Amazon Basics PlayStation 4 Controller Charging Cable, micro USB to USB type-A connectors, 6-Foot, Blue

Product Information

Whilst USB C is starting to take over Micro USB is still commonly found on many devices today including the PS4 which is now just over 4 years old and the latest PS4 Pro iteration which has retained the same controller charging port design. Common sense can tell you that a micro USB cable used with a game controller will generally suffer more wear, tear and abuse than a micro usb phone charger. Reinforcing the cable at weak spots such as the connector that goes into the controller, and using the best quality Micro USB connector available, all help to improve the durability of a cable.

Generally speaking if you take the same short cable and make it longer without changing any of the specifications then the charging performance will reduce. The battery will take longer to charge, and in some cases it barely charge at all if the cable is longer, unless the manufacturer compensates for this. By increasing the diameter of the cable and the amount of conductive metal strands inside the cable the charge performance can be largely remain unaffected, but many cables on the market are made cheaply with as few materials as possible, resulting in a poor charging performance. A controller charging cable quite simply connects the PS4 controller to the PS4 console’s USB ports, which in turn allow you to charge the controller, sync it to the console and also use it as wired controller.In the past electronics (and particularly games consoles) used a variety of cable types to connect and charge, often these cables were proprietary to the product brand. Nowadays many devices utilize Micro USB & USB C due to industry standardisation and laws in different parts of the world. Long thin cable = More resistance (higher AWG number) will perform worse as more resistance and power loss over the length of the cable, the power is lost in the form of heat caused by the resistance in the cable, resulting in less power reaching the controller’s battery.

Making a good quality cable mostly comes down to common sense design and good material choices, but many manufacturers simply offer a generic cable solution which often does not cut it when it comes to gaming. Sensible design decisions can go further to consider who will use the cable and how will it be used, and this part is particularly relevant when it comes to a gaming cable and PS4 gaming. In the industry cables are generally measured in AWG (American wire gauge) with a higher AWG translating to decreasing strands of conductive metal in the cable, and a lower AWG translating to an increased number of metal strands and larger cable diameter. Sony decided to opt for USB Micro-B for its latest PlayStation console the PS4, moving away from the older USB Mini-B connector standard that was used on the PS3.Find the best quality PlayStation 4 controller charging cable that is truly made for the needs of a PS4 gamer. If a manufacturer or brand wants to make a something cheaper to manufacture, they can cut corners and use a smaller diameter cable on a long lead as it is cheaper to do so. The consequences of this decision is that the cable will not function as well, and it may not last as long as a cable from a manufacturer that cares and makes sensible choices about the cable diameter etc.