How to connect a wired controller to 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.
Most controllers work on a Mac over a USB cable with no driver: plug in a data cable, allow the accessory if the Mac asks, and the pad appears in System Settings, Game Controllers. The exceptions are the reason this page exists:
- Xbox controllers. Wired only from macOS 15 Sequoia.
- The original Nintendo pads. Bluetooth controllers.
- The Switch 2 pads. macOS does not read them, so they need an app, on a cable or over Bluetooth.
- Generic USB gamepads, arcade sticks and joysticks. They connect fine but are invisible to most games.
On this page
Steps
- Plug the controller into the Mac with a data cable.
- Click Allow if the Mac asks to connect the accessory.
- Open System Settings, Game Controllers, and press a button.
- If it is only in System Information, USB, map it with InputConfig.
Check which controllers work over a cable
| Controller | Over USB | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 DualSense, DualSense Edge | Yes, USB-C | PS5 pairing and cable |
| PS4 DualShock 4 | Yes, micro-USB | Needs a micro-USB to USB-C cable on a MacBook |
| Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Elite Series 2 | macOS 15 Sequoia or later | The Mac asks whether to connect the Microsoft controller. On macOS 14, use Bluetooth |
| Switch Pro Controller, Joy-Cons | Pair over Bluetooth | Apple's steps for these are Bluetooth only. The cable charges them |
| Switch 2 Pro Controller, GameCube controller for Switch 2, Joy-Con 2 in the charging grip | USB-C, through InputConfig | Experimental. macOS does not read them, so InputConfig sends the start-up commands they wait for. Since 1.8 they also work over Bluetooth with a setting. Switch 2 Pro |
| GameCube controllers on Nintendo's USB adapter | Yes, through InputConfig | Experimental. All four ports, each its own controller. GameCube on a Mac |
| 8BitDo | Depends on model and mode | Which mode to use |
| Logitech F310, F510 | Yes, switch on D | Seen as a plain HID device, not a game controller |
| Generic USB gamepads, arcade sticks, joysticks, wheels | Yes, as HID devices | Most games ignore them, see below |
| Wired Xbox 360 controller | No | macOS does not support its protocol. Why |
Connect it step by step
- Plug the controller into the Mac with a cable that carries data. Charge-only cables are common and do nothing here.
- If the Mac asks whether to allow the accessory, click Allow. Mac laptops with Apple silicon ask for new accessories, and macOS 15 and later ask again for Xbox controllers.
- You: Open System Settings, click Game Controllers in the sidebar, and press a button.
- macOS: Lights the button if it treats the pad as a game controller.
- Check: If it lights up, you are done. If it is not listed, hold Option, open the Apple menu, choose System Information, and click USB. A controller listed there reaches the Mac but is not treated as a game controller. See if it is connected but not a game controller.
Game Controllers tells you whether games can see the pad, and System Information tells you whether the Mac can.
Pick the right cable, adapter or hub
- USB-C only. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and MacBook Neo have only USB-C ports. A controller with a USB-A cable needs a small USB-C adapter, or swap the cable for a USB-C one of the right kind at the controller end.
- Data, not charge-only. If the controller charges but the Mac never shows it, try another cable before anything else.
- Hubs and docks. They sometimes drop controllers, especially unpowered ones. Plug into the Mac directly while you test.
- A cable or Bluetooth. A cable needs no pairing, charges the pad and holds a steadier connection when the Mac is far away or the room is full of wireless devices. More in controller input lag on a Mac.
If it is connected but not a game controller
Generic USB gamepads, arcade sticks, flight sticks, wheels, a Logitech F310 on D, and 8BitDo pads in some modes all reach the Mac as plain HID devices. macOS reads them without a driver, but games that use Apple's controller support look only for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and MFi pads, so they see nothing. No driver download changes that. Emulators and flight sims often read HID devices themselves. Check their controls screen first.
For everything else, InputConfig reads the device directly and turns its buttons and axes into keys, mouse movement, clicks and scrolling. Many generic pads and arcade sticks get named buttons from the community SDL GameControllerDB, and wheels, flight sticks and pedals read every axis at full resolution.
- You: If the app does not pick a device up on its own, click Refresh Controllers in a controller's popover, or open InputConfig, Devices in the menu bar and click the device.
- InputConfig: Opens the device and remembers it next time.
- Check: Use Scan in the editor and press each control. Each one fills a row.
It is free, with no account. The details are in connecting a controller to InputConfig and the controllers InputConfig reads.
If the Devices menu says why not
InputConfig, Devices lists every USB device the Mac sees. Three notes there save guesswork:
- Xbox 360 style pad: macOS cannot read it. The pad speaks Microsoft's wired 360 protocol. Switch it to a DInput, PC or Switch mode if it has one. See Xbox 360 controllers on a Mac.
- Xbox One or Series pad: update to macOS 15. Wired Xbox support starts with Sequoia. On Sonoma use Bluetooth.
- (needs Input Monitoring). The controller also presents a keyboard, which macOS lets an app read only with that permission. See why a controller needs Input Monitoring.
A wired controller cannot be disconnected by an app: unplug it. For a pad InputConfig reads directly, Disconnect on its sidebar entry stops reading it until you plug it in again or click it in Devices.
The short version
- Use a data cable. Plug straight into the Mac and click Allow if asked.
- Test in Game Controllers. If the buttons light, games can see the pad.
- Map the rest. Pads only in System Information, USB work through InputConfig.
A cable that only charges is the first thing to rule out.
Questions
Do I need a driver for a USB controller on a Mac?
No. PlayStation and Xbox controllers are supported by macOS, and generic USB gamepads and joysticks are read as HID devices without one. If a game ignores a generic pad, a driver will not help. A mapper such as InputConfig will.
Can I connect an Xbox controller to a Mac with a USB cable?
Yes, on macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Plug it in and click Allow when the Mac asks to connect the Microsoft controller. On macOS 14 Sonoma and earlier, connect it over Bluetooth instead.
Does a Switch Pro Controller work wired on a Mac?
Apple documents Bluetooth pairing for the Switch Pro Controller and Joy-Cons, so pair them over Bluetooth and use the cable to charge. They need macOS 13 Ventura or later. The Switch 2 Pro Controller is the reverse: macOS does not read it, and InputConfig reads it on a USB-C cable or, since 1.8, over Bluetooth with a setting, as an experimental feature.
Why does my wired controller charge but not work on my Mac?
Most often the cable is charge-only. Try a data cable plugged straight into the Mac, and look for an allow-accessory prompt. If it is listed in System Information, USB but not in Game Controllers, it is a plain HID device that games do not read.
How do I connect a wired controller to a MacBook Air?
Plug it into a USB-C port, with an adapter if the plug is USB-A, and click Allow if the Mac asks about the accessory. Then check System Settings, Game Controllers.
Can I use a GameCube controller on a Mac with a cable?
Yes, through InputConfig, as an experimental feature: original pads through Nintendo's USB adapter, all four ports, and the GameCube controller for Switch 2 on a USB-C cable, or over Bluetooth with a setting since 1.8. macOS alone does not read either.
Related
This page in other languages: Español, Français, Bahasa Indonesia, 日本語, 한국어, Русский, ไทย, 繁體中文
Updated