Bonus: Connecting Xbox One S Controller
If you own an Xbox One S controller with Bluetooth, you can use it without any additional software or hardware. Just follow the steps:
We hope this was a helpful article for all you Mac gamers out there.
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Connect A Wireless Ps4 Controller With A Mac
1. Press and hold the PlayStation button and button to put the controller into pairing mode. 2. On your Mac, go to Bluetooth settings either from the Bluetooth drop-down in the Menu Bar or from System Preferences. 3. In the device list for Bluetooth settings, look for “wireless controller” to pop up. 4. Click the Connect button.
Pairing Your Steam Controller To Mac For Wireless Use
For those who want to use their Steam Controller with Mac wirelessly, youll need to put in a little extra work. Heres how to connect a controller to Mac with Steam.
After restarting your Mac , youll manually pair your Steam Controller to Mac. To do this, insert your wireless receiver into a port on your Mac that your Steam Controller can easily detect. In other words, you probably dont want to plug it into the back of your Mac if you can avoid it.
Next, turn your Steam Controller off and launch into Big Picture mode on Steam. Click the Settings icon in the top-right.
Next, click Controller, then Add Steam Controller. This will initiate an on-screen pairing process. Follow the instructions that appear, and in a few moments, your Steam Controller should be good to go!
And thats it! Yet another way to connect a controller to Mac.
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To Connect Xbox Controller To Macbook
Subsequent to introducing the drivers, you ought to intelligently see that no devices were looked at as we actually need to genuinely connect the game controller to the Macbook.
- Connect the controller to your Macbook. If you have a current MacBook or MacBook Pro model, you will need a USBC to USBA adapter.
- When a Locked message appears Tap the OK extension warning system.
- Go to the Preferences system via the toolbar or menu.
- Tap Security & Privacy.
- On the General tab, tap the lock in the lower-left corner.
- Enter password.
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Xbox Wireless
If your PC already has Xbox Wireless built in, carry on reading. If not, a trip to the shop is in order to pick up the Xbox Wireless Adaptor for Windows 10.
Using the Xbox Wireless Adaptor, plug the device into your PC and turn on your controller by pressing the Xbox button.
The button will begin to flash, so at this point, press and hold the Pair button on your Xbox Wireless Adaptor, which should prompt the red light to blink.
Press and hold the Pair button on your Xbox controller the light will flash faster as it searches for the adaptor.
You’ll know if you’ve succeeded when the light on your Xbox controller stops flashing and remains on.
If your Windows PC has built-in Xbox Wireless, turn on your controller and press the Pair button to start searching for your PC.
On your PC, access Settings > Devices > AddBluetooth or other device, and then select Everything Else.
You’ll be presented with a list, and you’ll want to select Xbox Wireless Controller or Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. Once you’re controller is synced, the Xbox button will stay lit up.
The same caveats apply to the number of controllers you can have connected, depending on the headsets being used.
Bluetooth
Microsoft stipulates that Bluetooth needs a PC running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
Your controller also needs to offer Bluetooth support. You can take a look at the image below to find out if yours does or not, with the bottom controller offering this feature.
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How To Connect Xbox Controller To Mac
Its common to use your console controllers with a Windows PC. Still, it doesnt mean the Apple alternatives offer no solution. Theres an official method to connect Xbox controller to macOS PCs.
The process requires no extra dongles or third-party software. Its the official solution Apple shares, and its just as easy as it is on Windows.
Using the Xbox controller on your macOS needs some extra steps though. On Windows, you can use it on Steam, Epic Games, or the Xbox app right away.
Apple computer users, though, need some extra steps to make it work on Steam. Alternatively, you could play on the companys native gaming service, Apple Arcade.
How To Connect An Xbox One Controller To Your Mac
Sometimes gaming with a mouse and keyboard just doesnt cut it you need the convenience of a controller to enjoy certain games. Luckily, you can use a variety of controllers on your Mac, including your Xbox One Controller.
While the PlayStation 4s DualShock 4 will play nicely with your Mac over Bluetooth, the Xbox One controller will take a bit more effort. Its nothing too tricky, though, and you can pull it off with a bit of patience.
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Use Xbox Controller On Macos Steam
The process may give you some extra trouble. In many cases, after supposedly installing the update, youll open Steam and see the Update pop-up again. If this happens, you can try a couple of times again.
After a third time, though, hit Cancel instead and follow the additional steps.
It may be that Steam already installed the drivers, but it failed to recognize them. However, you may be able to navigate the menu with your Xbox controller by this point.
Mapping A Controller On Mac With A Third
Of course, you wont always be using Steam for your Mac gaming. Maybe you want to download an app from the App Store or a website. In these cases, you might not have any options to use a controller with the game using the built-in options. When this happens, a third-party mapping app can save the day.
A few popular apps are Joystick Mapper and Enjoyable. Both will not only allow you to map your controller to keys on your keyboard for games, but they can also map your controller to work across your Mac. That means youll be able to replace your mouse and some keys on your keyboard with a controller.
There are tons of other apps on Github if you end up not liking either of the suggestions. Just make sure to do your research before downloading a mapping app to your Mac.
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Connecting A Playstation 4 Controller With Bluetooth
To connect a PS4 controller to Mac, all you need to do is place your PlayStation controller into pairing mode and then choose it from your Macs Bluetooth menu. Lets start by opening the Bluetooth menu.
Click the icon in the top-left of the Menu Bar on your Mac and click System Preferences from the dropdown menu. From there, click the Bluetooth icon.
Next, were going to set the PS4 controller into pairing mode. To do this, press and hold the PS button while also pressing and holding the button .
After a few seconds, the light on the front of your PS4 controller should start blinking rapidly. If you look on your Mac, you should see the PS4 appear in your Bluetooth settings.
Click Connect, and your PS4 controller should instantly connect to your Mac. You wont notice any immediate uses for the controller Apple hasnt added any way for this controller to interact with your apps natively. Instead, youll need to play a game on your Mac that supports this controller. Most Steam games should.
And thats it!
How To Connect A Controller To Mac
Justin Meredith June 16, 2021
Its common knowledge in the gaming world that Macs arent the best machines for gaming. I even wrote a whole post about optimizing your Mac for gaming recently. But that hasnt stopped people from trying . After all, buying a Mac doesnt leave you with a whole lot of cash to go and grab another PC for gaming. This is why Im going to show you how to connect a controller to Mac in this post.
Officially, an updated Mac supports the following controllers:
- Xbox wireless controller
- Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
- Xbox Adaptive Controller
- PlayStation DualShock 4 Wireless Controller
- Various MFi controllers
However, you can connect a few more than this using some less obvious methods. In this post, Ill cover all of the major gaming controllers, as well as the Steam Controller, and then Ill go into controller mapping at the end.
Lets get into it!
Contents
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Connecting A Playstation 3/4/5 Controller With A Cable
Next, were going to connect a PlayStation controller to Mac using a cable. As mentioned, Ive tested and confirmed that this works with PS3 and PS4 controllers, but not PS5. So Im purely speculating that this will work with your PS5 controller.
Another note: Youll probably run into a problem of ports when trying to do that. Thats because most MacBooks only support USB C now, and most of your gaming cables are going to still use a traditional USB insert. So youll need some kind of adapter or hub to bridge this gap unless youre using an iMac or Mac mini.
With that out of the way, lets move on to the tutorial.
First, plug the controller you want to use into your Mac. All three controllers use a different cable. Make sure you have the right one for your controller.
Once plugged in, click the icon in the top-left of your Mac screen and then click About This Mac. This will bring up the following popup:
On this popup, youll click the System Report button. This will bring up yet another popup.
In the left pane, youll see a section labeled USB. Click it. This will show you all of the USB devices currently connected to your Mac. If you see your PlayStation controller in this list, as shown in the image above with a PS3 controller, then that means your PlayStation controller is connected to Mac. You can use it with gaming apps on Steam, the Epic Games store, and more.
How To Connect Xbox One Controller To Mac Effectively
Written By Chloe Turner
Technical Writing Specialist who creates different types of articles, from reviews to how-to types of articles for Mac.
Knowing how to connect Xbox One controller to Mac will reduce gaming rig footprint and takes your experience a notch higher. The Xbox One Controller offers the cream of handheld controllers out there because of its usability and ergonomics. It has no coarse edges, is easily reachable, fits snugly in all hand sizes, and is designed intuitively.
There are several ways to connect Xbox One Controller to Mac, read the following to see how you can connect them.
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How To Connect A Ps 4 Or 5 Controller To A Mac
Note: If your PS controller also supports a wired connection, you can connect it to your Mac via its wire. However, if the controller uses a USB-A port, then youd need to use a USB-A to USB-C adapter in order to connect it to your Macs USB-C/Thunderbolt port.
How To Connect A Controller To Mac: Xbox One
Next, we move on to the Xbox One controller. This section is going to encompass the generic Xbox One controller, as well as the specialty Xbox Elite Wireless Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive controllers. These can be connected to your Mac using the same cable as the PS4 using the same method from the above section, Connecting a PlayStation 3/4/5 controller with a cable.
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How To Download And Install The Drivers
We’re assuming that you already own a wired Xbox controller, but if you’re needing to buy, a standard controller is about $50 . You’ll need to connect it to your Mac using a microUSB cable which, sadly, isn’t included. If you buy a third-party wired controller you won’t have to worry about this.
Next, follow these steps.
How To Connect A Controller To Mac: Ps4/ps5/ps3
First, were going to cover my favorite controller, the PS4 controller . According to research, it appears that you can also connect a PS5 and PS3 controller to your Mac since these all use Bluetooth. I dont have a PS5 controller yet but I do have a PS3 and PS4 controller to confirm that these will work with your Mac in 2021.
Since these controllers are all so similar, they all connect in essentially the same way . Ill include methods for Bluetooth as well as wireless.
Lets start with how to connect a controller to Mac using Bluetooth.
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How To Connect An Xbox Controller To Mac
To connect an Xbox controller to a Mac, first, turn on the controller and put it into pairing mode. Then, on your Mac, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and click the Connect buttonnext to the Xbox controller icon to connect the controller to your Mac.
We all know that Macs are not designed for gaming, yet its still perfectly possible to play any game on a Mac so long as that game has a macOS version or theres a workaround method to play it on macOS. However, some people do not like the keyboard and mouse setup and prefer to use a console controller while gaming. In fact, if you are on a MacBook, it may actually be a better idea to play games on it using a controller to avoid wear and tear on the Mac keyboard.
If you are among the users whod rather use a controller while gaming on their Mac, know that its very easy to connect one to a Mac computer. Below, we will show you the exact steps you need to follow to connect an Xbox and a PS 4 or 5 controllers to your Mac.
How To Connect Xbox One Controller To Mac Os X
Press and hold the Xbox button until the Xbox light goes out, and turn your Xbox One controller on.When the Xbox button is active, press it until it begins to flash.To do this, click the apple icon on a Mac.Select System Preferences from the menu.You can use Bluetooth by clicking on it.Connect with your Xbox controller by clicking on it.
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How To Unpair Your Xbox One Controller From Mac
If you later want to unpair your Xbox controller from the Mac thats easy too.
Return to the Bluetooth system preferences on the Mac. Next, right-click on the controller name in the Bluetooth area of System Preferences. Click Unpair to complete the process.
You shouldnt need to unpair a controller in order to pair it with another device, but if youre having issues this may be a good troubleshooting step to try.
Installing The Drivers And Connecting The Xbox One Controller To Mac
Once your Mac is cleaned up, you can continue with installing the needed drivers. If you dont have Xbox wired controller, you can buy one to the nearest shop for around 40 to 50 $. Follow these steps to install the driver correctly:
Once you have the drivers installed, you can see that there are No Devices Found on your Mac.
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