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Playstation is drawing a much clearer line between generations than Microsoft is with the Xbox Series X.
Sony recently confirmed in a blog post that the PS4 controller (the Dualshock 4) will not be compatible with Playstation 5 titles, stating only that the controllers will work on supported PS4 games.
It might be something of an unpopular decision in some circles, given the price of the Dualshock 4, and Microsoft’s decidedly different stance on generations – supporting not only existing peripherals, but even the Xbox One heading into the next generation. But it’s a decision that ensures developers know all PS5 players will have access to the Dualsense controller, alongside its new features.
It’s also a decision that fits with Sony’s overall vision for the next generation. As Playstation’s Eric Lempel said to Geoff Keighley during the recent Summer Games fest video, Sony doesn’t subscribe to Microsoft’s strategy of blurring the lines between generations.
“As we’ve said many times,” said Lempel, “with PlayStation 5 it’s a brand new generation, and we believe in generations. So we want to evolve every part of the experience.
“In many cases, we can’t take everybody with us from previous consoles. You need new hardware, you need new devices to experience what these developers want you to experience.”
It’s a philosophy that’s echoed on the aforementioned blog post, explaining the rationale behind dropping support for the Dualshock: “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.”
Some specific peripherals will still be supported, however, including some officially licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks, as well as the PS Move Motion Controllers and the PlayStation VR Aim Controllers.
