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Can I use my old controllers in this next generation of consoles?

Updated: Oct 28, 2021

If you are a fan of racing, fight, or flight games, a question that you might be asking yourself with the release of the new generation of consoles is if you´ll have to buy a new set of peripherals to play your favorite genre.


Be it a wheel, HOTAS, or fight stick, there are quite a few specialized accessories that might not work from 2020 onward. Since these are usually quite expensive add-ons. Can you save your money and still use your set? Well, let´s take a look case by case for both the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.


Does my PS4 wheel and pedals work with the PS5?

Yes. Despite not working very well with the Dualshock 4, the Playstation 5 is compatible with the PlayStation 4 wheels and pedals. Any officially licensed "special periphery" accessory for the PS4 is guaranteed to work on the PS5. You can keep holding on to your Thrustmaster, Fanatec, or Logitech wheelset.


Something to keep in mind, however, is that Playstation 3 wheels are not guaranteed to work with the PS5 even if they were compatible with the PS4. Really old models might find themselves incompatible with the current generation of consoles.


Does my PS4 flight stick work with the PS5?


Yes, just like the wheels, flying sticks also count as "special peripheries" for Sony, and so any officially licensed joystick will work on the PS5. Of course, because there aren´t many joysticks available for the PS4 to begin with, this pretty much limits the compatible accessory to the HOTAS Thrustmaster.


Does my old arcade stick work with the PS5?


Yes, arcade sticks are also considered part of the "special peripheries" accessories that still have compatibility from the PS4 to the PS5. This doesn´t mean all the sticks will work. Only officially licensed accessories are guaranteed to keep working on the Playstation 5. You might note that there are many sticks on the market that aren´t "officially licensed" like the popular Mayflash brand.


So, will a stick like Mayflash 300 work? No. Will other sticks from the same company work? Probably not, but it helps to ask the manufacturer directly as compatibility is decided on a case by case basis.


Does my Xbox One wheel work with the Xbox Series X/S?

Probably yes, Microsoft has said that compatibility is very important for them in making their new console. They intend to create a gaming ecosystem for the Xbox brand as a whole. As a result, all your Xbox One wheels should work with the Series X/S.


Furthermore, all the major wheel manufacturers, like Thrustmaster and Logitech, have gone ahead and confirmed that their products will still work on the new generation.


Does my Xbox One flight stick work with the Xbox Series X/S?


Yes, it should work. Microsoft has made the effort to make all the special accessories of the Xbox One work on the Xbox Series X and S.


Take note, however, that this mainly applies to sticks available for the Xbox One, old Windows or PC joysticks are not guaranteed to work on your new console, even if they did somehow work on your old Xbox. This limits the sticks available to pretty much only the Thrustmaster Flight Hotas.


Does my Xbox One arcade stick work with the Xbox Series X/S?


Yes, so long as it´s an officially licensed fight stick, it should work on the Series X/S. As long as it worked with the Xbox One, it will be able to connect to the new generation of Xbox.


In summary


Yes, your old PS4 and Xbox One peripherals are likely to work in this next generation of consoles, saving you quite a few bucks instead of buying a replacement. Both Sony and Microsoft have made efforts to make sure their console is compatible with the old accessories, be them arcade sticks, joysticks or wheels. Even HDD ...somewhat. (Not quite the case yet on the PS5).


But what about your headsets? Yes, they should work too, so long as they aren´t Bluetooth. On the PS5 only so long as they are USB, your mouse, and keyboard too. If you meant the PS VR headset, we simply don´t have enough info yet.


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