How do you guys deal with rechargable batteries?

[Viper_Fujax]

I heard letting the battery wear completely out and then charging it is the best way to get the life out of the batteries..but I couldnt stand watching the xbox controller flashing, so i changed it the second it started doing that..now the batteries make it through one, 1 er 2 hour session of playing..then the next time i turn on the 360 i have to grab one of the other "recharged" batteries.

I know thats inevitable, but im still worried the same will happen to my ps3 controllers too quickly..and thats a 50 dollar replacement.

so do you guys automatically plug in your controller when it says the battery is low (which iv done since i had it..not too long. charged one controller 5ish times and my other one once er twice) or do you let the controller go all the way that it turns itself off?

I remember dealing with this issue in the early 90s.  I *think* the problem is much less of a threat nowadays.

[Viper_Fujax]

har. i didnt use any wireless controllers till this generation of consoles. but seeing as my xbox batteries are crappy only after a 2ish years, i thought itd be longer than that before theyd start to go..i dont want to buy new ps3 controllers in 2 years

[Cerberus]

I start recharging mine when it tells me to, and I have noticed a definite decrease in battery time over the last 12 months or so.

it\'s not that big a deal, because I always have one fully charged and one in use.

more annoying a problem for me is that they both seem to have an issue concerning the centre of the forward/backward axis.

it\'s most noticable when playing call of duty, if I sit in a corner, and just idle, my position on screen slowly moves forward.

har. i didnt use any wireless controllers till this generation of consoles. but seeing as my xbox batteries are crappy only after a 2ish years, i thought itd be longer than that before theyd start to go..i dont want to buy new ps3 controllers in 2 years

point taken, wasn\'t trying to be funny.  i was just pointing out that that engineers have been working on this issue for decades, and it\'s not nearly as bad as it used to be.

after some googling this is what i\'ve found:

Sony will replace your batteries for free?
The PS3\'s manual details how to replace the rechargable battery

Either way it doesn\'t look like you have to drop $50 for a new controller

I\'ll ignore the low battery warning for several hours. The charge still seems to lasts about the same as when new, not long. Roughly every 6 to 8 hours of use I swap them out.

I have to charge my 360 batteries once maybe every 2 months.  I usually go until the controller actually turns itself off before I actually charge them.

[videoholic]

I just don\'t worry about it and put them on charge whenever I feel like it. Batteries today don\'t have to be cycled.

My very low batteries usually end up in my opt. mouse or tv remote, then when they die they end up in the charger.  I think I only got 8 in total, but they seem to have lasted for almost two years now and I never fall in need of batteries.