How to pair a PS5 controller with multiple devices
A DualSense can hold four pairings at once, each in its own slot. To put a device in a slot, hold one of the four action buttons and the PS button for over five seconds, then pick the controller in that device's Bluetooth list. To switch later, hold the same action button and PS for about three seconds. So the Mac can live on triangle and the PS5 on circle, with no pairing in between.
The steps and the slot table are from Sony's support page for using the DualSense with a PC, Mac and mobile devices, read on October 7, 2026. I make InputConfig, a free Mac app that maps the controller to keys and mouse once it is connected.
On this page: 10 sections
Steps
- Disconnect any USB cable and make sure the controller's lights are off.
- Hold triangle and the PS button for over five seconds, until the light bar and player lights flash twice.
- On the Mac, open System Settings, Bluetooth and connect the controller. It is now in slot 1.
- Repeat with circle and PS for a second device. Switch later by holding that button and PS for about three seconds.
Learn the four slots
| Slot | Hold with the PS button | Player lights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triangle | One |
| 2 | Circle | Two |
| 3 | Cross | Three |
| 4 | Square | Four |
Each slot remembers one device: a Mac, a PC, a phone, a tablet. Four face buttons, four remembered devices.
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.
Put the Mac in a slot
- You: Unplug any USB cable and check the controller's lights are off. Hold triangle and the PS button for over five seconds. The light bar and the player lights flash twice. Then open System Settings, Bluetooth on the Mac.
- macOS: Lists the controller. Click Connect.
- Check: The light bar comes on and the player lights blink to show the slot: one light for slot 1.
Any of the four buttons works the same way, so choose the one you will remember. Choosing the slot yourself means you always know which button brings the Mac back. How to connect a PS5 controller to a Mac has the Mac side in full.
Or let the controller choose
The usual pairing mode, holding Create and PS for at least three seconds, now takes the next free slot. The player lights blink to show which slot it took. When all four are used, the slot you have not connected to for the longest is replaced. Create and PS still pairs, and the lights tell you which slot it landed in.
Switch between devices
- You: Turn on the device you want. Hold its slot's action button and the PS button for about three seconds, and let go when the light bar and player lights blink.
- The controller: Connects to that slot's device, whether the controller was on or off.
- Check: The player lights show the slot number.
- From the Mac. Sony says a Mac can also take the connection from its own Bluetooth list, except while the controller is connected to a PS5. Then use the buttons.
- PS alone. Pressing PS on a controller that is off reconnects to the device it used last.
PS alone goes back to the last device, and PS with a face button picks one.
Get it back to the PS5
Sony's way to rejoin a PS5 is a cable: plug the controller into the console with a USB cable and press PS, then unplug. A cable to the console always works, whatever the slots hold. How to disconnect a PS5 controller from a Mac covers turning it off and forgetting it.
If the button combinations do nothing
- Unplug the cable. Sony's steps start with the USB cable out and the lights off.
- Hold long enough. Over five seconds to assign a slot, about three to switch.
- Update the controller. If its software has not been updated for a while, do that before trying again.
- Reset it. The pinhole button on the back, held for at least five seconds, then pair again.
A controller that ignores the slot buttons is worth updating before anything else. How to update PS5 controller firmware has the ways to do it, and PS5 controller will not connect to a Mac has the rest.
Use it on the Mac once it is connected
Mac games with controller support see the DualSense straight away. For games and apps that only take a keyboard and mouse, InputConfig turns its buttons, sticks, touchpad and gyro into keys, clicks and pointer movement, and it has ready layouts for more than 450 games and apps. Switching slots changes which device hears the controller, and a mapper decides what the Mac does with it. Your first preset takes about five minutes.
The short version
- Assign. A face button and PS, over five seconds, then connect in Bluetooth.
- Switch. The same button and PS, about three seconds.
- PS5. A USB cable and the PS button.
Give the Mac a face button, and the controller comes back to it in three seconds.
Questions
Can a PS5 controller be paired with multiple devices?
Yes. Sony's support page says one DualSense can hold up to four pairings, each in a slot chosen with an action button and the PS button.
How do I switch a PS5 controller between a Mac and a PS5?
Give the Mac a slot, then hold that slot's action button and the PS button for about three seconds to return to it. To rejoin the PS5, Sony's steps are a USB cable to the console and the PS button.
How many devices can a DualSense remember?
Four. When all four slots are used and you pair automatically, the slot you have not connected to for the longest is replaced.
What do the player lights mean when pairing?
They show the slot: one light for slot 1, two for slot 2, three for slot 3 and four for slot 4.
Why does holding triangle and PS do nothing?
Unplug the USB cable, make sure the lights are off, and hold for over five seconds. If it still does nothing, update the controller's software.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
Updated