Questions
How to connect a PS5 controller to a Mac
Hold the PS button and the Create button (the small one left of the touchpad) together until the light bar flashes, then pick Wireless Controller in System Settings, Bluetooth. Or plug in a USB-C cable. That is it; macOS has supported the DualSense since Big Sur.
Steps
- Hold PS and Create until the light bar flashes.
- Open System Settings, Bluetooth, and click Connect next to Wireless Controller.
- Press PS once if the light bar goes dark after pairing.
What works on a Mac
Sticks, buttons, triggers, and the D-pad work everywhere macOS supports controllers. The extras depend on the app. The light bar, the touchpad, the gyroscope, and rumble are all readable by macOS, but a game has to ask for them, and few Mac games do. InputConfig uses all of them: the touchpad as a trackpad, the gyroscope for aiming or as a motion cursor, a per-preset light bar colour, rumble as feedback on any button. The adaptive triggers are the one thing no Mac app drives.
The DualSense Edge
The Edge pairs the same way. Its back paddles and Fn buttons are readable on a Mac, over Bluetooth and USB, and InputConfig binds them like any other button. The DualSense Edge page covers the details.
If it will not pair, or keeps dropping
Unpair it from the PS5 first, or it will keep going back. Forget it in the Mac's Bluetooth settings and pair fresh. Charge it; the DualSense gets flaky under 20 percent. And on a Mac mini or Studio sitting far away, a cable beats Bluetooth. The disconnecting page goes through every cause.
Using it in games that do not support it
Plenty of Mac games and every non-game ignore the DualSense. For those, InputConfig turns its buttons and sticks into keys and mouse movement, with a ready-made FPS layout for the DualSense as a starting point.
Questions
Does the PS5 controller work with a Mac wirelessly?
Yes, over Bluetooth on macOS 11.3 and later. Hold PS and Create to pair.
Do the adaptive triggers work on a Mac?
No. macOS does not expose them. Haptics, the light bar, touchpad, and gyroscope do work in apps that use them.
Can I update the DualSense firmware from a Mac?
Not from a Mac. Sony's firmware updater runs on a PS5 or a Windows PC.
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