Alright, so the other day I was wondering, can you use a PS5 controller on a PS4? My old DualShock 4 was starting to feel a bit tired, you know? Buttons getting a bit sticky, that kind of thing. And I had my shiny PS5 DualSense controller just sitting there, looking all new and fancy.
My First Go
So, the first thing I did, naturally, was grab the USB-C cable. Plugged that PS5 controller right into the front of my PS4. I thought, “This should be straightforward, right?” Connected it, pressed the PS button on the DualSense expecting magic.
And… well, not much happened. The PS4 recognized something was plugged in, because the light bar on the DualSense pulsed like it was charging. But could I navigate the PS4 menu? Nope. Could I launch a game? Absolutely not. The PS button itself did nothing to bring up the home screen. Total dead end for direct control.
Digging a Bit Deeper
Okay, so that was a bust. My next step was to hit the internet. Did a quick search, and pretty much everyone was saying the same thing: Sony didn’t make the PS5 DualSense controller natively compatible for playing PS4 games on a PS4 console. It seems all those cool haptic feedback and adaptive trigger features in the DualSense are a bit too advanced, or just different, for the PS4 to understand directly for gameplay. So, it’s not designed to just work out of the box like you’d hope. You can charge it, apparently, but that’s about it for direct connection.
The Remote Play Angle
Then I stumbled upon some folks talking about a workaround: PS4 Remote Play. The idea is, you stream your PS4’s screen and audio to another device – like a PC, Mac, or even your phone – and then you can connect the PS5 controller to that device.
I thought, “Okay, this sounds like a hassle, but let’s try it.”
- Fired up my laptop.
- Downloaded and installed the PS Remote Play app.
- Connected my PS5 DualSense controller to my laptop using Bluetooth. That part was surprisingly easy, the laptop found it, paired it, no problem.
- Launched the Remote Play app and logged into my PSN account.
- The app then searched for my PS4 on my home network.
After a bit of waiting, it connected! My PS4 screen popped up on my laptop display.
So, Did It Work?
And yeah, I could actually control my PS4 using the PS5 controller through my laptop. I navigated the menus, launched a game, and started playing. So, in a roundabout way, yes, I was using the PS5 controller on my PS4.
But here’s the catch, and it’s a big one: it’s Remote Play. This means you’re entirely dependent on your network connection. If your Wi-Fi is a bit spotty, or if there’s a lot of traffic, you’re going to feel it. I noticed a tiny bit of input lag. For some games, maybe slower-paced ones, it might be okay. But for anything requiring quick reflexes, like a shooter or a fighting game, that lag can be a real pain. It just doesn’t feel as responsive as a direct connection.
Also, all those fancy features of the DualSense? The haptic feedback, the adaptive triggers? They don’t work. The PS4 game doesn’t know what to do with them, so the DualSense just acts like a standard, basic controller. A very comfortable basic controller, mind you, but basic nonetheless.
My Final Thoughts
So, after messing around with it for a bit, my conclusion is: yes, you can technically use a PS5 controller on a PS4, but only through Remote Play, and it’s not ideal. It’s a neat trick if you’re in a pinch and it’s your only option, but it’s not a replacement for a proper DualShock 4 if you want the best experience on your PS4.
Honestly, it felt like more trouble than it was worth for regular gaming. The potential for lag and the loss of the DualSense’s special features made it a bit underwhelming. I just wanted to see if it could be done, and it can, but it’s not something I’d recommend as a go-to solution. I ended up just cleaning my old DualShock 4 thoroughly, and it’s working a bit better now. Sometimes, the simplest path is the best one!
