-capacity batteries that were relatively inexpensive will ultimately be driven up by Sony's monopoly power to make their products more expensive. Sure, the EU means well, but companies like Sony will always find ways to circumvent it. We see this with smartphones too; you used to be able to replace the battery, and there was a microSD card slot and a headphone jack, at least on Android. But companies like Apple have conditioned consumers to believe that more restrictions are better. The cage is sold to you as freedom, and Apple's takeover of Sony has already begun; I'm just saying, no Bluetooth on the Portal.
It doesn't matter. At some point you will have a cheap kit that is compatible with the gamepad. If that does entail you won't be updating the controller's firmware, so be it. It's impossible to update its firmware without your previous consent, and let alone if you don't connect it to the console through USB. So, you charge it on a different device and use it with your PS5 for playing.
I still have my first PS5 controller from the PS5's launch, and it has no stick drift. I can't say whether the battery is already weakening, since the battery life is terrible without a cable anyway. However, there are still loopholes for manufacturers. They just need to get an IP water-resistant certification, etc., and then the controller or other electronic accessories can remain as they are. But if Sony is forced to release a new controller, they will offer one. Just because the PS6 might be coming soon doesn't mean they still have 90 million console buyers who might need a new controller at some point.
Xbox also has this issue with the Elite Controller. Its battery life is outstanding; you'll definitely be at a disadvantage with batteries.
Not at all. You can have a way longer battery life with a regular Xbox 360 gamepad if you add 2 3000mah AA batteries. That option is always better, since the slot is bigger and you can increase its capacity depending on what you want.
This is a complete rip-off by Sony. Ever since even the controller started getting regular updates, I, as a casual gamer, have had quite a few broken controllers. Since this generation, I've had to buy three new ones. And nobody can tell me they haven't had problems with alleged defects. It's no wonder there are already complaints about this in other countries.
Well, before the battery dies, the joysticks are usually the first thing to go. Stick drift or completely worn-out rubber grips are unfortunately often the norm before the battery gives out. Since the PS3 generation, I've been replacing batteries and joysticks myself, and/or repairing other problems with my controllers…
Kelly Tony has not yet had any defective rubbers or stick drift, but has had one or two defective batteries.
Daniel Siebert: Okay, I've never had a PS4 controller with a weak battery after 5 years. Maybe it depends on how it's charged. 🤔
The best way is to modify the controller yourself according to your own wishes.
There won't be a redesign. You only need a flathead screwdriver, a single tool found in every household, and maybe 5 minutes to replace the battery. It's practically impossible to break anything if you've watched a 2-minute video beforehand. If the EU objects, Sony will definitely take legal action instead of changing the controller, and they have a very good chance of winning.
The EU is great! They even forced Microsoft to provide updates for Windows for at least another year.
…and what good does it do? They had years to take care of the Windows update and still missed the boat. Even companies with IT departments and government agencies. When the grace period is over, many will still be asleep, briefly waking up, sleeping again, or complaining…
It has nothing to do with people missing out; most just don't want to deal with Windows 11 and all the software hell that comes with it.
Then they're just out of luck! Either you move with the times or you're swept away by them.
Some companies just want to rake in even more money and make using a device even more expensive when it needs repair. Replacing a battery on an Apple device easily costs €100. I've always preferred phones where you can replace the battery yourself. I don't know what's so difficult about that. I sent my PS5 in for repair. A standard disc drive replacement cost €249. Seriously? Oh well, they're making money. Of course. Anyway, I never got my PS5 back. They said it couldn't be repaired. (They can't replace the disc drive.) Right… It sat in the store where I bought it for six weeks and then spent five weeks at the repair shop. They told me at the store that they had hardly any options for repairs. I think they didn't even try to fix it. Because I was already six months past the warranty, and I got a new PS5. So something's not right here. I have serious doubts that this was handled correctly. Why don't they have partners who repair devices if they're the ones selling them? That's the first thing I check when I add devices like that to my inventory… I have no idea what happened to the device. It was repaired, then sold. No clue. Anyway, the whole thing was very, very strange. Yes, I have a new one, everything's fine, and I didn't lose any data thanks to the external hard drive. But that's not the point…