Questions
Apple Arcade on a Mac with a controller
Apple Arcade works on a Mac: open the App Store or the Games app and go to the Arcade tab. Many Arcade games take a game controller, and the ones that do see the same pads macOS supports, with nothing to set up beyond pairing. This page covers which controllers those are, how to tell whether a game supports one, and what to do about the games that do not. I make InputConfig, a free controller mapper, and I will say where you do not need it.
Which controllers work
The ones macOS supports as game controllers:
- PlayStation: DualSense, DualSense Edge and DualShock 4.
- Xbox Wireless controllers with Bluetooth, including Series X|S, Elite Series 2 and the Adaptive Controller.
- The Switch Pro Controller and Joy-Cons, on macOS 13 or later.
- 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, which is the question people ask most.
How to tell if a game supports one
Apple's rule: a controller icon on the game's App Store page means the game has controller support. Plenty of Arcade games are made for touch or the mouse and do not read a controller at all. Not every Arcade game has a Mac version either; the App Store page lists the devices each one runs on.
When a game ignores the controller
First check the basics: the pad appears in System Settings, Game Controllers (in the sidebar), and its buttons light up there when pressed. If they do and the game still ignores it, the game has no controller support, and no setting will add it. That is where a mapper helps. InputConfig turns controller buttons into the keys, mouse movement and clicks the game already accepts:
- 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.
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.
A controller macOS does not see
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. InputConfig reads them anyway and sends keys and clicks, which helps in games that take the keyboard or the mouse. For a game that only reads 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
If the game supports a controller and the pad pairs, there is nothing to add. If 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, so in a game with its own support, stop it from the menu bar first, or every press arrives twice.
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.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.