With each new game console comes a newer, fancier controller. The PlayStation 5 DualSense is perhaps Sony’s most radical gamepad to date, stuffed with advanced features and funky styling. Since it works over a Bluetooth connection, you may be wondering if you can use the PS5 DualSense controller on the PlayStation 4. Unfortunately, you may be in for a disappointment.
Do PS5 DualSense controllers work on PS4?
Sadly, PlayStation 5 DualSense controllers do not work on the PlayStation 4. They will physically connect, charge, and even sync with the console, but the DualSense controller cannot be used to navigate menus or play games on the PS4.
This is not entirely unexpected. In fact, there’s already a precedent for it, since the DualShock 3 doesn’t work on PS4 without a special converter. After the PS2, each generation of PlayStation controllers introduced new functions that weren’t fully compatible with past Sony consoles.
This rings especially true for the jump from PS4 to PS5. The DualSense controller has a new connection type (USB-C), a revamped haptic (force feedback or “rumble”) system, a built-in microphone array, and adaptive triggers. It even uses a different Bluetooth protocol than the DualShock 4: Version 5.1 when compared to the old version 2.1.
There’s also the problem of missing or adjusted features. The DualShock 4 notably introduced the Share button, which has been removed in favor of the “Create” button on the DualSense controller. In addition, the PS5 controller’s shoulder buttons are now pressure-sensitive, as opposed the PS4 controller’s standard digital shoulder buttons. Curiously, the DualShock 3 introduced pressure-sensitive face buttons that were later ditched with the DualShock 4.
In other words, it’s a case of “out with the old, in with the new.” The PS5 DualSense controller can’t be used to play games on the PS4. Luckily, you can use your DualShock 4 on the PlayStation 5, albeit only to enjoy older PS4 games.
