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Connecting a controller

Most controllers connect to a Mac in one of two ways, and InputConfig notices either within a few seconds. Pick the method that matches your hardware, and if nothing shows up, the fixes at the end cover almost every case I have seen.

USB-C cable

Plug the controller in. The DualSense, DualSense Edge, DualShock 4, and Xbox controllers all work this way with no setup. The controller appears at the top of the sidebar with its name, battery level, and a chip you can click for the light bar and other options. If it does not, click Refresh Controllers in that chip's popover.

Bluetooth

Put the controller into pairing mode. On a DualSense or DualShock 4, hold the PS button and the Create (or Share) button together until the light bar flashes. On an Xbox controller, hold the pairing button on the top edge until the Xbox button blinks fast. On a Switch Pro Controller, hold the small Sync button next to the USB-C port until the player LEDs run back and forth.
On the Mac, open System Settings, Bluetooth.
Wait for the controller to appear under Nearby Devices and click Connect.
InputConfig detects it within a few seconds.

If the controller does not appear

A controller can only be paired with one device at a time. If it is still paired to a PlayStation, an Xbox, a Switch, or a phone, unpair it there first, then pair it with the Mac. On a Switch: System Settings, Controllers and Sensors, Disconnect Controllers. After pairing, if the Mac shows it as connected but InputConfig does not, click Refresh Controllers. Bluetooth sessions that have been alive for days can go quiet; powering the controller off and on fixes that.

Controllers that need a mode switch

8BitDo controllers have a switch on the back; A is Apple mode and gives the fullest support, though InputConfig also reads the X and D positions directly. The Stadia controller must be unlocked once with Google's Bluetooth update tool before it will pair with anything but Stadia. The Steam Controller works wired or with its dongle, and InputConfig turns off its built-in keyboard emulation while a preset runs. Each has its own page under Controllers.

More than one controller

Every connected controller gets its own slot, numbered from 0, and each preset holds bindings per slot. Two people can share one Mac from two controllers at once, or one person can put a DualSense and a MIDI keyboard on the same preset. The Live Visualizer shows one panel per slot.

Questions

Which controllers work?

DualSense and DualSense Edge, DualShock 4 and 3, Xbox One and Series, Switch Pro and Joy-Cons, Stadia, 8BitDo, the Steam Controller, Logitech F-series pads, fight sticks, wheels, and any MFi or HID gamepad. MIDI devices and your Mac's own keyboard, mouse, and trackpad work as inputs too.

Can I use a wired and a Bluetooth controller at the same time?

Yes. They get separate slots and can be bound separately in the same preset.

Does the DualSense work over Bluetooth with all its features?

Yes, including the light bar, haptics, the touchpad, the gyroscope, and on the Edge, the paddles and FN buttons.