As happens every time we move from one console generation to the next, some, but not all of the PlayStation 4’s peripherals will be compatible with the PlayStation 5. And among those devices that work, some will only work under fixed conditions.
Sony took to the PlayStation Blog to break down the specifics of which PlayStation 4 accessories will work with PlayStation 5, and the good news is that most things will work. It’s specifically when you get to the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller when things get sticky. According to the blog post, the PS4’s controller will work only with backwards compatible games from the previous system, but not on native PlayStation 5 games.
Here’s the explanation given in the blog post:
“Will DualShock 4 work with PS5 games?
No, 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.”
Beyond that, things like PlayStation 4 racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks will work on the new console, including for native PS5 games. It also doesn’t look like much is going to change on the headset front heading into the next generation either, as anything that connects through a USB port or audio jack will still work on PlayStation 5. PlayStation Move and PlayStation VR headsets will also work with PlayStation 5 on compatible VR games.
The PlayStation Camera, which is used for PlayStation VR, is a little bit more complicated, as Sony says that the device will need a “PlayStation Camera adaptor” to work with the PlayStation 5. The blog post says that this adaptor will be provided at no additional cost to PlayStation VR users, and that it will have more information on how that’s going to work at a later date.
While Sony is speaking in broad strokes for a lot of this, it also notes that it can’t account for every third-party peripheral, and recommends checking with manufacturers as to whether or not some of them will work with PlayStation 5.
In other news:
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- Marvel’s Avengers’ Beta Begins in August as Hawkeye Stumbles in Late as DLC
Oddly enough, Sony doesn’t make any mention of whether or not the PlayStation 5’s Dualsense controller will work with backwards compatible PlayStation 4 games. It would seem silly to require players to switch to keep old controllers around when they’ve got the shiny new box. Not saying that we should all throw our DualShock 4s in the trash, but if the DualSense is really an improvement, I imagine people will probably want to stick with the superior controller.
All of this will be useful for anyone who wants to know what they do or don’t need to upgrade to get the most out of the PS5 out of the box this holiday season, but we still don’t know how much the thing is actually going to cost and we’re probably around three or so months away from launch. Sony’s holding a State of Play presentation this week, but has already said ahead of time there won’t be significant PS5 announcements during it, so we might be waiting a little bit longer on that.
