Guides
Adaptive controllers that work on a Mac
Most adaptive controllers work on a Mac, but macOS only treats them as game controllers: a game with controller support sees them, and the rest of the Mac ignores them. This page is the list I wish I had: which devices connect, how each one shows up, what I have and have not tested, and where to go next to make any of them a mouse, a keyboard, or a set of shortcuts with InputConfig, a free app I make.
The short answer, device by device
| Device | How it connects to a Mac | What InputConfig sees | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation Access Controller | USB-C or Bluetooth, no driver | A PlayStation controller: one stick, eight sockets, and anything in its four ports | Access Controller guide |
| Xbox Adaptive Controller | Bluetooth, no driver | An Xbox controller: each of its 19 ports is a button or stick direction | Adaptive Controller guide |
| 3.5 mm switches, buttons, pedals, sip-and-puff switches | Through one of the two controllers above, or a switch interface | A button | One to four switches |
| USB switch interfaces, such as AbleNet's Hitch 2 | USB | Keyboard keys, or a mouse in mouse mode | The switch interface section below |
| QuadStick | USB; its maker lists Mac as compatible | Depends on its mode: game controller, mouse, or keyboard. Not tested here | The QuadStick section below |
| Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kits | Into the ports of an Xbox Adaptive or Access Controller | Buttons of that controller | The guide for the controller they plug into |
| Hori Flex | Sold for Nintendo Switch and Windows PCs | Not tested on a Mac | The check below |
| Joysticks and one-handed pads that present as a gamepad | USB or Bluetooth | A gamepad, or a raw USB device with every axis and button | Controllers InputConfig reads |
"Not tested" means exactly that. I would rather say so than guess, and the check further down takes a minute with the device in your hand.
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.
PlayStation Access Controller
Sony's Access Controller pairs with a Mac like a DualSense: hold the PS button and the profile button until the light flashes, or plug in a USB-C cable. The catch is the profile stored on the controller. A profile made on a PS5 can leave sockets unassigned, and an unassigned socket sends nothing to anything, so press the profile button and try again before deciding something is broken. The PS button itself is kept by macOS and never reaches an app.
InputConfig ships a built-in Access Controller preset, and the full guide has a desktop layout that gives each socket a press, a hold and a double press, plus a one-stick driving layout for racing games. The short troubleshooting page covers the profile problem on its own.
Xbox Adaptive Controller
Apple lists the Xbox Adaptive Controller as a supported controller, and it pairs over Bluetooth like any Xbox Wireless Controller. There is no Xbox Accessories app on a Mac, so remapping its ports happens in InputConfig instead: press Scan on a row and press the switch. A joystick in one of its USB ports becomes a stick, and a switch in any port becomes the button that port is named after. The Adaptive Controller guide has a ready desktop layout.
Switches and switch interfaces
A 3.5 mm switch needs something to plug into. The two routes that work best with InputConfig are the controllers above: each switch becomes its own button, it types nothing by itself, and you can give it three jobs with press, hold and double press.
A USB switch interface is the other route. AbleNet's Hitch 2 takes up to five switches, AbleNet lists it as working with macOS, and it sends keystrokes you choose, or moves the mouse in its mouse mode. InputConfig reads those keystrokes as keyboard input, but it listens alongside macOS rather than intercepting: a key the interface sends still does its normal job, and the app cannot tell the interface from your keyboard. So set the interface to keys nothing else uses, F13 to F19 where it allows, and bind those. The switch guide has layouts for one, two and four switches that work alongside macOS Switch Control.
QuadStick on a Mac
The QuadStick is a mouth-operated joystick with sip-and-puff sensors and a lip sensor. Its maker lists Windows PCs and Mac computers as directly compatible, and describes it as acting as a game controller, a mouse and a keyboard. The QuadStick Manager Program, which adjusts its sensitivity, sip and puff thresholds and modes, is a Windows program, so those settings are easiest to change on a Windows machine or with the maker's help.
I have not tested a QuadStick with InputConfig, so here is what should happen and how to check it. In mouse or keyboard mode it drives the Mac directly, and InputConfig is not needed for that. In a game controller mode, a Mac game with controller support may see it; if not, InputConfig can turn its inputs into keys and mouse for games and apps that have no controller support. The Xbox 360 emulation mode is the one least likely to work, because macOS does not support the wired Xbox 360 protocol. Plug it in, open the Live Visualizer, and sip, puff and move the stick: whatever lights up can be bound.
Check any device in a minute
- Connect it. Open System Settings and look for Game Controllers in the sidebar. If the device is listed there, InputConfig reads it with no setup.
- If it is not listed, open InputConfig, Devices in the menu bar. It lists every Bluetooth and USB device the Mac can see; tick one the app has not picked up and it opens it directly.
- Open the Live Visualizer and press everything. A control that lights up can be bound; one that does not is not reaching the Mac.
- On any row, press Scan and press the control. That row now belongs to it.
If a device sends keyboard keys, it shows up as keys, not in the visualizer's controller view. That is fine; bind the keys, with the listen-only caveat above.
What InputConfig adds, and what it cannot do
I built InputConfig because my hands do not work well, and adaptive hardware is most of why it exists. On top of whatever a device sends, it gives each control a press, a hold and a double press, reads each action aloud with spoken feedback if you want, puts dictation, zoom and speak selection on a switch, drives racing games from a single stick with one-stick driving, and lets any switch be an emergency stop that releases everything. It is free, with no account and nothing locked.
It cannot make a device pretend to be a game controller for a game that only accepts one; it sends keyboard and mouse. It has no head or eye tracking, so for those, use macOS's own head pointer. It cannot change the profile stored on an Access Controller or a QuadStick's own settings. And it runs after you log in, so the one-time Accessibility permission needs a helper or Voice Control to grant. For a planned assessment with a client, the guide for occupational therapists walks through it.
Download
- Access Controller Desktop presetPointer on the stick; every socket with a press and a hold. 9 KB
- Adaptive Desktop presetFor the Xbox Adaptive Controller: joystick pointer, switches with press and hold. 10 KB
- Two Switch presetSix actions from two switches; re-scan onto yours. 3 KB
- Four Switch presetA pointer from four switches; holds move faster. 5 KB
Open a downloaded preset with InputConfig, or drag it onto the app icon. It lands in the sidebar, ready to activate or edit. Any launch target inside a preset file is cleared on import; add one yourself in the editor if you want it.
Questions
Do adaptive controllers work on a Mac?
The PlayStation Access Controller and the Xbox Adaptive Controller both pair with no driver. macOS treats them as game controllers only; InputConfig turns them into a mouse, keys and shortcuts in every app.
Does the QuadStick work on a Mac?
Its maker lists Mac computers as compatible, and in mouse or keyboard mode it drives the Mac directly. The QuadStick Manager Program is Windows only. I have not tested one with InputConfig.
Do I need Windows to set up an adaptive controller?
Not for the Access or Xbox Adaptive Controller: all remapping on a Mac happens in InputConfig. A QuadStick's own settings are changed in a Windows program, and Access Controller profiles are made on a PS5.
Can a switch interface that types keys work with InputConfig?
Yes, as keyboard input. The key still does its normal job too, so set the interface to keys nothing else uses, such as F13 to F19.
Does InputConfig cost anything?
No. It is free and open source on the Mac App Store, with no account and nothing locked. There is an optional tip jar that unlocks nothing.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.