There’s never been a better time to use a gamepad with your Mac. Whether it’s one of the recently launched for OS X, classic games from sites like, or old, there’s no shortage of awesome gaming experiences that simply beg to be played with a gamepad rather than a mouse and keyboard. There are a number of relatively inexpensive available, but some Mac owners already have a perfectly good PlayStation 4 DualShock controller sitting in their living rooms. Wouldn’t it be great to just use the PS4 controller with your Mac?
Well, good news! There are two ways to use a wireless DualShock 4 controller with OS X, and we’ll show you each method below. Use a PS4 Controller Wired to Your Mac with USB The PS4 DualShock controller uses a standard micro-USB connection, and you can use a micro-USB to Type A standard USB cable to connect the controller directly to your Mac. This is the easiest and simplest option, as OS X natively recognizes the PS4 controller when connected via USB, and it requires no configuration. You can verify that the PS4 controller has been properly recognized by OS X by looking for it in System Profiler (a.k.a. System Information).
In OS X Yosemite, just go to Apple About This Mac System Report Hardware USB and look for Wireless Controller in the list of your USB devices (it will refer to the PS4 controller as “wireless” even when it’s connected to your Mac via USB). In all versions of OS X, including older versions, you can also get to System Profiler by holding the Option key while you click on the Apple icon in the menu bar, and then selecting System Profiler or System Information, depending on your specific version of the operating system. Use a PS4 Controller Wirelessly Connected to Your Mac via Bluetooth The PS4 DualShock controller uses the standard specification, making it compatible with Macs. This allows you to connect it to your Mac wirelessly, so that you have freedom of movement while gaming that’s not limited by the length of your USB cord. Unlike a wired USB connection, however, a Bluetooth PS4 controller connection requires a quick bit of setup, in the form of a Bluetooth pairing procedure. To pair your PS4 controller to your Mac, first head to System Preferences Bluetooth and make sure that your Mac’s Bluetooth radio is enabled.
Aspyr-ported games like Borderlands 2 use drivers made by Aspyr and loaded within the game itself. Those drivers support only the wired Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers, and do not support the Xbox One controller (though it's possible they will add support at some point in the future). Normally, you have to install a third-party driver to use the.
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Then put the PS4 controller into discovery mode by holding both the PlayStation and Share buttons together until the controller’s light bar begins to blink. You can let go of the PlayStation and Share buttons at this time.
Shortly after the PS4 controller’s light bar starts blinking, you’ll see a device called Wireless Controller appear in your Mac’s Bluetooth device list. Click Pair to complete the process and pair your PS4 controller to your Mac. How to Play Games in OS X with Your PS4 Controller You can now start using your PS4 controller in supported games and applications. As a quick example, let’s look at the great console emulator, which we when it launched last year. We’ve recently been reading Blake Harris’ — a great historical look at the war between Sega and Nintendo for control of our living rooms — and it put us in the mood to play some. So we fired up OpenEmu, found our Sega Genesis games, and got ready to play some Sonic. But before we start the game, we need to tell the app to use our newly connected PS4 controller.
The steps involved in this process vary by the game or app, but in the case of OpenEmu, you’ll want to head to OpenEmu Preferences Controls. Select your emulated console from the list at the top, and then find the Input menu at the bottom. By default, your OpenEmu input will be set to the keyboard, but once your PS4 controller is connected to your Mac via USB or Bluetooth, you can use the Input menu to find and select it. The app will automatically take a shot a mapping the appropriate buttons for you, but you can always adjust those mappings to match your playing preferences.
Once you’re all set with the correct button mappings, just close the Preferences window, pick your game, and play! As we’ve written before, OpenEmu is a fantastic game emulator and manager, and while playing these classic console games with a keyboard is doable, you’ll have an infinitely better experience with your PS4 controller. Want news and tips from TekRevue delivered directly to your inbox? Sign up for the TekRevue Weekly Digest using the box below. Get tips, reviews, news, and giveaways reserved exclusively for subscribers.
The Xbox One controller is a step up from the Xbox 360 controller, refining an already fantastic gamepad. The 360 controller is the de facto standard for many a PC gamer who prefers to play games without a keyboard and mouse, and thanks to rubberised analogue sticks that give it much needed grip, and a directional pad that's actually usable in fighting games, the Xbox One controller is well worth the price of entry. While Microsoft is taking its own sweet time in making it usable on the PC without wires, you can easily game on your computer with an Xbox One controller that's wired in. In addition to a computer with Windows, all you need is a Micro-USB cable (used for charging most Windows and Android smartphones), an Internet connection to download the required drivers, and, of course, an Xbox One controller. Install drivers Boot up your PC, connect to the Internet. Download and install one of these driver packages depending on your version of Windows:. Connect the controller With the drivers installed, plug in the Micro-USB end of the cable to the controller and the USB end of it into your computer's USB port.
If it works, the controller will vibrate. If it does not vibrate, try another Micro-USB cable and/ or a different USB port. That's all you need to do to get your Xbox One controller working on the PC. Please note: If you plan on using the same controller with an Xbox One, you will need to re-sync the controller to the console.
You can do this by holding the wireless sync buttons on the console and controller at the same time or attaching it to the console via Micro-USB cable.