Apple Arcade on a Mac with a controller
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Apple Arcade works on a Mac with a controller. Open the App Store or the Games app, go to the Arcade tab, and any game with controller support sees the same pads macOS supports, with nothing to set up beyond pairing. For the games that do not read a controller, a mapper can send them keys and clicks instead. I make InputConfig, a free controller mapper, and I will say where you do not need it.
On this page
Steps
- Pair the controller in System Settings, Bluetooth.
- Open System Settings, Game Controllers and press a few buttons to see them light up.
- Open the game's App Store page and look for the controller icon.
- Start the game and play with the controller.
Pair a controller macOS supports
Arcade games see the controllers macOS supports as game controllers:
- PlayStation. DualSense, DualSense Edge and DualShock 4.
- Xbox. Xbox Wireless controllers with Bluetooth, including Series X|S, Elite Series 2 and the Adaptive Controller.
- Nintendo. The Switch Pro Controller and Joy-Cons, on macOS 13 or later.
- Others. MFi controllers, and 8BitDo pads in their Apple mode.
Pair them in System Settings, Bluetooth. How to connect a controller to a Mac has the button to hold for each one. So yes, a PS5 or PS4 controller works in any Arcade game with controller support on a Mac.
Check that the game supports one
Apple's rule is simple: a controller icon on the game's App Store page means the game has controller support.
- Touch and mouse games. Plenty of Arcade games are made for touch or the mouse and do not read a controller at all.
- Mac versions. Not every Arcade game has one. The App Store page lists the devices each game runs on.
If the game ignores the controller
Climb this ladder, smallest step first:
- Check Game Controllers. The pad should appear in System Settings, Game Controllers (in the sidebar), and its buttons should light up there when pressed. If they do not, see if macOS does not see the controller.
- Accept the game's limit. If the buttons light up and the game still ignores the pad, the game has no controller support, and no setting will add it.
- Map the pad to what the game accepts. InputConfig turns controller buttons into the keys, mouse movement and clicks the game already takes.
What that looks like depends on the game:
- Games that take the keyboard. Map the stick to the arrow keys or W, A, S and D, and the buttons to the game's keys. Your first preset in five minutes walks through it.
- iPad versions made for touch. A button can click a fixed spot on the screen, and on a Mac a click is a tap, so the pad presses the game's on-screen buttons. The steps are on iPhone and iPad games on a Mac.
- Pointer games. A stick moves the pointer and a trigger clicks.
If macOS does not see the controller
If the pad never appears in Game Controllers settings, games cannot see it either. 8BitDo pads in X or D mode, plain USB joysticks, arcade sticks and the Steam Controller are in this group.
- Games that take keys or the mouse. InputConfig reads these pads anyway and sends keys and clicks.
- Games that only read a controller. Switch an 8BitDo pad to its Apple mode (see 8BitDo modes) or use a pad from the list above.
When you do not need InputConfig
- The game supports a controller. If the pad pairs, there is nothing to add.
- You only want buttons swapped. System Settings, Game Controllers can remap them on macOS 13 or later.
InputConfig reads the controller even while a game is in front. In a game with its own controller support, stop InputConfig from the menu bar first, or every press arrives twice.
The short version
- Pair it. Any PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo or MFi pad macOS supports works in Arcade games that read a controller.
- Look for the icon. The controller icon on the App Store page tells you whether a game reads one.
- Map the rest. For a game that ignores the pad, send it keys and clicks with a mapper.
If the buttons light up in Game Controllers, the Mac is doing its part.
Questions
Does Apple Arcade work on a Mac?
Yes. Open the App Store or the Games app and go to the Arcade tab. One subscription covers your Apple devices, and Family Sharing extends it to up to five family members.
Can you use a PS5 controller with Apple Arcade on a Mac?
Yes, in any Arcade game with controller support. Pair the DualSense in System Settings, Bluetooth, after holding the PS and Create buttons until the light bar flashes.
Does a PS4 controller work with Apple Arcade?
Yes. Hold PS and Share until the light bar flashes, pair it in System Settings, Bluetooth, and it works in every Arcade game with controller support.
Why does my controller not work in an Apple Arcade game?
Either the game has no controller support, or macOS does not see the pad as a game controller. Check System Settings, Game Controllers: if the pad is listed and responds there, the game is the limit, and a mapper can send it keys or clicks instead.
Do I need a controller for Apple Arcade on a Mac?
Apple's Arcade page names Apple TV as the place where some games require one. On a Mac, check the game's App Store page for the controller icon.
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