Sony has today confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will in fact support PlayStation 4 controllers. However, the controllers will only work with PS 4 games. The company confirmed as much in a statement that said “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.”
It’s not too big of a surprise that Dual Shock controllers will pretty much become useless once you get a brand new PlayStation 5. After all, that was the case with the transition from PS3 to PS4, and it was also the case with the transition from Xbox 360 to Xbox One.
That said, this time around, Microsoft’s strategy might appeal more to people. The Redmond giant has made only minimal changes to its controller, adding a share button and giving it a more ‘Elite’ controller look. As such, the company is saying it will support Xbox One controllers on the Series X. This means, people buying a new Xbox Series X will be able to continue using their old controllers with it. Sony, on the other hand wants you to spend extra to get additional controllers on the PS 5.
In Sony’s defence, the Dual Sense controller for the PS 5 is a massively different controller from the PS4 Dual Shock. It has haptic feedback, built in microphone, adaptive triggers, and a lot more that Sony hopes PS5 games will make use of. The company has also announced that existing licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks will continue to work with PS5, and so will the PS Move Motion Controllers and PSVR Aim Controller.
