Sony's PlayStation 5 finally upon us, bringing with it a whole new world of possibility for gamers, unlocked by a big boost in graphical power and the speed of Sony's proprietary SSD, which cuts loading times down to near-nothing. 

The console's a big upgrade in performance terms, then, but quite a few people have questions about their existing accessories, lovingly used throughout the PS4 era. Can you rely on them to work with the new hardware? We've got answers right here. 

Will my PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 and headset work on PS5? photo 2
Pocket-lint

Will my DualShock 4 work on PS5?

This question isn't as simple to answer as you might think, so we're going to break it down into two sections. 

If you're playing a PlayStation 5 game on the PS5, you'll need to be doing so on Sony's new DualSense controller, the one that comes with the new console. It's got a few features that the older DualShock 4 can't match, including upgraded haptic feedback and triggers. That means Sony's keeping next-gen games to its next-gen controller. 

However, if you're playing PS4 games on PS5, any of the vast majority that will apparently work seamlessly on the new console, you'll be in better luck - your DualShock 4 will still work. That means you might want to hold off on selling or giving away your older gamepads, if you've got any couch co-op classics that you'll still be dipping back into every now and then. 

Will my PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 and headset work on PS5? photo 3
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Will my headset work on PS5?

The headset side of things is also dependent on a few factors. 

First up, if you're using a wired headset that connects via 3.5mm port to your DualShock 4 controller, your headset should work with the PS5. You'll just connect it to the exact same port on your new DualSense controller and be away. That should be good news for many people.

However, if you've got a wireless headset things get a little more patchy. From what Sony's said, there's a really good chance that your headset should work for the PS5 if it works on the PS4. Most likely you'll just need to unplug your dongle and stick it into the new console to move over.

This will depend on your make and model, though, and various manufacturers are now giving details of which headsets they know will still work, which might need firmware updates via a PC to continue working, or any that will no longer be able to connect. The last label should likely only apply to older headsets not made in the last couple of years. 

For example, here's Steelseries' guide to which of its Arctis headsets will work on PS5 immediately, and here's the same from Turtle Beach, and another explainer from Astro. It's worth seeking out your headset maker's website to see if it's made an equivalent post if you're still in doubt. 

Finally, if your headset uses the PS4's optical port, you'll also be in for a headache - the PS5 doesn't have one of these, so an adapter might be necessary if the situation can be rescued at all.

If you're about to pick up a new headset, meanwhile, it's definitely worth establishing whether it'll work on the new console first. You can check out some of the best headsets we've used for PlayStation in our headset buyer's guide, right here.