How to connect an EasySMX controller to a Mac
Use Bluetooth mode. On an EasySMX X10, slide the switch on the back to BT, hold Home for three seconds, and pick Xbox Wireless Controller in System Settings, Bluetooth. That name is one macOS knows. EasySMX does not list the Mac as a platform, so nothing here is promised by EasySMX, and the steps differ between models.
The steps come from EasySMX's support page for the X10, read on October 7, 2026. I make InputConfig, a free Mac app that maps a controller to keys and mouse. I have not tested an EasySMX controller myself.
On this page: 9 sections
Steps
- Slide the mode switch on the back of the controller to BT.
- Hold the Home button for three seconds to turn the controller on.
- Open System Settings, Bluetooth on the Mac and click Connect beside Xbox Wireless Controller.
- Press a button in a gamepad tester to check that it arrives.
Pair it over Bluetooth
- You: Slide the switch on the back to BT and hold Home for three seconds. Then open System Settings, Bluetooth.
- macOS: Lists Xbox Wireless Controller. Click Connect.
- Check: Open the gamepad tester and press a button. It draws what the Mac receives.
Those are EasySMX's steps for the X10, and its page for the D05 gives the same name. To a Mac, an EasySMX pad in Bluetooth mode looks like an Xbox controller. How to connect an Xbox controller to a Mac covers what macOS does with one.
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.
Know the modes on the back switch
| Position | What EasySMX says | On a Mac |
|---|---|---|
| BT | Bluetooth. Appears as Xbox Wireless Controller | The mode to use |
| NS | For a Nintendo Switch. Appears as Pro Controller | A second choice. macOS 13 and later reads Switch Pro Controllers |
| Wireless receiver | The USB dongle | Depends on the input mode below |
| Wired | A data cable | Depends on the input mode below |
Each position makes the controller a different device, so pair again after you change it.
Switch between X-input and D-input
On the X10, holding B and S together for three seconds switches between X-input, with a blue light, and D-input, with a yellow light. EasySMX says this works in receiver, wired and Bluetooth modes.
- X-input, blue. The Windows mode. On a cable or the receiver, most third-party pads in this mode cannot be read on a Mac.
- D-input, yellow. A plain gamepad. This is the mode to try on a cable or the receiver, and InputConfig reads plain USB gamepads that macOS does not list as game controllers.
Yellow is the light to look for on a cable or the dongle.
Map it for games without controller support
Paired as an Xbox controller, an EasySMX pad works by itself in Mac games that support controllers. For everything else, InputConfig turns the sticks, triggers and buttons into keys, mouse movement, clicks, scrolling and macros, with ready layouts for more than 450 games and apps. Mapping is what makes the pad useful in games that only take a keyboard. Your first preset has the steps.
Leave the EasySMX app to the phone
EasySMX's page describes its app pairing with the controller over Bluetooth from a phone. I found no Mac version on the pages I read. Extra buttons that copy another button are set on the controller or in that app, and the Mac then receives the copied button. Set up the controller's own extras first, then map what arrives. Back buttons and paddles on a Mac shows how to tell what an extra button sends.
If the Mac does not see it
- Check the switch. BT for Bluetooth. The name in the Bluetooth list tells you which mode the pad is in.
- Pair again. Remove the old entry in System Settings, Bluetooth, then connect the new one.
- Try NS. It should appear as Pro Controller.
- On a cable or the dongle, switch to D-input. Hold B and S until the light is yellow.
- Open the Devices menu. In InputConfig, Devices, a pad the Mac can read is listed to tick, and one it cannot is grayed out with the reason.
The mode decides whether a Mac can read the pad, so change the mode before you blame the Mac.
The short version
- Bluetooth. BT on the back switch, hold Home, pair Xbox Wireless Controller.
- Second choice. NS, which appears as Pro Controller.
- Cable or dongle. D-input, the yellow light.
BT mode first, and a gamepad tester to confirm it.
Questions
Do EasySMX controllers work on a Mac?
EasySMX does not list the Mac. In Bluetooth mode an X10 or D05 appears as Xbox Wireless Controller, a name macOS knows, so that is the mode to use. I have not tested one myself.
How do I put an EasySMX controller in pairing mode?
On the X10, slide the back switch to BT and hold Home for three seconds. Then connect Xbox Wireless Controller in the Mac's Bluetooth settings.
What do the blue and yellow lights mean on an EasySMX controller?
On the X10, blue is X-input mode and yellow is D-input mode. Hold B and S together for three seconds to switch.
Does the EasySMX dongle work on a Mac?
It depends on the input mode. Try D-input, the yellow light, since most pads in X-input cannot be read on a Mac over a cable or a dongle.
Can I map an EasySMX controller to keyboard keys on a Mac?
Yes. InputConfig, a free Mac app, maps its buttons, sticks and triggers to keys, mouse movement, clicks and macros.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
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