Android 12 gets PlayStation DualSense controller support courtesy of Sony

New DualShock 4 controller features unlocked as well

With Google's Pixel lineup already running Android 12 and Samsung commencing the rollout for the Galaxy S21 series, it's time for developers and apps to take advantage of the new APIs in the OS to deliver a better user experience. Sony is jumping on the bandwagon with an update for the PS Remote Play app for Android 12 users that adds new DualShock 4 features and enables pairing with the PS5's DualSense controller.

If you have the DualShock 4 controller and your smartphone is updated to Android 12, you'll be able to enjoy additional features like the motion sensor, rumble, battery indicator, and touchpad in Remote Play. While it is possible to pair the DualShock 4 controller with any Android 10 or newer device, these features will only be available on handsets running the latest version of the OS.

As for PlayStation 5's DualSense wireless controller, you can now pair it with your Android 12 phone for Remote Play or use it in compatible games. While Sony officially only cites support for the latest version of Android, you can pair the controller with an Android 11 device as well. However, advanced features like the touchpad, rumble support, independent control over the left and right actuators, and LEDs won't work on Android 11.

The PS Remote Play app lets you stream and play your favorite PS4 or PS5 games right on your Android smartphone or tablet. It works over both mobile data and Wi-Fi, though a 15Mbps connection is required for the best experience.

Sony has taken its own sweet time in bringing official DualSense controller support to Android. For comparison, iPhones and iPads gained support for it following the release of iOS 14.5 in May this year. The reason for the delay is that the kernel patches submitted by Sony engineers for DualSense support were only merged in Linux 5.12 towards the middle of this year. This was then ported over for Android 12, which explains the lack of official support for the controller in the OS so far.

The update is rolling out on the Play Store, but you can also grab the APK from APK Mirror.

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