When my dual shock 3 controller ran out of batteries, I plugged it in and turned off the system.  But when I started up again, it wasn't any more charged than before.  Shouldn't it charge even when it is off?  It would be really inconvenient to play with a controller with a 3 foot cable.

Only charges when the PS3 is on. And I know what you mean, would it hurt them to make the USB cabe at least a bit longer? No one sits that close to their tv. The good thing is that the cable is generic and it's cheap to buy a longer one, or pluging in extensions to it.

It will charge on any USB port as long as the port is getting power. I usually plug my controller into my PC's USB port since it gets power even though my PC is off.

you cant charge when when its off. but you can put charge the controller and go to the atomatic turn off settings and make it 2 hours and 2 hours later it will turn off and your controller will be charged or mostly charged.

Nope. Only charges when it's on.

I just charge it with my PC when I use the internet. Never have had it die yet. :D

Nope, which is why I usually charge it when I'm watching a movie or even my computer if my PS3 is off.

You can use your computer though which is pretty nifty.

I was very disappointed to find out that the USB ports on my PS3 aren't powered on when the system is off.  That's something very handy that I took for granted on my 360.

"I was very disappointed to find out that the USB ports on my PS3 aren't powered on when the system is off.  That's something very handy that I took for granted on my 360."

The USB cable that came along with my DS3-equipped 80GB bundle is about 4 feet long.  In other words, it's useless - especially since the system has to be on for the damn controller to charge. 

I don't know what Sony was thinking.

Sony has done a lot of stupid little things...charging $55 for a controller with no USB cable to charge it is stupid. I know that they figured anyone buying a DS3 owns a system and thus has a cable, but what if you want to play a MP game and the controller isn't fully charged? ...stupid.

Since it's a standard miniUSB connection (on the controller itself) then surely it's pretty easy to find a longer miniUSB cable, and probably at a fraction of the price.

"Since it's a standard miniUSB connection (on the controller itself) then surely it's pretty easy to find a longer miniUSB cable, and probably at a fraction of the price."

It only charges if you Don't turn off all the power.

If you turn off the System using the PS button it will charge your controllers you have plugged in..

"Sony has done a lot of stupid little things...charging $55 for a controller with no USB cable to charge it is stupid. I know that they figured anyone buying a DS3 owns a system and thus has a cable, but what if you want to play a MP game and the controller isn't fully charged? ...stupid."

You can use the cell phone charger for the Razor if you really have a need to bitch about it. 360 hardware problems is that it stop working, the PS3 hardware problem is too short a cable and not being to charge controller while it is off.

HMMMM, I think I'll pick the PS3's problem over the 360.

"How does it make it different if your playing a MP game or a SP game? You should have the cable regardless..."

Yeah, big company being cheap. What else is new? Just bought my PS3 yesterday, plugged the controller into it to charge over night only to wake up to a dead controller? So it's plugged into my computer and is blinking red. Come on charge baby, charge!

When it's on stanby, not when the switch is flipped off.

"LiquidPrince said:

"How does it make it different if your playing a MP game or a SP game? You should have the cable regardless..."

If you're playing a MP game...with more than one person on one console...and both controllers are dead; then you can't play the game MP until you charge each controller separately since the DS3 doesn't come with its own cable. The best you could do is charge one controller completely and then the other player is stuck sitting 4 feet away from the TV with his controller plugged in...it's just stupid. Not everyone has extra cables that are used for other electronics, I know I don't."

"Kush said:

"LiquidPrince said:

"How does it make it different if your playing a MP game or a SP game? You should have the cable regardless..."

If you're playing a MP game...with more than one person on one console...and both controllers are dead; then you can't play the game MP until you charge each controller separately since the DS3 doesn't come with its own cable. The best you could do is charge one controller completely and then the other player is stuck sitting 4 feet away from the TV with his controller plugged in...it's just stupid. Not everyone has extra cables that are used for other electronics, I know I don't."

Or you can get a ridiculously cheap USB 2.0 cable from like the dollar store...


"

No. Tho... I've stuck my sixaxis into my PC while doing crap on my PC to have it charge when my PS3 isn't on. Then I bought a charger that plugs into the wall outlet, which also acts as a holding station for the controllers... so its a win win.