Topic: Is leaving the gamepad on the charger bad?

Usually I plug the wire into the charging stand and leave the gamepad on it but does it shorten the battery life it's constantly on the charger? The only time I use the gamepad to play instead of the Pro controller is when I play Mario Maker or Splatoon.

To my knowledge it does shorten the life span of the battery

It's not like there's much life in that battery to begin with.

Mine is usually connected all the time.

@Rexcalibr: Probably not, but it's always better to take the GamePad off the charging cradle when it's charged. The charger registers when the battery is full and cuts off the current going in and out the battery, effectively leaving the battery charged at 100%. It's not harmful to leave the GamePad on the charger for an entire day. However, if you don't use the GamePad for a prolonged period of time, I would suggest taking it off the charging cradle. Lithium polymer batteries [type of battery used in the GamePad] tend to degrade faster when they are fully charged and are not used.

I can't say with certainty how it would affect the gamepad battery, but it is not wise in general to keep lithium ion cells on charge. They should be discharged regularly to maintain their capacity. If you're not using the battery anyway, just remove it and keep the pad plugged in all the time.

Lithium-ion cells don't have the same memory issues as older rechargeable technologies, so I don't agree there's any issues with keeping the gamepad in the cradle. The only thing that seems to not be recommended is fully discharging the battery.

Here's a lovely article that explains how they work and recommended methods of extending life: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lit...

well that wounds good because I like keeping on the stand because it just looks better, but I was worried leaving it barging so often would effect it.

Yeah current battery tech doesn't have the shortcomings it once had 10 years ago. I leave mien on the cradle all the time. Li tech trickles in power when needed.

This is one of those outdated dogmas that people still associate with modern rechargeable batteries.

Even if it did shorten the lifespan of the battery and it only lasts 5 years instead of 10, a replacement battery costs like 15 bucks. Not worth losing sleep over.

^ But the real issue is, will replacement batteries be available after the console is no longer newly manufactured?

I used to leave my old phone and iPad charging all day, and now the battery life barely even lasts for 10 minutes. So, I would recommend you charge your GamePad when it has run out of charge, and take it out when at 100%.

All yous speculatin, none yous actually knowin.

My guess, from experience, is that it's nothing to worry about. I use my gamepad all the time and just slap it back in its cradle. No issues experienced to date.

3rd party will take over and produce batteries for discontinued products.

@OneBagTravel: He was almost correct though, fully charged lithium polymer batteries tend to degrade faster when not used than batteries that are charged at 50% for example. I don't have any numbers at the moment, and I'm sure the difference isn't very significant, but it doesn't prolong their lifespan, that's for sure.

@hirobo2: As long as you have your charging cable you should be fine. Lithium based batteries loose capacity as they age anyway, in a decade or two, they're all useless. Even the new ones that have been sitting on the shelves in stores.

@gcunit there's plenty of articles out there in regards to Lithium Ion batteries.

http://www.howtogeek.com/169669/debunking-battery-life-myths-...

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-common-misconce...

http://elithion.com/pdf/ElithionBatteryPower10.pdf

Like I stated earlier, rechargeable batteries have come a long way, the dated practices don't apply anymore. People are just stuck with old traditions for the newer tech.

Anecdotally I have a third gen iPod that's nearly a decade old and still works, I've used my gamepad for as little as ten minutes and I put it in the cradle when not in use - been using the extra cap battery in it since they first came out however many years ago. It's not worth worrying about. Worst case scenario you have to play with the gamepad plugged in when you're 80, though I'd be surprised if your machine still worked by then.