Questions

How to use a SteelSeries Nimbus on a Mac

Put the Nimbus in pairing mode and connect it in System Settings, Bluetooth. SteelSeries lists the Mac for the Nimbus+, beside the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, and says it works without any extra app, because it is certified under Apple's Made for iPhone program. Mac games with controller support see it straight away.

The pairing steps and the compatibility are from SteelSeries' support pages, read on October 7, 2026. I make InputConfig, a free Mac app that maps a controller to keys and mouse for the games that do not support one. I have not tested a Nimbus myself.

On this page: 8 sections
  1. Steps
  2. Pair it
  3. Know which Nimbus you have
  4. Use it in games that support controllers
  5. Map it for everything else
  6. If the Mac does not see it
  7. The short version
  8. Questions

Steps

  1. Turn the Nimbus on.
  2. Press the Bluetooth button on the top edge to start pairing. On a Nimbus Cloud, hold the Pairing Button for two seconds.
  3. Open System Settings, Bluetooth on the Mac and click Connect beside the Nimbus.
  4. Check that it appears under Game Controllers in System Settings.

Pair it

  • You: Turn the controller on and press the Bluetooth button on its top edge. Then open System Settings, Bluetooth.
  • macOS: Lists the Nimbus. Click Connect.
  • Check: It appears under Game Controllers in the System Settings sidebar.

Those are the steps SteelSeries publishes for the Nimbus Wireless, written for an iPhone and iPad, and the Mac side is the same Bluetooth list. If the controller does not show up, SteelSeries says to turn Bluetooth off and on again. A Nimbus is an Apple-certified controller, so a Mac needs nothing extra to read it. A Nimbus Cloud pairs a little differently, and the next section has it.

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreInputConfig 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.

Know which Nimbus you have

  • Nimbus Wireless. The original. Turn it on and press the Bluetooth button on the top.
  • Nimbus+. SteelSeries lists the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV and Mac. Wireless only, charged over a Lightning cable, with sticks that click as L3 and R3.
  • Nimbus Cloud. Lists the Mac too, along with Android, PCs and Chromebooks. Hold Home for one second to turn it on. A new controller goes straight into pairing, and holding the Pairing Button for two seconds pairs it with a different device. It charges over USB-C and has back paddles.
  • Stratus Duo. SteelSeries lists it for Windows, Chromebooks, Android and VR headsets, not the Mac. InputConfig's controller list has a Mac entry for it, and I have not tested one.

If SteelSeries lists the Mac for it, macOS reads it as a game controller with nothing installed.

Use it in games that support controllers

Once macOS lists the Nimbus under Game Controllers, games built with Apple's controller support use it with no setup, Apple Arcade games among them. Nothing needs to run in the background. For a game with controller support, pairing is all you have to do. Apple Arcade on a Mac with a controller has more.

Map it for everything else

Many Mac games, and almost every app, take only a keyboard and mouse. InputConfig reads any controller macOS lists, the Nimbus included, and turns its sticks, triggers and buttons into keys, mouse movement, clicks, scrolling and macros. It has ready layouts for more than 450 games and apps. A mapper is what lets one controller play the games that never heard of controllers. Your first preset takes about five minutes.

If the Mac does not see it

  1. Charge it. A flat battery looks like a pairing failure.
  2. Start pairing again. The controller has to be in pairing mode while the Mac looks for it. Turning the Mac's Bluetooth off and on is SteelSeries' own next step.
  3. Remove the old pairing. If it was paired with an iPhone or an Apple TV, turn Bluetooth off on that device, or forget the controller there.
  4. Recover it with SteelSeries GG. For a Nimbus+ that responds to nothing, SteelSeries says to plug it into a computer running its GG app with a Lightning cable.

A Nimbus that keeps joining the Apple TV in the next room needs to be forgotten there first. Controller not recognized on a Mac goes further.

The short version

  • Pair. Power on, press the Bluetooth button, connect in Bluetooth settings.
  • Games with controller support. Nothing else to do.
  • Other games and apps. Map it to keys and mouse.

It is one of the few third-party controllers a Mac supports by design.

Questions

Does the SteelSeries Nimbus+ work on a Mac?

Yes. SteelSeries lists the Mac for the Nimbus+ along with the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, and says it works without any extra app.

Does the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud work on a Mac?

Yes. SteelSeries lists the Mac for the Nimbus Cloud. Hold Home for one second to turn it on, hold the Pairing Button for two seconds if it was paired elsewhere, and connect it in System Settings, Bluetooth.

How do I pair a SteelSeries Nimbus with a Mac?

Turn it on, press the Bluetooth button on the top edge, and click Connect beside the Nimbus in System Settings, Bluetooth.

Do I need a driver or an app for the Nimbus on a Mac?

No. It is certified under Apple's Made for iPhone program, and macOS reads it as a game controller with nothing installed.

Why does a game on my Mac ignore the Nimbus?

The game has no controller support. A mapper such as InputConfig turns the controller's buttons and sticks into the keys and mouse the game does accept.

Does the SteelSeries Stratus Duo work on a Mac?

SteelSeries lists it for Windows, Chromebooks, Android and VR headsets, not the Mac. InputConfig's controller list has a Mac entry for it, and I have not tested one.

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreCompletely 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