PlayStation 5 will support PS4 controllers, but only for playing PS4 games

Sony is confirming today that its existing PS4 controller 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,” says Sony in a statement confirming the company’s plans.

Sony says that existing DualShock 4 controllers and officially licensed third-party PS4 controllers “will work with supported PS4 games.” Sony doesn’t list its supported games, but the company does confirm that officially licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks will work with PS5 games and supported PS4 games. Sony’s existing PS Move Motion Controllers and the PlayStation VR Aim Controller will also work with supported PS VR games on the PS5.

This move does mean that PS5 owners will need to buy additional controllers to play PS5 games, much like how PS3 controllers didn’t work on the PS4. While Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controllers didn’t work on the Xbox One, the company has committed to supporting Xbox One controllers on the upcoming Xbox Series X console.

Microsoft has made only minor changes to its Xbox Series X controller, allowing the company more freedom for existing hardware to work with future games. Sony, on the other hand, has designed its PS5 DualSense controller around adaptive triggers, an integrated microphone, and new haptic feedback technology. Even the PS5 game that’s bundled with the console, Astro’s Playroom, looks like a showcase for DualSense’s new features.