Sony has published a new update to the PlayStation 5 that has broken compatibility with Cronus accessories.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Cronus has shared a message to its customers following the update:
“We’re aware of an issue with Zen and the PS5. As of Jan 24, the console is prompting everyone to update to Version: 24.01-08.60.00, and if you do, Zen will no longer connect to the PS5 without disconnecting.
However, this update is NOT mandatory! Simply skip it and everything should still work with the Zen 2.2.2 update as expected.
There is currently no timetable on a fix so please don’t be offended if you’re directed to check this notice when asking for any kind of ETA. It could be 24hrs, 24 days, 24 months, we won’t know until we’ve dug into it.
This notice will be updated as soon as we have more information. We appreciate your patience.”
The Cronus Zen, and the Cronus Max before it, are video game peripherals that allow you to use a mouse and keyboard on your console, mapped to controller controls. This means you can play a game like Call of Duty with a mouse and keyboard, without other players knowing it.
Using peripherals like this by Cronus, or their competitor XIM, is controversial but also debatable. Some gamers think that use of these devices should be banned, at least for online play, because they can give some players an unfair advantage over others.
On the other hand, some gamers advocate these devices as accessibility aids. While it’s true that all three consoles have accessibility controllers for this purpose (Sony and Microsoft make their own, while Nintendo has a third party accessibility controller from Hori), it can also be argued that having more options is better for players that need accessibility options.
To be clear, Sony did not mention they were blocking Cronus or other devices in the patch notes for the latest update. But Cronus’ statement implies they have pulled off something unprecedented.
Which is that Sony has found a way to detect Cronus’ Zen devices. That would be a literal game changer, since these devices are supposed to pretend to be first party controllers. In theory, that means it shouldn’t be possible to detect them.
Activision claimed that they found a way to detect such devices, and it was integrated to the RICOCHET anti-cheat system on Call of Duty games. Maybe Sony just found a way to do the same thing Activision does, on their own.
Microsoft themselves recently announced a ban on third party peripherals, although they added exceptions such as use of the accessibility controller. That they can identify when players use an accessibility controller suggests that they could have similar systems too.
So we may be counting down the years, or maybe even months, when the console companies no longer tolerate the use of Cronus and similar devices. But is this the right thing for the platform holders to do? Perhaps Cronus and XIM should work something out with Sony and Microsoft, to balance the needs of anti-cheats and accessibility.
