Questions

Does an Xbox 360 controller work on a Mac?

No, not on a current Mac. The wired Xbox 360 controller talks to a computer over Microsoft's own USB protocol rather than the standard one game controllers use, and macOS has no support for it, so the pad may light up on the cable and still send nothing. The wireless 360 pad has no Bluetooth at all.

InputConfig, the free mapper I make, cannot read the wired pad either, and from version 1.6 it says so instead of showing nothing: the pad is listed in its Devices menu, grayed out, with the reason. Any Xbox One or Series controller with Bluetooth is the easy replacement.

On this page: 7 sections
  1. Why the wired 360 pad does nothing
  2. Why the wireless 360 pad cannot pair
  3. Why I would skip 360Controller and other drivers
  4. Use a controller that works instead
  5. If a wired Xbox One or Series pad does nothing on macOS 14
  6. The short version
  7. Questions

Why the wired 360 pad does nothing

A Mac reads a USB controller when it presents itself as a standard HID device, or when Apple's controller support knows it by name. The wired 360 pad is neither: its USB interface is a vendor-specific one that Windows reads with Microsoft's driver. macOS sees a USB device and nothing it can use.

  • You: Plug the pad in and open InputConfig, Devices in the menu bar.
  • InputConfig: Lists the pad in the USB section, grayed out, with the reason.
  • Check: If the note below is there, nothing on your side is broken.

The note reads: Xbox 360 style pad: macOS cannot read it; if the pad has another mode (DInput, Switch) or Bluetooth, use that.

The same applies to the many third-party pads and arcade sticks that copy the 360's protocol in their Xbox or XInput mode.

Why the wireless 360 pad cannot pair

It uses its own 2.4 GHz radio, not Bluetooth, so it cannot pair with a Mac in System Settings. On Windows it needs Microsoft's wireless receiver, and macOS has no support for that receiver either. No Bluetooth means no pairing, on any Mac.

Why I would skip 360Controller and other drivers

The open-source 360Controller driver made these pads work on older Macs.

  • It is a kernel extension. On an Apple silicon Mac any third-party kernel extension means lowering the Mac's security in Recovery first.
  • It is not maintained. It has not been updated for years.

I would not lower the security of a Mac you rely on for a controller this old. A driver download that promises Xbox 360 support on a current Mac deserves suspicion.

Use a controller that works instead

Climb this ladder, smallest step first:

  1. Try another mode. Many third-party pads sold as Xbox 360 compatible also have a DirectInput, PC or Switch mode, often picked by holding a button while you plug in. In that mode the Mac reads them, and InputConfig 1.6 names their buttons from the community SDL GameControllerDB. Wired controllers on a Mac has the details.
  2. Switch an arcade stick to PC mode. The same idea: PC or DirectInput mode instead of Xbox mode. Arcade sticks on a Mac.
  3. Use an Xbox One or Series pad. An Xbox One controller with a headphone jack, an Xbox Series X|S controller or an Elite Series 2 pairs over Bluetooth on any Mac that runs macOS 11.3 or later. On macOS 15 Sequoia and later a cable works too. How to connect an Xbox controller.
  4. Use a PlayStation pad. A DualSense or DualShock 4 works over Bluetooth or a USB cable on any Mac InputConfig runs on.

Check the pad for a mode switch before you buy anything.

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

If a wired Xbox One or Series pad does nothing on macOS 14

A related case: on macOS 14 Sonoma, a wired Xbox One or Series controller does nothing either, because Apple added wired Xbox support only in macOS 15 Sequoia. InputConfig lists it in Devices with the note Xbox One or Series pad: update to macOS 15 to use it over USB, or use Bluetooth.

Unlike the 360 pad, this one has a way out: Bluetooth works on Sonoma.

The short version

  • Wired 360 pad. macOS cannot read its protocol, and InputConfig says so in its Devices menu.
  • Wireless 360 pad. No Bluetooth, so no pairing.
  • What to do. Look for a DirectInput, PC or Switch mode on a third-party pad, or move to an Xbox One, Series or PlayStation controller.

Skip the old kernel drivers; a pad with Bluetooth costs less than the risk.

Questions

Does an Xbox 360 controller work on a Mac?

Not on a current Mac. The wired pad uses a USB protocol macOS cannot read, and the wireless one has no Bluetooth. An Xbox One controller with a headphone jack, or any Series controller, pairs over Bluetooth instead.

Is there an Xbox 360 controller driver for Mac?

The old 360Controller driver is a kernel extension that is no longer maintained, and a current Mac only loads it if you lower the Mac's security. I do not recommend it.

Does an Xbox 360 controller work on an M1, M2 or M4 Mac?

No. Apple silicon Macs read the same controllers as other current Macs, and the 360 pad is not one of them.

Can InputConfig read a wired Xbox 360 controller?

No. InputConfig reads standard USB controllers directly, but the 360 pad's protocol is not one a Mac app can open. InputConfig 1.6 lists it in the Devices menu, grayed out, with the reason, so you know it is not a fault on your side.

Why does my Xbox 360 controller light up on my Mac but do nothing?

The USB port powers it, so the ring lights, but macOS cannot read its buttons. If it is a third-party pad, look for a DirectInput or PC mode.

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