Can You Use a PS4 Controller on PS5? (What Works)

Short answer: yes, but only for PS4 games. Your DualShock 4 will connect to a PS5 and work perfectly in backwards-compatible PS4 titles, but the moment you launch a native PS5 game, the console blocks it and tells you to switch to a DualSense. This isn't a hardware limitation or a bug you can work around; it's a deliberate restriction Sony has enforced since the PS5 launched, and it hasn't budged since.

Here's exactly what works, what doesn't, why Sony did it, and when keeping your old controller still makes sense.

What works

The DualShock 4 handles a surprising amount on a PS5.

PS4 games running on PS5. The vast majority of the PS4 catalogue is playable on PS5 through backwards compatibility, and a DualShock 4 works fully in all of it. If you have a large PS4 library you're still working through, your old controller remains genuinely useful.

PS4 versions of cross-gen games. If a game has both a PS4 and a PS5 version and you launch the PS4 one, the DualShock 4 works. Launch the PS5 version of the same game and it won't.

PS Plus Premium classics. PS1 and PS2 titles in the classics library accept DualShock 4 input, and PS3 games streamed through the service map to DualShock 4 controls via Sony's emulation layer.

Licensed PS4 peripherals for PS4 games. Officially licensed PS4 fight sticks and similar accessories work for PS4 fighting games and other backwards-compatible titles, which matters to the fighting game community with money invested in arcade sticks.

Remote Play. You can use a DualShock 4 for PS Remote Play, which is a useful fallback.

What doesn't work

Any native PS5 game. This is absolute. Astro Bot, any PS5 exclusive, the PS5 version of any cross-gen title, all rejected. The console won't let you start them, and if you're mid-session the controller gets blocked.

PS3 controllers entirely. A DualShock 3 or SixAxis won't work on a PS5 at all, not even for PS3 cloud-streamed games. The older controller uses a Bluetooth protocol the PS5 doesn't recognise, so there's no pairing route. Use a DualSense or DualShock 4 for those instead, since Sony remaps the controls automatically.

DualSense features, obviously. No adaptive triggers, no advanced haptics, no built-in microphone. The DualShock 4 has a light bar, a touchpad, and basic rumble, and that's the extent of it.

Why Sony blocks it

Sony has been explicit about the reasoning. In an official PlayStation Blog post, the company said it believes PS5 games should take advantage of the new capabilities the platform brings, including the features of the DualSense controller.

The logic is that PS5 titles are built around adaptive triggers, detailed haptics, and the controller's microphone, and a DualShock 4 physically cannot reproduce any of that. Rather than let players have an incomplete or inconsistent experience, Sony requires the DualSense for PS5 software. Whether you find that reasonable or paternalistic depends on your view, but it's a firm, firmware-level restriction rather than something a future update is likely to relax. Treat it as permanent when making buying decisions.

It's worth noting Microsoft took the opposite approach, allowing Xbox One controllers to work with Series X|S games, which is why this restriction stands out to anyone who owns both consoles.

How to connect a DualShock 4 to a PS5

Straightforward, with one common gotcha.

By USB: turn on the PS5, connect the DualShock 4 with a USB-A to micro-USB cable, and press the PS button. The console detects it and prompts you to sign in to a user profile.

By Bluetooth: with the controller off, hold the Share button and the PS button together until the light bar flashes white rapidly. On the PS5, go to Settings > Accessories > General > Bluetooth Accessories and select the controller from the list to pair it.

The gotcha: if the DualShock 4 is still registered to a PS4, the PS5 will often refuse it without explaining why. Put it into pairing mode with the Share + PS button combination first so it can register to the new console. This trips up a lot of people who assume the controller is broken or incompatible when it simply needs re-pairing.

If you hit connection problems that go beyond this, it's worth confirming the controller itself is healthy. Connect it to a PC and run a button test to check every input registers, since a controller that's been sitting in a drawer for a few years may have developed faults you haven't noticed.

What about third-party PS4 controllers and adapters?

Two related questions come up constantly.

Licensed third-party PS4 controllers behave the same as an official DualShock 4: they work for PS4 games on a PS5 and are blocked from PS5 titles. The restriction is applied to the game and console level, not to Sony-branded hardware specifically, so a licensed Nacon or Razer PS4 pad hits the same wall.

Third-party adapters that claim to make a DualShock 4 work with PS5 games exist, and they generally function by presenting your controller to the console as something else. Be cautious here. Beyond the reliability question, using hardware or software that circumvents platform restrictions can put you at odds with PlayStation Network's terms of service, and account standing isn't worth risking to save the cost of a controller. There's also no guarantee an adapter keeps working, since a system update can break it at any time.

The honest position is that this is a software restriction with no supported workaround, and the sanctioned answer is buying a DualSense for PS5 games.

When it's still worth using

Despite the restriction, there are solid reasons to keep a DualShock 4 around.

As a second controller for PS4 games. If you play couch co-op in backwards-compatible titles, that's a free second controller rather than a $75 purchase.

For a big backwards-compatible library. Plenty of people are still working through PS4 backlogs, and the old pad handles all of it.

If you prefer its D-pad. Some fighting game and platformer players genuinely prefer the DualShock 4's D-pad to the DualSense's, and for PS4-era fighting games that's a legitimate reason to use it.

Better battery life. The DualShock 4 outlasts a DualSense per charge, simply because it has far less to power. It has no haptic actuators or trigger motors draining it.

For guests and kids. A spare controller that costs nothing is worth having, even with the restriction.

When you need a DualSense instead

If you mostly play new releases, the DualShock 4 is a backwards-compatibility controller rather than a real second pad, and you'll need to buy a DualSense for any two-player PS5 game. That's the practical calculation: count how much of your actual playtime is PS4-era versus PS5-native.

If you're weighing whether the DualSense's features justify replacing your old habits, our DualShock 4 vs DualSense comparison covers the differences in feel, features, and battery. And if you're considering a premium option instead, our take on whether the DualSense Edge is worth it covers that tier.

One more thing worth checking on an older DualShock 4 before you rely on it: controllers of that age frequently develop stick drift, and a quick stick drift test tells you whether the pad you're about to press into service is actually in good shape.

The short version

A PS4 controller works on a PS5 for PS4 games, PS Plus classics, and Remote Play, but it's hard-blocked from every native PS5 title, and that's a deliberate Sony restriction rather than a bug. PS3 controllers don't work at all. To connect, use a USB cable or hold Share + PS to pair over Bluetooth, and re-pair it if it's still registered to a PS4. Keep it as a free second controller for backwards-compatible games and couch co-op, but don't expect it to replace a DualSense if you play new releases.