Questions

PS Remote Play on a Mac with a controller

Sony's PS Remote Play app for Mac streams your PS5 or PS4 to the Mac, and it takes three controllers: the DualSense, the DualSense Edge and the DualShock 4. That list is Sony's, from its Remote Play manual for Mac, and there is no Xbox, Switch or third-party pad on it.

I make InputConfig, a free Mac app for controllers. The plain note for this page: you do not need it for Remote Play, and it cannot widen Sony's list.

On this page: 8 sections
  1. Steps
  2. Know what Sony requires
  3. Pick the connection for your controller
  4. Set it up
  5. Without a controller, or with an Xbox pad
  6. If the controller does nothing in Remote Play
  7. The short version
  8. Questions

Steps

  1. On the PS5, open Settings, System, Remote Play, and turn on Enable Remote Play.
  2. Connect a DualSense, DualSense Edge or DualShock 4 to the Mac, by USB cable or Bluetooth.
  3. Open PS Remote Play on the Mac and select Sign In.
  4. Sign in with the same account you use on the console.
  5. Select PS5, and wait for the console's screen to appear.

Know what Sony requires

From Sony's manual for the Mac app, as I read it on October 6, 2026:

  • The Mac. macOS Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia or Tahoe, with 40 MB of storage and 2 GB of memory or more.
  • The console. A PS5 or PS4 on the latest system software.
  • The account. The same account for PlayStation on the Mac and on the console.
  • The connection. At least 5 Mbps up and down, and 15 Mbps for best performance.
  • The controller. A DualSense, with the DualSense Edge and the DualShock 4 also listed.

A controller is on Sony's list of requirements, not on its list of options.

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreInputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.

Pick the connection for your controller

  • DualSense. Bluetooth or a USB cable. Sony says haptic feedback is available when a DualSense or DualSense Edge is connected by USB cable.
  • DualSense Edge. USB, or Bluetooth on a Mac running macOS Ventura 13.3 or later.
  • DualShock 4. Bluetooth or a USB cable.

Pairing steps are on how to connect a PS5 controller to a Mac and how to connect a PS4 controller to a Mac. Use the cable if you want haptic feedback.

Set it up

  • You: On the PS5, open Settings, System, Remote Play, and turn on Enable Remote Play. On the Mac, connect the controller, open PS Remote Play, select Sign In, and sign in with the console's account. Then select PS5.
  • The app: Searches for the console signed in to that account and connects to it.
  • Check: The console's screen appears on the Mac, and the controller moves through its menus.

To start a console that is in rest mode, Sony has you turn on Stay Connected to the Internet and Enable Turning On PS5 from Network, under Settings, System, Power Saving, Features Available in Rest Mode. Connect once near the console before you try from somewhere else, as Sony's manual advises.

Without a controller, or with an Xbox pad

  • No controller. Moving the mouse over the Remote Play window shows a control panel with the Create, PS and Options buttons, the volume and the microphone. Those are not the buttons a game needs.
  • An Xbox or Switch controller. Neither is on Sony's list.
  • A mapper. InputConfig sends keyboard and mouse input to the Mac. It does not present a PlayStation controller to another app, so it cannot stand in for one here.

For Remote Play on a Mac the answer is a PlayStation controller.

If the controller does nothing in Remote Play

Climb this ladder, smallest step first:

  1. Connect first, then open the app. Pair the controller with the Mac, or plug it in, before you start Remote Play.
  2. Check that the Mac sees it. Open Game Controllers in the System Settings sidebar and press a few buttons. Each one lights on screen.
  3. Use the cable. Sony's own steps connect the controller by USB.
  4. Stop other things reading it. If InputConfig is running a preset, deactivate it while you play, so the controller is not also sending keys to the Mac.
  5. Fix the pairing. PS5 controller will not connect to a Mac goes through it.

A controller the Mac itself cannot see will not reach Remote Play either.

The short version

  • Works. DualSense, DualSense Edge, DualShock 4.
  • Does not. Xbox and Switch pads, or no controller at all.
  • Setup. Enable Remote Play on the console, sign in on the Mac with the same account, select PS5.

Remote Play is Sony's app with Sony's controller list, and nothing on the Mac changes that list.

Questions

Can I use an Xbox controller with PS Remote Play on a Mac?

Sony's manual for the Mac app lists the DualSense, the DualSense Edge and the DualShock 4, and no Xbox controller. A mapper cannot change that, because it sends keys and mouse movement, not a PlayStation controller.

Can I use PS Remote Play on a Mac without a controller?

Sony lists a controller among the things you need. The on-screen control panel has only the Create, PS and Options buttons, plus volume and microphone, which is not enough to play a game.

Which macOS versions does PS Remote Play support?

Sony's manual lists macOS Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe, as read on October 6, 2026.

Does haptic feedback work in PS Remote Play on a Mac?

Sony says you can experience haptic feedback when a DualSense or DualSense Edge is connected to the Mac with a USB cable.

Do I need InputConfig for PS Remote Play?

No. Remote Play takes the controller directly. If InputConfig is running a preset, deactivate it while you play so the controller is not also sending keys to the Mac.

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreFree. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.