How to check a controller's battery on 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.
Connect the controller, then look in the Bluetooth menu in the menu bar or in Control Center: macOS shows a battery level there for some accessories, depending on the device and the macOS version. If your controller shows nothing there, an app that reads game controllers can show the level the controller passes to macOS. InputConfig, which is free, shows it beside the controller at the top of its sidebar.
Steps
- Connect the controller to the Mac.
- Look for its battery level in the Bluetooth menu or Control Center.
- If nothing shows, open InputConfig and find the controller at the top of the sidebar.
- Click the controller's chip to see the percentage and charging state.
See it in InputConfig
- You: Open InputConfig with the controller connected, and click the controller's chip at the top of the sidebar.
- InputConfig: Shows the controller's name and battery level, and in the chip the level as a percentage and the charging state, which reads Charging, Full or Discharging.
- Check: If the chip shows no battery at all, the controller is not reporting one. See if your controller shows no battery level.
With the window closed, click the InputConfig icon in the menu bar and open the Controller menu: every connected pad is listed with its percentage, which is handy with two controllers on one Mac or in the middle of a game. It needs no preset running and no setup.
Check a PS5 or PS4 controller
The DualSense, DualSense Edge and DualShock 4 show their level in InputConfig whenever macOS passes it on. Sony's own indicator helps while charging: with the DualSense switched off and plugged in, the light bar slowly pulses orange, and it goes dark when the controller is full.
If your controller shows no battery level
The same rule applies to Xbox, Switch Pro and every other pad: if the controller reports its charge to macOS, InputConfig shows it. If the chip shows no battery at all, macOS is not receiving a level from that controller, and no Mac app can show one.
- Generic USB pads and arcade sticks. Usually in this group.
- 8BitDo pads in plain USB modes. The modes the Mac reads as plain USB devices usually report no level.
- Anything wired with no battery. There is nothing to report.
If a low battery looks like something else
A controller running low tends to disconnect every few minutes, lag, or reconnect as a new device, and all three look like a Mac problem. Charge it and test again before changing anything else. If it still drops out when full, see PS5 controller keeps disconnecting from a Mac or controller input lag on a Mac, and test the controller button by button.
The short version
- macOS first. Look in the Bluetooth menu or Control Center, which show it for some accessories.
- InputConfig next. Look at the chip at the top of the sidebar, or the Controller menu in the menu bar.
- No level at all. The controller is not reporting one, and no app can show it.
A pad that keeps dropping out may simply need charging.
Questions
How do I check my PS5 controller's battery on a MacBook?
The same way as on any Mac. Look in the Bluetooth menu first. If the DualSense shows no level there, InputConfig shows it at the top of its sidebar and in its menu bar icon's Controller menu.
Can I see the controller battery while I play?
Yes. InputConfig's menu bar icon opens a small panel whose Controller menu lists each connected pad with its percentage, so you do not need to leave the game's window.
Why does my controller show no battery level?
The controller is not reporting one to macOS. Many generic and wired pads never do.
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