DualSense Compatibility with the PS4
Long story short—the DualSense is NOT compatible with the PS4 natively, as stated by Sony itself. Even if you connect the DualSense to your PS4 via USB, the console will not detect the controller, though it will charge. Sony’s tradition of limited backwards compatibility shines here as well as a DualShock 4 will work on PS5 but only for PS4 games. Though, a DualSense will simply not work on PS4 at all. There are, however, two workaround methods that allow you to get the DualSense controller up and running with the PS4.
How To Make The DualSense Work on Your PS4?
To play games with the DualSense on your PS4, you can make use of these methods:
1. Remote Play
Remote Play is a feature offered by PlayStation that allows you to stream gameplay from your PlayStation console to other devices over the same local network. It offers a seamless way to continue your gameplay on other screens, such as Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows devices. Within Remote Play, you can use pretty much any controller connected to your device and that includes the DualSense. So, with this workaround you can use a DualSense to play your PS4 games. To set up Remote Play on your device, two requirements must first be fulfilled:
Enabling Remote Play on Your PS4
Activating your PS4 as the primary PS4
Setting up Remote Play
Once the aforementioned requirements have been met, we can begin setting up Remote Play across the PS4 and your desired device. Follow the instructions below to achieve this: We have dedicated guides on playing PS4 games remotely on your PC and Android device as well. They dive into a bit more detail in case you’re confused about any step here.
2. Making Use of a Bluetooth Adapter
Bluetooth is a universal way to establish a wireless connection between two devices. The DualSense also makes use of Bluetooth when connecting to PC. Therefore, we can exploit this feature to connect it to a PS4. The PS4 has native Bluetooth connectivity that can be used to connect to wireless headsets and other such peripherals. But since the DualSense has a much more recent version of Bluetooth (5.1) that the PS4 (2.1), it cannot be detected by the console in a scan. In order to achieve this, we need a third-party Bluetooth adapter that has PS4 compatibility.
Conclusion
The DualSense controller is an impressive piece of tech, but it’s clear that its full potential shines with the PS5. If you’re a PS4 owner, consider if the workarounds are worth the effort or if sticking with the DualShock 4 is a better choice. Think about your future gaming plans, and choose the best fit for your setup.
