New DualShock 5 speculation amid latest PlayStation 5 rumours

The DualShock 5 will feature context-adaptive triggers, according to a patent published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The patent concerns two applications for the triggers among other matters, specifically climbing and object cutting mechanics. According to ResetEra forums member gofreak, the correct force must be applied to grip or cut through objects, while the controller will impart context-specific audio and haptic feedback. The patent uses an electric circular saw as an example, with the controller adjusting its audio and haptic feedback the saw cuts through an object.

The PlayStation 5 also will be compatible with the DualShock 4, according to sources close to RespawnFirst. This would put the PlayStation 5 on par with the Xbox Series X, which Microsoft has already confirmed will be compatible with Xbox One controllers. Doing so would likely save money for those who have spare DS4 controllers. However, it would also open the possibility of buying a second-hand DS4 on the cheap and using it as a secondary or tertiary controller on your PS5.

This latest rumour appears to have been conflated with the idea of the DS5 being backwards compatible with the PS4 too. Several websites have pointed to PlayStation France confirming this in a PS4 help page, which has since been amended. The Wayback Machine confirms that PlayStation France listed DS5 compatibility with the PS4 and PS4 Pro as far back as 2017, so we are unsure why this rumour has surfaced nearly three years later. It could well have been a mistake too that has since been corrected.

We suspect that the DS4 being compatible with the PlayStation 5 is the most likely of the three to come to fruition. The others may do too, but we cannot see a use case for someone using the DS5 on the PS4. The inclusion of context-adaptive triggers would likely increase immersion, although they look remarkably like the DS4 Back Button Attachment that Sony released last year.