The idea of a video game controller is so burned into our brains as a tool for playing games that we, as gamers, often don’t even flinch when it’s time to buy new ones. It’s not like that’s anything new, though, because what used to be five years, and is now seven years or more, these console generations continue to get longer, which causes us to want to keep our old gamepads more and more. One of the biggest perpetrators of this feeling is the PlayStation 5. It’s not like it doesn’t feel new; it just feels like more of an upgrade, but that seems to be the trend these days. Gotta say, though, what a great console. But what if you want to stay in 2013 and use your PS5 controllers on your PS4?
Can You Connect a PS5 Controller to a PS4?
Sadly, according to Sony’s FAQ site, there is no official way to use PlayStation 5 controllers on the PlayStation 4. Rats! It’s not all bad, though, because there are two ways to use the fancy DualSense on PS4.
1. Use Remote Play to Control a PS4 with Your PS5 Controller
For the first method, you will need the Remote Play app, a PC or laptop, and your PS4. The Remote Play app is a free application from Sony that allows you to play your favourite games away from home, like on a phone or a computer – got that? Okay, so connect your PS5 controller to the PC, laptop, or whatever you plan to use, open the app, and use Remote Play to take control of your PS4 with a DualSense. Presto, you’re using a controller from 2020 to control a console from 2013.
2. Connect Your DualSense Controller to a PS4 With an Adapter
Oh, but there was a second method. Yes, but unfortunately, it’ll cost you some cash.
Four years ago, a YouTuber named “What Happens When” posted a video, which you can see below, showing them using a Titan Two adapter. This neat little piece of tech is an all-in-one device that allows players to use their favourite controller on nearly every console by plugging into the USB port on the front.
Those are the two workarounds for playing PS5 controllers on the PlayStation 4 without a native option. Remote play and Bluetooth; pretty cool, huh? Here’s hoping the Singstar microphone from the PlayStation 2 era gets forward compatibility so we can write an article about doing Skyrim shouts with our own voices in Elder Scrolls 6 next time.
