Questions

Controller not recognized on a Mac

Three different things get described as the controller not being recognized. Which one you have decides the fix, so start by opening System Settings, Game Controllers and pressing a button.

Steps

  1. Open System Settings, Game Controllers and press a button.
  2. Not listed: re-pair over Bluetooth after forgetting the device.
  3. Listed but ignored by a game: enable it in the game or Steam, or use InputConfig.
  4. Not a game controller to macOS: connect it by hand in InputConfig, Devices.

A. Not in System Settings at all

The Mac has not paired it. Forget the controller in Bluetooth if it is listed, put it in pairing mode (PS and Create on PlayStation, the top-edge button on Xbox, Sync on Switch Pro, mode A then pair on 8BitDo), and pair again. A controller still paired to a console keeps jumping back to it; unpair it there first. Wired Xbox 360 pads are not supported by macOS at all, and PS3 controllers are unofficial at best. Per-controller steps: connect a controller to a Mac.

B. In System Settings, ignored by the game

The Mac side is done. The game was not written to read controllers, or reads them only through Steam. Enable it in the game or in Steam, or use InputConfig so the game receives the keyboard and mouse input it does understand. This covers every game and app on the Mac.

C. A device the Mac does not call a game controller

Some pads, fight sticks, wheels, adaptive devices and DIY boards report themselves as generic HID devices and never appear under Game Controllers. InputConfig lists them under InputConfig, Devices, where you can connect one by hand; its inputs are then read directly and remembered for next time. See connect it by hand and which controllers work on a Mac.

Questions

Why does my Mac not recognize my controller?

Either it is not paired (fix the Bluetooth pairing), it is paired but the game does not read controllers (use a mapper such as InputConfig), or it is a generic HID device macOS does not class as a game controller (connect it by hand in InputConfig's Devices menu).

How do I check if my Mac sees the controller?

System Settings, Game Controllers lists every paired controller and lights up buttons as you press them. On macOS 13 it is under General.

Does a wired Xbox 360 controller work on a Mac?

Not without a third-party driver; macOS does not speak its protocol. Any Bluetooth Xbox controller works natively.

Related

Download on the Mac App Store