If you use a PlayStation DualShock 3, DualShock 4 or PlayStation 5 DualSense controller to game on Ubuntu, there’s a GNOME Shell extension worth installing.
It’s called DualShock/DualSense 4 Battery Percentage and it adds – insert your faux shock here – a battery indicator to show your controller’s charge level on the desktop panel.
That’s it; nothing more, nothing less – nor does it need to.
You won’t need to open a separate application or search through any menus. Current battery level (as a percentage) is visible on screen, on the GNOME top bar, for the controller connected. If your controller is not connected, the indicator doesn’t appear.
All of Sony’s modern PlayStation controllers work on Linux as standard HID gamepads when paired via Bluetooth, including the PS5’s DualSense. Apps can fine tune the layout or customise button presses, but it’s not required; the gamepads “just work” in Steam and other platforms.
Install DualShock/DualSense battery extension
The extension works with GNOME 3.20 and above, all the way up to GNOME 50, which is used in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. If you’re running any version of GNOME Shell, this will work.
To install it, head to the DualShock/DualSense Battery Percentage page on the GNOME Extensions website in your web browser and follow the set-up advice.
Want an easier way? Install the desktop Extensions Manager app (available in the Ubuntu repos), open it, then search for this extension in there. Click install, then turn it on.
Go try it, and let me know if you find this useful by leaving a comment.