Hey there! If you‘ve noticed different colored lights popping up on your PS5 controller lately, especially orange, you‘ve come to the right place. As an avid gamer and tech specialist, I‘ve put together this complete guide to demystify what all those lights mean, with a focus on orange.
Stick with me and you‘ll be a PS5 controller light expert in no time!
Solid Orange Light – Your PS5 is Taking a Nap
When you see a solid orange glow on the lightbar of your PS5 DualSense controller, it means your console is in Rest Mode. I like to think of Rest Mode as the PS5 taking a power nap – it‘s still on, just using less electricity while it charges controllers and downloads updates in the background.
Rest Mode is super useful for:
- Continuing to charge controllers via USB when the PS5 is "off"
- Remote downloads and installations of game and system software updates
- Keeping USB accessories juiced up and powered
According to Sony‘s official PS5 specifications, Rest Mode uses just 0.5W of power compared to the full power mode at around 200W. So you‘re reducing energy consumption by over 99% by letting your PS5 nap!
Once your controller is fully charged or you wake the console from its slumber, that solid orange light will turn off. Think of it like your PS5 telling you "I‘m still resting!" whenever it‘s in low power mode.
How to Enter Rest Mode
To put your PS5 into Rest Mode manually:
- Press the power button on the console to bring up the quick menu
- Select "Enter Rest Mode" using the controller
- Console will power down into low power state with orange lights
You can also set the PS5 to automatically enter Rest Mode after a set number of hours in the System settings.
Rest Mode vs. Powered Off
One important distinction about Rest Mode is that the console remains on – just in an ultra low power state. This contrasts with Power Off which completely shuts down the PS5.
When powered off, your controllers, downloads, and accessories will stop functioning. So Rest Mode keeps everything ticking along, just more efficiently.
Think of it like putting your PS5 into hibernation rather than full shutdown.
Blinking Orange – Quick, Charge Me!
Now, let‘s talk about that blinking or pulsing orange light you may see on your DualSense controller.
When your PS5 controller starts flashing orange, it means the battery is running seriously low, usually around 5-10% charge left. Consider it your controller crying out "Charge me, quick!" before it shuts down from lack of juice.
Once you connect your USB charging cable, the light should stop blinking and stay solid orange as it charges in Rest Mode. If you‘re still playing, the light may turn white or blue instead – but you‘ve solved the low battery issue.
Each charge cycle takes around 2-3 hours for a full recharge if the battery was completely empty. Much better than my old PS3 controllers which seemed to run out every couple hours!
Sony says you can expect 10-12 hours of play time on a single charge. But that can vary based on factors like:
- Speaker/mic usage
- Haptic feedback intensity
- Brightness of light bar
- Age and wear of battery
To optimize battery life, I recommend fully powering down when not using your controller rather than leaving it idle. And avoid letting the battery discharge too much before recharging.
How Low is the Battery?
You‘re probably wondering exactly how low the battery is when that orange blinking starts.
Based on the PS5 controller user guide and my own testing, it seems to start blinking orange around or below 15% charge. Sometimes you‘ll get a "Low Battery" warning on screen first too.
At 5% or under, I‘ve found the blinking becomes more rapid, probably as a last ditch "Charge me now!" alert before it dies.
So in summary:
- Solid orange light: Rest Mode
- Blinking orange light: Low battery <15%
- Rapid blinking orange: Very low battery <5%
Keep an eye on those orange alerts if you don‘t want your controller dying mid-game!
Other Common PS5 Controller Light Colors
Now you know all about orange, but your DualSense will also shine other funky colors to indicate different states. Here‘s a quick guide to the other common light themes:
Blue Light
The blue light means your controller is powering up and connecting to the PS5. You‘ll often see it flash blue briefly when first turning on the system as it links up.
White Light
White indicates your controller is actively connected and being used to control games or apps. Think of it as "ready to play" mode.
Yellow/Amber Light
This one is subtle, but the PS5 console itself glows soft yellow or amber when powered up normally (not Rest Mode). White would seem more logical, but the amber looks slick!
Green Light
Ever noticed the tiny green LED below your PS button? That signifies your controller mic is muted. It‘ll switch back to unlit when the mic is active again.
No Light
If the controller light bar is totally off, it generally means it‘s powered down and not currently connected to your PS5. The battery may be completely drained too.
So in summary:
- Blue: Powering on
- White: In use playing
- Yellow: Console on
- Green: Mic muted
- No light: Powered off
Handy to know so you can interpret what state your system is in!
Troubleshooting: PS5 Controller Not Charging or Connecting?
Having issues getting your PS5 controller to charge or connect to the console? Here are a few troubleshooting tips I‘ve picked up:
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First, try using the cable that came with your PS5 if possible. Some third party cables can‘t carry enough power.
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Check the USB cable is inserted fully into the controller and console. A loose connection can prevent charging.
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If the controller won‘t charge while the PS5 is on, try putting the console into Rest Mode which provides consistent power to the USB ports.
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Power cycle the PS5 console – turn it fully off, unplug the power cord for 60 seconds, then reboot. This can clear any software glitches.
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Try charging from the front and back USB ports. The rear ports tend to be more reliable.
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Double check your HDMI device link settings haven‘t disabled charging in Rest Mode.
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Reset the controller by pressing the small recessed button on the back for 10+ seconds until the light bar blinks. This often fixes connectivity issues.
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Update your PS5 system software and controller firmware from System Settings > System Software to eliminate any bugs.
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As a last resort, try factory resetting the controller in Accessories settings. You may need a replacement though if hardware is faulty.
With any luck, one of those tips will have you up and playing again quickly!
Keeping Your PS5 Controller in Top Shape
To maximize your DualSense controller‘s lifespan and performance, keep these usage and charging tips in mind:
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Avoid draining the battery completely before recharging – top it up regularly or when the light blinks orange. Batteries don‘t like being empty!
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When charging, use the official PS5 USB-C cable and a rear console port. Avoid third party cables and chargers.
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Don‘t leave the controller plugged in for more than 12 hours after a full charge, as overcharging can damage battery capacity over time.
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Fully power down the controller when not using it for extended periods to conserve battery rather than leaving it idle.
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Avoid exposing your controller to temperature extremes like hot cars or freezing cold, which can reduce battery performance.
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Check for controller software updates periodically and install them to improve functionality.
Following those tips will help ensure your DualSense stays in flawless playing shape for years to come!
Comparing PS5 vs PS4 Controller Light Colors
If you‘re making the generational leap from PS4 to PS5, you may be curious how those light colors compare:
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On PS4 DualShock controllers, orange also indicated charging/Rest Mode, so that‘s the same meaning.
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However, the orange light was on the top of the PS4 controller, rather than the front touchpad light bar.
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The DualSense has more light indicators overall like mute, mic on, etc.
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Blue on PS4 showed which player number you were. On PS5 it shows controller powering on.
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PS4 didn‘t have status lights on the console itself.
So the essential charging definitions remain similar – it‘s just implemented differently across the two controller generations. Hopefully that clears up any confusion!
Unique DualSense Color Variants
While the original DualSense comes in sleek white, Sony has released a bunch of stylish color variants over the past couple years:
- Midnight Black – matches PS5 console, blacked out buttons
- Cosmic Red – vibrant red, perfect for Spidey
- Nova Pink – soft pink, great for younger gamers
- Starlight Blue – cool two-tone blue and black
- Galactic Purple – royal purple with shiny buttons
These alternate colors are purely cosmetic – the lights all function identically. So Midnight Black still pulses orange when battery is low, for example.
Personally, I‘m partial to the Nova Pink for its unique color pop. But you really can‘t go wrong with any of them – pick the shade that matches your style.
Having options is nice though compared to the rather plain all-black PS4 controllers. Kudos to Sony for injecting more fun into the DualSense range!
What About That Orange Mic Light?
You‘ve probably noticed that tiny orange LED light up below your PS button when muted. That‘s the built-in microphone indicator – it shows when the mic is muted or unmuted.
It remains solid orange any time the microphone is disabled, preventing accidental voice broadcast.
Then it switches off when mic input is active again – allowing party chat or voice commands if supported by the game.
The mute function is super handy when you need to yell at a family member to stop interrupting your boss battle. Just know the orange LED means your mic is off, not charging status.
So in summary:
- Solid orange light bar = Rest Mode
- Blinking orange light bar = Low battery
- Solid orange LED = Muted mic
That covers all the potential orange light scenarios on your DualSense controller!
Let‘s Recap…
We‘ve covered a ton of illumination information here today. So let‘s do a quick recap of what all those colors mean on your PS5 controller:
- Solid Orange – PS5 is in Rest Mode for efficient background operation
- Blinking Orange – Controller battery is low, time to charge!
- Blue – Controller powering on and connecting
- White – Actively being used to play games
- Yellow/Amber – PS5 console is powered on
- Green – Mic mute is enabled
- No Light – Controller is fully powered down
Hopefully this guide has given you a complete understanding of what orange means, and all the other funky colors your DualSense might display.
Let me know if you have any other PS5 topics you‘d like me to illuminate! I‘m always happy to share the knowledge.
Game on!
