PS5 controller will not connect to a Mac
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If the DualSense never appears in the Mac's Bluetooth list, it is almost always not in pairing mode. Turn it off, hold the Create button, press and hold the PS button, and let go when the light bar blinks quickly. A slow pulse means it is looking for its PS5 instead. Then click Connect next to it in System Settings, Bluetooth. If that does not do it, work down this page.
On this page
Steps
- Turn the DualSense off, hold Create, then hold PS until the light bar blinks quickly.
- Click Connect next to it in System Settings, Bluetooth.
- If it fails, forget the old pairing and turn off any nearby PS5.
- Try a USB-C cable that carries data.
- Reset the controller with the pinhole button and pair again.
Read the light bar
The light bar tells you what the controller is trying to do:
- Blinking quickly. Pairing mode, ready for the Mac.
- Pulsing slowly. Looking for the last console or computer it was paired with, which will not put it in the Mac's list.
- Solid. Connected somewhere, possibly to a PS5 in the next room.
- Dark just after pairing. Press PS once.
Only a quick blink puts it in the Mac's Bluetooth list.
Pair it again from scratch
- You: Open System Settings, Bluetooth, click the info button next to the controller and choose Forget This Device. Then put the controller in pairing mode.
- macOS: Lists it as a new device with a Connect button.
- Check: Click Connect, and it finishes connecting.
Old pairing data is a common reason a DualSense appears in the list but never finishes connecting.
Get the PS5 out of the way
A DualSense reconnects to the last device it was paired with. If the PS5 is in rest mode nearby, pressing PS can wake the console and connect to it instead of the Mac. Turn the PS5 fully off while you pair, or remove the controller on the PS5 under Settings, Accessories, General, Bluetooth Accessories.
Try a cable
Plug the controller into the Mac with a USB-C cable, straight into the Mac, not through a hub.
- It works wired. The controller is fine and the problem is Bluetooth.
- It does nothing wired either. Try another cable: many USB-C cables that come with chargers carry power only, so the controller charges without the Mac ever seeing it.
Check the macOS version
A standard DualSense needs macOS 11.3 or later. The DualSense Edge needs macOS 13.3 or later, according to Sony. Check under the Apple menu, About This Mac.
Reset the controller
The DualSense has a small reset button inside a pinhole on the back. Turn the controller off, press the button with an unfolded paper clip for about five seconds, then pair it with the Mac again. After a reset it also has to be paired with the PS5 again, with a USB cable.
Restart Bluetooth
Click Bluetooth in Control Center, switch it off, wait a few seconds and switch it on. If the list is still empty, restart the Mac. Keep the controller close to the Mac while it pairs, especially a Mac mini or Mac Studio tucked under a desk.
If it connects but a game ignores it
Then the pairing worked and the problem is the game. Open System Settings and click Game Controllers in the sidebar. If the DualSense is listed and the buttons light up, the Mac has it (if Game Controllers is not there, see why it can be missing).
- Steam, Minecraft, Roblox and games that never read controllers. The fixes are on PS5 controller not working on a Mac.
- A game with no controller support at all. InputConfig, a free app I made, turns the DualSense into the keyboard and mouse the game expects. If the Mac lists the controller and InputConfig does not, use Refresh Controllers, or tick it in InputConfig's Devices menu.
- It pairs and then keeps dropping. That is a different problem: PS5 controller keeps disconnecting from a Mac.
The short version
- Pairing mode. Hold Create, then PS, until the light bar blinks quickly.
- A fresh start. Forget the old pairing, and turn the PS5 fully off.
- A cable. One that carries data tells you whether Bluetooth is the problem.
Watch the light bar: a quick blink is the only state the Mac can pair with.
Questions
Why won't my PS5 controller connect to my Mac?
It is usually not in pairing mode. Hold Create and PS until the light bar blinks quickly, then click Connect in System Settings, Bluetooth. If it still will not appear, forget the old pairing, turn off a nearby PS5, and try a USB-C cable that carries data.
Why is my PS5 controller not showing up in Bluetooth on my Mac?
The Mac only lists it in pairing mode. A slow pulse on the light bar means it is looking for its last console instead. Hold Create and PS until it blinks quickly.
Can I connect a PS5 controller to a Mac with a cable?
Yes. Any USB-C cable that carries data works, plugged straight into the Mac. A charge-only cable powers the controller without the Mac seeing it.
Do I need a driver to connect a PS5 controller to a Mac?
No. macOS has supported the DualSense since Big Sur 11.3, and the DualSense Edge since Ventura 13.3.
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