The best controller for a Mac
InputConfig is completely free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
For most people, the best controller for a Mac is a PS5 DualSense or an Xbox Series controller. Both pair with any Mac over Bluetooth with no driver, and every Mac game with controller support sees them. The rest of this page is about the differences that matter on a Mac, which are not the ones console reviews talk about. I make a free controller app for the Mac, not controllers, so nothing here is sponsored.
On this page
Pick from the short list
| Controller | Why pick it on a Mac | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 DualSense | Bluetooth or USB-C on any Mac with macOS 11.3 or later. It has a touchpad, motion sensors, a light bar and rumble, and InputConfig can use the touchpad as a trackpad and the motion sensors for aiming. | Button prompts in some Mac ports show Xbox letters. |
| DualSense Edge | Everything the DualSense has, plus back paddles and Fn buttons that InputConfig can map. | It costs far more than a DualSense. |
| Xbox Series X|S controller | The layout most PC games are designed around. Bluetooth on macOS 11.3 or later. | A cable only works on macOS 15 Sequoia or later. No touchpad or motion sensors. |
| Switch Pro Controller | Bluetooth on macOS 13 Ventura or later, a good feel if you already own one, and motion sensors InputConfig can use for aiming. | Nintendo's A and B, X and Y sit in swapped positions compared with Xbox. No rumble on a Mac. |
| 8BitDo | Small models that fit a laptop bag, and several modes. | It must be in the right mode. Which mode for a Mac. InputConfig reads the Pro 2's back buttons as back buttons. |
| USB SNES-style pad | The cheapest pad that feels right for SNES and NES games in an emulator. No driver, nothing to charge. | No sticks, and most Mac games do not see it. USB SNES pads on a Mac. |
If you cannot decide, the DualSense gives a mapper the most to work with: a touchpad, motion sensors, a light bar and rumble.
Pick for a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro
Use Bluetooth. A MacBook has few ports, all USB-C, and a pad on a cable ties you to the desk.
- Any of the controllers above. Each pairs with every MacBook, Apple silicon or Intel, as long as the macOS version in the table is met.
- For travel. A small 8BitDo pad set to the right mode is the easiest to carry.
How to pair each one is on how to connect a controller to a Mac.
Check a cheap controller before you buy
A lot of inexpensive pads are made for Windows. Read the box or listing for its modes:
- An iOS, Apple, MFi or Switch mode. It pairs like the controllers above and games see it.
- Only a D-input or PC mode, wired. It reaches the Mac as a plain USB device that emulators read and most games ignore, though a mapper can still use it everywhere.
- Only an Xbox mode, wired. It speaks the Xbox 360 protocol, which macOS does not support. This is the one to skip.
If you already own one, cheap USB controllers on a Mac shows how to tell which kind it is and what to do with it. InputConfig knows many cheap pads by name from the community SDL GameControllerDB, so their buttons land in the usual places.
Choose for your hands
The Xbox Adaptive Controller and the PlayStation Access Controller both work on a Mac, and both let you plug in switches and build the layout around your hands rather than the other way round. I built InputConfig because my own hands do not work well, and these two are where I would start. See the Xbox Adaptive Controller on a Mac and the PlayStation Access Controller on a Mac.
Expect the game, not the pad, to be the problem
Whichever you buy, the thing most likely to stop you is the game, not the pad. Many Mac games, browser games and apps have no controller support at all, and macOS cannot make a button press a key.
InputConfig does that. It is free and open source, turns any of these controllers into keyboard and mouse, and has ready layouts for more than 450 games and apps. See play any Mac game with a controller.
The short version
- Most people. I would get a DualSense or an Xbox Series controller and use it over Bluetooth.
- Back paddles. Get a DualSense Edge.
- Retro games. Get a USB SNES-style pad or a small 8BitDo.
- Different hands. Look at the Xbox Adaptive Controller or the PlayStation Access Controller.
Check the macOS version in the table before you buy, and the controller will be the easy part.
Questions
Is a PS5 or Xbox controller better on a Mac?
Both work well. The DualSense adds a touchpad and motion sensors, which a mapper can use as a trackpad and for aiming. The Xbox controller matches the button prompts in more PC games, but works over a cable only on macOS 15 Sequoia or later.
What is the best controller for a MacBook Air?
A DualSense or an Xbox Series controller over Bluetooth, or a small 8BitDo pad if you carry it around. All pair with a MacBook Air with no driver.
Do cheap Amazon controllers work on a Mac?
Many do. A pad with an iOS, MFi or Switch mode works as a real game controller. A wired pad in D-input or PC mode works in emulators and, through a mapper such as InputConfig, anywhere that takes a keyboard. A wired pad with only an Xbox 360 mode does not work. See cheap USB controllers on a Mac.
What is the best controller for retro games on a Mac?
For SNES and NES games in an emulator, a USB SNES-style pad or an 8BitDo SN30 Pro. The USB pad needs no pairing and OpenEmu and RetroArch read it directly. The 8BitDo also has sticks and works over Bluetooth in the right mode.
Related
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