Questions
What works with a PS5 DualSense on a Mac
Everything that makes a DualSense a controller works on a Mac: the sticks, buttons, triggers, D-pad and rumble, over Bluetooth or USB-C, with no driver, on macOS 11.3 or later. macOS also lets apps use the touchpad, the gyroscope and the light bar, and set the adaptive triggers. What you actually get depends on the game, because most Mac games only ask for the basics. Here is each feature, what the Mac does with it, and how to use it anyway.
Feature by feature
| Feature | On a Mac | With InputConfig |
|---|---|---|
| Sticks, buttons, triggers, D-pad | Work in every Mac game with controller support | Also work as keys, mouse, scroll, macros or MIDI in any app |
| Rumble | Works in games that use it | Vibration on any binding, with an intensity slider |
| Sony's finer haptic effects | Listed by Sony as unavailable on a Mac | Not available; InputConfig uses rumble |
| Touchpad | Apps can read it; few games do | A trackpad for the pointer, or tap zones that each run a binding |
| Gyroscope | Apps can read it; rare in Mac games | Gyro aim, or tilt to move the pointer |
| Light bar | Apps can set its colour | A colour per preset, a full RGB picker, brightness |
| Adaptive triggers | Games can set the resistance; few Mac games do | Read as analog triggers; resistance is not changed |
| Mute button | Ignored by most apps | A button you can bind |
| Battery | Varies by app | Shown for the connected controller at the top of the sidebar |
| Edge back paddles and FN buttons | Ignored by most games | Bindable like any button, over Bluetooth or USB |
Pairing is covered on how to connect a PS5 controller to a Mac.
Does it need a driver or an app?
No driver. macOS has supported the DualSense since Big Sur 11.3, and the DualSense Edge since Ventura 13.3 according to Sony. Games with controller support see it the moment it is paired. An app is only needed for what macOS does not do on its own: using the DualSense in a game or app with no controller support, as a mouse, or with the extra inputs most games ignore. There is no DS4Windows for Mac and no Sony controller app for the Mac. InputConfig is the free one I built for this: open source, no account, and nothing locked behind the tip jar.
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.
The touchpad, gyroscope and light bar
These three are where the DualSense is better on a Mac than it looks. The touchpad works as a trackpad, one finger for the pointer and two to scroll, or it can be split into zones that each fire a shortcut. The gyroscope aims in games that only take a mouse. The light bar can change colour with each preset, so you can tell at a glance which layout is running.
Rumble, and what Sony leaves out
Rumble works: games that use it shake the controller, and InputConfig can vibrate on any binding so you feel a press land without looking. Sony lists the DualSense's finer haptic feedback as unavailable on a Mac, so expect plain vibration rather than the textured effects of PS5 games. The adaptive triggers are the same story: macOS lets a game set their resistance, few Mac games do, and InputConfig does not change it.
The DualSense Edge
The Edge pairs the same way and games see it as a DualSense. Its two back paddles and two FN buttons are ignored by most Mac games. InputConfig reads them over Bluetooth and USB and binds them like any other button; the DualSense Edge page has the button numbers and the fix when they go quiet.
PS Remote Play
Sony's PS Remote Play app for Mac streams a PS5 to the Mac and takes the DualSense directly. Pair the controller with the Mac first, then start Remote Play. You do not need InputConfig for Remote Play; if you use it for other things, deactivate the running preset while you play so the controller is not also sending keys to the Mac.
When something is wrong
Will not pair: PS5 controller will not connect to a Mac. Pairs, then drops: keeps disconnecting. Connected, but a game ignores it: not working on a Mac. Feels slow: input lag on a Mac. Firmware updates need a PS5 or a Windows PC; there is no Mac updater.
Questions
Does the PS5 DualSense work on a Mac?
Yes, on macOS 11.3 or later, over Bluetooth or USB-C, with no driver. Every Mac game with controller support can use it, and a mapper covers the games that do not.
Do DualSense haptics work on a Mac?
Rumble works, in games that use it and in InputConfig's per-binding vibration. Sony lists the finer haptic feedback as unavailable on a Mac.
Do the adaptive triggers work on a Mac?
macOS lets a game set them, and has since Big Sur 11.3, but few Mac games do. InputConfig reads the triggers as analog inputs and does not change their resistance.
Is there a DualSense app for Mac?
Sony does not make a controller app for the Mac. InputConfig is a free, open-source Mac app that maps the DualSense to keys, mouse, macros and MIDI, and uses its touchpad, gyroscope, light bar and rumble.
Can I see the DualSense battery level on a Mac?
InputConfig shows the connected controller's battery level at the top of its sidebar.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.