PS4 Controllers Will Work With PS5, but Only for Playing PS4 Games
Today, Sony published a blog post which answers a great many questions regarding peripheral compatibility with the PS5. While some existing peripherals will be fully compatible, the same cannot be said of PS4 controllers. Both the DualShock 4 and officially-licensed, third-party PS4 controllers will work with the PS5. However, they will only work for playing supported PS4 games.
PS4 Controllers Only Partially Compatible with PS5
According to Sony, most non-controller peripherals will work with the PS5. These include most specialty peripherals, including officially-licensed arcade sticks, flight sticks, and racing wheels. Both the Platinum and Gold Wireless Headsets will also be compatible, although the current headset companion app will not be. When it comes to controllers, however, compatibility is much more limited.
“The DualShock 4 wireless controller and PlayStation officially licensed third-party gamepad controllers will work with supported PS4 games,” writes Sony; “Both the PS Move Motion Controllers and the PlayStation VR Aim Controller will work with supported PS VR games on PS5”. The blog goes on to state that the DualShock 4 will not work with PS5 games. “We believe that PS5 games should take advantage of the new capabilities and features we’re bringing to the platform, including the features of DualSense wireless controller.”
Ultimately, this is fairly unsurprising. It’s totally normal for a previous console’s controllers not to be compatible with a new console. In fact, Sony implementing compatibility for PS4 controllers when playing older PS4 games is further than most previous consoles have ever gone. Fans of third-party peripherals also seem to be getting a good deal, as most non-controller PS4 peripherals will remain compatible with the PS5… in theory. Sony does note in the blog that not all peripherals/accessories may actually work on the PS5. “We recommend checking with the manufacturer to confirm whether a product will work on PS5 and specific titles,” they write.