GTA 6 controllers: which pads work on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

Grand Theft Auto VI on PS5 runs on a DualSense, the controller in the console box, or on the DualSense Edge, which Sony sells as the “Pro controller for PS5.” Sony’s support page, checked on October 30, 2026, leaves no room: “PS5 games can only be played with DualSense wireless controllers.” And GTA 6 is a PS5-only game; its product page says it “will only be playable on PlayStation 5 consoles.”

Xbox works the other way. Microsoft lets Series X|S consoles use last generation’s controllers, so an Xbox One pad is enough to play GTA 6 on November 19, 2026.

Controller	PS5	Xbox Series X|S	Source
DualSense, including the GTA VI editions	Yes	Not on Microsoft’s list	Sony, Microsoft
DualSense Edge	Yes	Not on Microsoft’s list	Sony, Microsoft
DualShock 4 (PS4)	No, except over Remote Play	Not on Microsoft’s list	Sony, Microsoft
Xbox Wireless Controller (Xbox One and Series)	No	Yes	Sony, Microsoft
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2	No	Yes	Sony, Microsoft
Xbox Adaptive Controller	No	Yes	Sony, Microsoft

Can you use a PS4 controller?

Not on the console itself. Sony’s support page says the DualShock 4 and officially licensed third-party gamepads “will work on PS5 consoles with supported PS4 games.” The PlayStation Blog answered the PS5 question directly on August 3, 2020: “Will DualShock 4 work with PS5 games? No, we believe that PS5 games should take advantage of the new capabilities and features we’re bringing to the platform, including the features of DualSense wireless controller.”

There is no PS4 version of GTA 6 (the game ships on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only), so a DualShock 4 plugged into a PS5 won’t run it. Sony also warns that some third-party or officially licensed controllers “may not work with PS5.”

The Remote Play exception

GTA 6’s PlayStation page lists Remote Play as supported. In that case the game runs on the PS5 and streams to another device, and that device takes the controller. Sony’s Remote Play requirements call for “a DUALSHOCK 4, DualSense, or DualSense Edge wireless controller”: wired on a Windows PC, over Bluetooth on a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, on iPhone and iPad with iOS 14 or later, and on Android 10 or later.

So the DualShock 4 does work there, with one caveat from Sony: its “Touch Pad, Motion Sensor, Light Bar and Vibration might not be available.” Device and bandwidth requirements are in our GTA 6 Remote Play guide.

On Xbox Series X|S

Microsoft’s support page, checked on October 30, 2026, marks the Xbox Wireless Controller (Xbox One and Windows), the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and the Xbox Adaptive Controller as “Yes” under “Compatible with XBOX Series X|S?” The Xbox One Play & Charge Kit works too, “via USB-C cable.” The Kinect sensor is a “No.”

For third-party pads, Microsoft names the Razer Turret for Xbox One and points everything else to the manufacturer and its “Designed for XBOX” program, since the list “does not cover all known third-party accessories.” The current Xbox Wireless Controller is listed as compatible with Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, Windows 10 and 11, Android and iOS.

Prices for each console’s controllers are tracked in our controller picks. The two GTA-themed DualSense controllers, at $84.99, launch the same day as the game, and their own page covers where to buy them.

The PlayStation page also lists “Vibration function and trigger effect supported” for the DualSense. Which guns or cars Rockstar makes the triggers push back on will only be known after November 19, 2026.