How to connect Joy-Cons 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.
Slide the Joy-Con off the Switch, hold the small Sync button on its rail until the lights run back and forth, and click Connect next to Joy-Con (L) or Joy-Con (R) in System Settings, Bluetooth. Then do the same with the other one. Each Joy-Con is its own Bluetooth device, so the Mac sees two controllers. macOS 13 Ventura and later support them with no driver, on any Mac, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro included.
On this page
- Pair each Joy-Con
- Make one controller from two Joy-Cons
- Hold one Joy-Con sideways
- Use them in games and apps that ignore them
- Update presets you made on Joy-Cons before 1.6
- What does not come through
- Compare BetterJoy, Joy-Con Toolkit and JoyKeyMapper
- If you have Joy-Con 2
- Disconnect them
- The short version
- Questions
Pair each Joy-Con
- Detach the Joy-Cons from the Switch.
- On the Mac, open System Settings, Bluetooth.
- You: On the first Joy-Con, hold the Sync button, the small round button on the flat rail side between SL and SR, until the lights on the rail run back and forth.
- macOS: Lists Joy-Con (L) or Joy-Con (R) with a Connect button.
- Check: Click Connect, and the Joy-Con shows as Connected in the list. Repeat for the other Joy-Con.
If the Switch is on nearby, a Joy-Con may go straight back to it. Turn the console off while you pair, or on the Switch open System Settings, Controllers and Sensors, Disconnect Controllers.
Make one controller from two Joy-Cons
Two paired Joy-Cons are two controllers to the Mac. With both connected, macOS 13 and later may also show a combined Joy-Con Pair that behaves like one full-size gamepad, which is what games expecting one controller want.
If an app sees them separately and you want them to act as one pad, InputConfig gives each Joy-Con its own slot in the same preset, so the left one can carry movement and the right one the actions. Bindings made on the combined pair do not carry over to a single Joy-Con, so pick one arrangement per preset.
Hold one Joy-Con sideways
Turned sideways, a single Joy-Con is a small gamepad: a stick, four face buttons, and the SL and SR buttons on the rail. It is a good one-handed controller for reading, media and a pointer.
- You: In InputConfig, add a row, press Scan, and push the stick the way you want that row to go.
- InputConfig: A single Joy-Con numbers its buttons and stick like other controllers. Sideways the stick is a quarter turn off, and Scan records the direction you actually pushed.
- Check: Push the stick that way again and the row fires.
The one-handed Mac guide has a Joy-Con One Hand preset to download that makes it a complete mouse, and two people can use one Joy-Con each, since every Joy-Con has its own slot.
Use them in games and apps that ignore them
- Mac games with controller support. They see Joy-Cons through Apple's controller support, though many show Xbox letters on screen.
- Steam. Turn on the support for Nintendo controllers in Steam, Settings, Controller, then set Steam Input for the game from the controller icon on its page.
- Keyboard and mouse apps. InputConfig maps Joy-Con buttons to keys, clicks and the pointer. Full game layouts from the Smart Preset Maker want the buttons of both Joy-Cons. A single Joy-Con suits a pointer and short layouts.
- Emulators. They differ, so if yours does not list the Joy-Con, map it to the keys of the emulator's keyboard profile. The emulators guide shows how.
Update presets you made on Joy-Cons before 1.6
InputConfig reads Joy-Con face buttons by position, the same as the Switch Pro Controller, and numbers a single Joy-Con's controls like other controllers. Rows recorded on a Joy-Con in an earlier version can therefore fire from the button beside the one you pressed.
- You: Connect the Joy-Con after updating.
- InputConfig: Offers to update those rows for the presets you tick.
- Check: Press a face button and the row meant for it fires. If you skipped the offer, Check Older Presets Again in Settings, Advanced offers it again.
What does not come through
macOS passes the buttons and sticks through. It does not pass the IR camera or NFC. When macOS reports a Joy-Con's gyroscope and accelerometer, InputConfig's Motion rows read them, a single Joy-Con included. See gyro aim on a Mac.
Compare BetterJoy, Joy-Con Toolkit and JoyKeyMapper
- BetterJoy and Joy-Con Toolkit. Windows programs, with no Mac versions. A Mac does not need BetterJoy to pair Joy-Cons, because macOS 13 reads them itself.
- JoyKeyMapper. A small free Mac app, open source under MIT, that maps Nintendo controllers to keys. Its last release, 1.2.0, is from August 2020. If you only ever use Joy-Cons, it may be all you need.
- InputConfig. I built it for the wider case: Joy-Cons, every other controller, MIDI gear and the Mac's own keyboard and mouse in one app, on macOS 14 or later.
If you have Joy-Con 2
The Joy-Con 2 that come with the Switch 2 do not pair with macOS as game controllers, so the steps above do not work for them. Since 1.8, InputConfig reads them itself, each one on its own and held sideways: over USB in the Joy-Con 2 charging grip, or over Bluetooth once you turn on Connect Switch 2 Pro, GameCube and Joy-Con 2 controllers over Bluetooth in Settings, Devices and hold the sync button until the lights sweep. It is experimental, and the Bluetooth part is labeled not yet checked on a controller. The details, and what the community projects do, are on Joy-Con 2 on a Mac.
Disconnect them
- Keep the pairing. Click Joy-Con (L) or Joy-Con (R) in the Bluetooth list in Control Center, or click its entry at the top of InputConfig's sidebar and choose Disconnect.
- Hand it back. Sliding a Joy-Con back onto the Switch hands it back to the console.
The short version
- Pair each one. Hold Sync on the rail, then Connect in System Settings, Bluetooth, on macOS 13 or later.
- Two or one. Use both as a Joy-Con Pair, or one sideways as a small pad.
- Motion in InputConfig. The Mac gets the buttons and sticks, not the IR camera or NFC, and Motion rows read the gyro when macOS reports it.
Turn the Switch off before you pair, and the rest takes a minute.
Questions
Can you connect Joy-Cons to a Mac?
Yes, on macOS 13 Ventura or later. Pair each Joy-Con on its own from the Sync button on its rail, in System Settings, Bluetooth.
How do I use two Joy-Cons as one controller on a Mac?
Pair both. On macOS 13 and later the Mac may offer a combined Joy-Con Pair that acts as one gamepad. If an app still sees two, InputConfig can put both in one preset, one slot each, so they work together as one pad.
Why is my Joy-Con not connecting to my Mac?
It is usually still attached to, or paired with, the Switch. Detach it, turn the console off, choose Forget This Device next to the Joy-Con in the Mac's Bluetooth settings if it was paired before, then hold the Sync button until the lights run and click Connect.
Do Joy-Cons work in Steam on a Mac?
Turn on Steam's support for Nintendo controllers in Steam, Settings, Controller, and set Steam Input for the game. If a Steam game still ignores them, see controller works on a Mac but not in Steam.
Can I use a Joy-Con for Anki on a Mac?
Yes. Four face buttons and the two rail buttons cover rate, undo and replay, which puts the review loop in one hand. The Anki guide has the layout.
Do Joy-Con 2 work on a Mac?
Not through macOS, which cannot pair them as game controllers. Since 1.8, InputConfig reads each Joy-Con 2 on its own, over USB in the charging grip or over Bluetooth with a setting, as an experimental feature.
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