Questions

How to use an Amazon Luna Controller on a Mac

Hold the Action and B buttons for about three seconds, until the white light blinks, then pick the controller in System Settings, Bluetooth. A USB-C data cable works as well. Amazon's own help pages list the Mac for both, and say the Luna Controller can be connected that way even when you are not playing on Luna. Its third connection, Cloud Direct, is for Luna's cloud games only.

I make InputConfig, a free Mac app that maps a controller to keys and the mouse for games with no controller support. I have not tested a Luna Controller myself, so this page stays with what Amazon publishes and what the app's code handles.

On this page: 8 sections
  1. Steps
  2. Pair it over Bluetooth
  3. Or plug in a USB-C cable
  4. Know what Cloud Direct is for
  5. Use it in games and apps on the Mac
  6. If the Mac does not see it
  7. The short version
  8. Questions

Steps

  1. Check that the controller has batteries, and turn it on.
  2. Hold the Action and B buttons for about three seconds, until the white light blinks.
  3. Open System Settings, Bluetooth, and click Connect next to the controller.
  4. Open System Settings, Game Controllers, and press a button to check it is live.
  5. For a game that ignores controllers, open InputConfig, press Scan on a row and press a button.

Pair it over Bluetooth

  • You: Turn the controller on, then hold Action and B together for about three seconds.
  • The controller: Blinks its white light, which Amazon says means it is discoverable.
  • Check: Click Connect next to it in System Settings, Bluetooth, then look for it under Game Controllers in the sidebar.

Amazon asks for a device that supports Bluetooth 5.0. Action and B together is the pairing gesture, and the blinking white light is the sign it worked.

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreInputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.

Or plug in a USB-C cable

Amazon lists USB-C for connecting directly to a PC or a Mac, with a cable that carries data. A cable that only charges will light the controller and connect nothing. Amazon mentions a driver for Windows PCs, and none for a Mac. Use a data cable, because a charge-only cable looks exactly like a dead controller.

Know what Cloud Direct is for

Cloud Direct connects the controller over Wi-Fi straight to Amazon's game servers, set up through the Luna Controller app. Amazon says it reduces latency when you play on Luna. It does nothing for games that run on the Mac itself.

  • Playing on Luna. Cloud Direct, set up in the Luna Controller app.
  • Playing anything else on the Mac. Bluetooth or USB-C. Amazon says the controller works over those even when you are not playing on Luna, and that it supports offline play on a Mac.

Cloud Direct talks to Amazon, and Bluetooth and USB-C talk to your Mac.

Use it in games and apps on the Mac

A controller macOS lists under Game Controllers works in Mac games with controller support, and in cloud services that read a controller in the browser, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce NOW. For games and apps that only take the keyboard and mouse, InputConfig turns the buttons and sticks into keys, mouse movement, clicks and scrolling.

  • You: Add a row to a preset, press Scan and press a button on the controller.
  • InputConfig: Binds the row to that button. The app carries a mapping for the Luna Controller, so it can read the pad even if macOS does not list it.
  • Check: If the controller is not in the sidebar, tick it under InputConfig, Devices in the menu bar.

Scan each button once and the controller works in any app that takes keys.

If the Mac does not see it

Climb this ladder, smallest step first:

  1. Check the batteries. Amazon's first step is to check that the controller has them.
  2. Enter pairing mode again. Hold Action and B until the white light blinks.
  3. Forget it and pair again. Remove it in System Settings, Bluetooth, then click Connect.
  4. Try the cable. A USB-C cable that carries data.

Controller connected but not working on a Mac goes further. A blinking white light means the controller is waiting for the Mac, not connected to it.

The short version

  • Bluetooth. Hold Action and B for three seconds, then Connect.
  • Cable. USB-C, with a data cable.
  • Cloud Direct. Only for playing on Luna.

For games on the Mac itself, treat the Luna Controller as a Bluetooth or USB-C gamepad.

Questions

Does the Amazon Luna Controller work on a Mac?

Amazon lists the Mac for its Bluetooth and USB-C connections, and says the controller can be used that way even when you are not playing on Luna. I have not tested one myself.

How do I pair a Luna Controller with a Mac?

Turn it on, hold the Action and B buttons for about three seconds until the white light blinks, then click Connect next to it in System Settings, Bluetooth.

Do I need the Luna Controller app on a Mac?

Not for Bluetooth or USB-C. The app sets up Cloud Direct, the Wi-Fi connection to Amazon's servers for playing on Luna.

Does the Luna Controller need a driver on a Mac?

Amazon's help pages mention a driver for Windows PCs only, and none for a Mac.

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreFree. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.