Sony has revealed some details regarding which PlayStation 4 peripherals will be compatible with PS5. Many peripherals will work, but there's some bad news if you're hoping to use your PS4 controllers as multiplayer backups in PS5 games.
Which PS4 peripherals will work with the PS5?
Sony guarantees that of the peripherals outlined below, first-party options will definitely work, but "not all PlayStation officially licensed or third-party peripherals/accessories may work on PS5". The company recommends checking with the manufacturer on a case-by-case basis to make sure peripherals are supported. Here are the PlayStation 4 peripherals Sony says will definitely work with the PS5:
- Specialty peripherals such as officially-licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks will work with PS5 games and supported PS4 games
- Platinum and Gold wireless headsets, as well as third-party USB and audio jack options, will work with PS5, although the headset companion app won't
- PlayStation Move and PlayStation VR Aim controllers will work with supported PS VR games on PS5
- The PlayStation Camera will work with PlayStation 5 for supported PS VR games. It'll require an adapter that Sony will provide at no extra cost to PS VR users
The situation gets a little more muddy when considering the DualShock 4. Sony says the PS4's controller "will work with supported PS4 games", meaning you'll still be able to use your DualShock 4 to play backward-compatible PS4 games. However, you won't be able to use your DualShock 4 with PS5 games. According to Sony, this is because PlayStation 5 games "should take advantage of the new capabilities" of the platform.
Why won't PS4 controllers work with PS5 games?
The DualSense controller for the PS5 has a few features that the DualShock 4 doesn't have. It supports haptic feedback vibration and has adaptive trigger technology in its R2 and L2 buttons, neither of which the DualShock 4 contains. Sony's approach is clearly to promote and push its new controller technology; the DualSense controller is significantly different to the DualShock 4, so Sony wants to make sure that difference is keenly felt. Microsoft, for its part, has pledged to continually support existing peripherals on Xbox Series X, although it's worth noting that the Series X controller is very similar to the Xbox One's, with the key difference being a Share button on the new device.
We'll bring you more on Sony's upcoming hardware as we get it. The PlayStation 5 is slated to release sometime this holiday season. We still don't have a concrete release date for Sony's new machine yet, so watch this space for more info.
How do you feel about this compatibility list? Do you wish the DualShock 4 was compatible with PlayStation 5 games? Let us know in the comments below!
