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The PlayStation 5's controller will work with the PS3 and even the Nintendo Switch – but not the PS4, early users have indicated.
The new controller includes a variety of additional features, such as haptic vibration that allows it to "tap" the user, and a redesign to make it larger and more ergonomic.
The PS5 also makes the controversial decision to swap the circle and X buttons in Japan. Until now, those buttons have functioned differently within Sony's home country, in line with local custom – but they will now be the same everywhere.
But there will be no way to use that PS5 controller with its predecessor, user have found after getting their hands on it ahead of the release date next week.
A YouTube user named MidnightMan has tried the controller with both PS3 and PS4 consoles, finding that it worked fine with the former. When he tried to use it with the latter, the controller did not register properly at all.
The new controller has also been found to work with the Nintendo Switch, so long as it connected through an 8bitdo adapter that is sold separately.
Controllers are no longer expected to be used only with their own consoles, and can connect to a range of devices over bluetooth. Apple, for instance, has worked to ensure that both the Xbox One and PS4 controller work successfully with the iPhone and iPad.
Other than the unusual compatibility, the PlayStation 5’s controller has received positive reviews. A number of early reviewers – including Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and YouTuber Marques Brownlee – said that the controller is perhaps the most “next-gen” thing about the new console, and that it was more impressive than the graphical and gameplay improvements that have been demonstrated so far.
First impressions have focused on the haptic features that allow for a precise vibration to feel like the controller is tapping the users, the resistance feature that allows the triggers to feel as if they are being stretched out like a bow, and the improvement in battery life.
The controller also has more visible features. In addition to a significant redesign – and a white, curvy look that is in line with the divisive aesthetic of the PS5 – the controller has new light effects and a built-in microphone.
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