Apr 30, 2013 We’ve previously covered a number of ways in which you can play games on your Mac but if, like me, you prefer to use a controller than the keyboard and mouse, help is at hand. In this tutorial we show you how you can set up and use a game controller with your Mac. Dec 28, 2014 Connect a Playstation 3 Controller to a Mac in MacOS Sierra, OS X El Capitan, Yosemite, & Mavericks. The process of connecting and using a PS3 controller with a Mac is the same with basically every version of OS X beyond Lion, including MacOS Mojave, High Sierra, MacOS Sierra 10.12, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, 10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.9 Mavericks, 10.
When it comes to playing video games on your Mac, you may want another option to the keyboard and trackpad. Perhaps you not a fan of keyboard and mouse controls or you like the comfort of using a PS4 controller.
Also see our article How To Use a PS4 Controller on Your PC
As you may or may not be aware connecting your PS4 controller on your Mac can get done with minimal effort on your part. Plus, you can get your PS4 controller connected to your Mac in a few different ways.
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Connect a PS4 Controller via Bluetooth
Grab your PS4 Controller and we’ll get started connecting it to your Mac. You can go to the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar on your Mac’s screen and click it to turn Bluetooth on from your Mac.
- Then, you’ll either click on open Bluetooth preferences or go to system preferences and click on Bluetooth.
- Now you’re able to see the Bluetooth connections you already have between your Mac and other devices if you have any. This is where you’ll also have the option to pair your PS4 controller once it’s in pairing mode.
To get your PS4 controller to pair with your Mac, you’ll need to press the PS4 button and the share button on the PS4 controller at the same time. That should then, give you the ability to pair the PS4 controller and your Mac. You’ll know that your controller is in pairing mode because the light on the front of it will flash rapidly.
- Next, go back to the Bluetooth menu you’ve opened on the screen and it should list your PS4 controller as a device. It’ll only appear as a wireless controller in the list.
- Just click on pair next to wireless controller once it shows in the list. When it’s successfully paired, it’ll say wireless controller connected and the light will be solid on your PS4 controller.
That’s all not too complex but some effort is required. Now sit back relax and play your game. Start enjoying using your PS4 controller while gaming on your Mac.
Need more than one way to get the job done? Fear not we’ve got another trick up our sleeve.
Connect a PS4 Controller via USB
You can simply use you mini USB cable that came with your PS4 controller to connect it to your Mac computer.
- Plug the PS4 controller cable into a USB port on your Mac.
- Then, turn on your controller by holding down the PS4 button located between the two controller sticks.
- Next, go to the Apple logo on the upper left-hand side of your Mac’s screen and click on it. Go to about this Mac and select it.
- Click on the system report button and go down to USB in the list to the left. You’ll now see your wireless controller listed as connected to your Mac via USB.
You are now able to play your Mac and Steam video games with your PS4 controller. This is the easiest way to connect your PS4 controller to your Mac directly.
Wrapping Up
So, no reason to go out and buy different controllers for playing video games on your Mac. You can use your already available PS4 controller.
You can either connect right away by plugging the micro USB cable directly into your Mac or go through a few extra steps to play wirelessly via Bluetooth.
Ps2 Controller Usb Mac
Get the connection between your PS4 controller and Mac setup. It takes minor effort. If you’d rather not have the cabled connection between your PS4 controller and Mac while playing video games, you’re able to use the Bluetooth option.
While the Mac platform has not been noted for catering to hard-core gamers, there are still many popular gaming titles and gaming accessories available for the Mac OS. If you own a Mac and have a few games you would like to try, then you might also be interested in getting a gaming controller or two up and running with your system. While the Mac's keyboard and mouse ought to be enough for most purposes, having a dedicated gaming controller can give you the feel of playing with a gaming console.
Of the game controllers available for home computers, only a few are officially supported on the Mac, but you can often get others, like those for the PS3, Wii, or Xbox, working just fine. To use any of these controllers with your system, you will first need to connect it to your system physically, and then install a driver package to make use of the controller's inputs.
For factory-supported devices like the Logitech F310 Gamepad and the Belkin Nostromo SpeedPad, drivers are available from their manufacturers; however, for unsupported devices like Wii Remote, PS3, and Xbox controllers, you will have to use a third-party driver package.
The easiest of these unsupported remotes to configure is likely the Xbox controller, which can be (physically) connected directly via USB or with a relatively cheap receiver for wireless Xbox controllers. If you have a PS3 controller, you'll need to follow a quick procedure to establish a connection to your Mac. First, connect the controller to your Mac, and then open the Bluetooth system preferences and make sure Bluetooth is both on and discoverable. Next, hold the PS button on the controller for a few seconds, then unplug the USB cable, and the controller should appear in the Bluetooth system preferences and be available for use in a number of games and programs. A Wii Remote can also be connected via Bluetooth.
Once the gaming controller is connected, you can use one of several software driver packages to configure its inputs. The first is Joystick Mapper, with which you should be able to configure most gaming controllers. The second is the Tattiebogle driver for Xbox controllers, which should work for both wired and wireless (using the receiver noted above) controllers.
Ps2 Game Controller
For Wii users, the program DarwiinRemote and the Wjoy driver should allow you to crudely connect and configure the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, but if you have trouble establishing a connection using these drivers in OS X 10.8, then you can try a test build of DarwiinRemote that should work in the latest version of OS X.
Ps2 Controller On Mac Download
A final couple of driver options for these controllers are GamePad Companion, which is available in the Apple App Store, and USB Overdrive, which has been a long-standing option for configuring USB input devices on the Mac platform. These last tools are useful especially if you have a controller that only has driver support for Windows. When connected to the Mac, the button inputs will be registered, and universal drivers like USB Overdrive should be able to recognize them and allow you to assign global or application-specific settings to them.
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