If you’ve bought yourself a new PlayStation 4 console, or at least had a chance to enjoy its new controller, you may have felt that it was tough to go back to that old, worn Dual Shock 3 controller on Sony’s last-gen console. Well, no longer is this an issue, as a recent firmware update on the PlayStation 3 has allowed it to recognize a PlayStation 4 controller via Bluetooth.
Previously, you could still use a PlayStation 4 controller on a PlayStation 3 by plugging it directly into the console via USB, though now, you don’t even need to do that. This mostly entirely renders Dual Shock 3 controllers obsolete, as just about any PlayStation 3 game supports the arguably superior Dual Shock 4 controller now. The increasingly flexible PlayStation 4 controller has already been useable as a PC gamepad since launch as well.
Not so fast though! Similar to pairing a Dual Shock 4 with a PC, there are some limitations to consider before you go pawn off or chuck out your old PlayStation 3 controllers in favour of using a Dual Shock 4 exclusively on your old hardware. PlayStation gamers must chiefly be aware of the fact that the vibration sensors and tilt sensors on the Dual Shock 4 will not work when the controller is used with a PlayStation 3, as the console merely recognizes it as a generic, Bluetooth-enabled controller. This means that games relying on the tilt sensors, such as Flower or Lair, are unplayable with a Dual Shock 4 controller.
Obviously, the Touch Pad, Share Button and Light Bar on the Dual Shock 4 won’t work on a PlayStation 3 either, and motion control games that demand the use of PlayStation Move can still only be played as such, and naturally won’t work with a Dual Shock 4. Lastly, if you do pair a Dual Shock 4 controller with your PlayStation 3, which includes the ability to turn on the console with its PlayStation Button, you’ll need to re-pair that controller with your PlayStation 4 again if you want to use it for that console, and vice-versa if you want to use it on a PlayStation 3 again afterward.
With that said however, this is a great solution for people who vastly prefer Sony’s new controller design, and really don’t want to go back to the old one. All you have to do is:
Turn on your PlayStation 3, go to the console’s ‘Settings’ section on the XMB menu, select ‘Accessory Settings’, then go to ‘Manage Bluetooth Devices’, and then select ‘Register New Device’. Hold the PlayStation Button and Share Button on the Dual Shock 4, and wait for the Light Bar to start blinking. The Dual Shock 4 should then be recognized as a ‘Wireless Controller’ for your PlayStation 3. Presto!
So, keep your old PlayStation 3 controllers for certain games, but don’t feel that you have to settle anymore. Remember as well that Eggplante will keep you apprised of all noteworthy PlayStation hardware notices.