It’s not always simple to play video games on a Mac. Not all games are compatible with Macs. Macs often have inferior graphical power, making it difficult to connect your preferred controller. Fortunately, you can use nearly all of your controllers, including an Xbox controller, on a Mac. But it’s quite a tedious process. There are no additional dongles or other software needed for the process. Here, we will show you how to connect Xbox controller to Mac.
Things to Know
MacOS is not a widely used gaming platform. Nevertheless, people manage to click, shoot, and WASD in various media. But if you prefer to play without a keyboard or mouse, you can, you could even attach an Xbox controller or a PlayStation accessory. The connection is Bluetooth-based and compatible with The MacBook Pro, iMac and MacBook Air. No additional drivers, wires or software are required.
If you have already paired an Xbox controller with another device, you know that it requires a full charge before connecting. Any device, much less your Mac, won’t pair with a dead controller properly.
Besides, the ability to pair an Xbox controller to your Mac depends on the Xbox controller’s model. So, have a look at the list of compatible controllers:
- Bluetooth-enabled Xbox wireless controller (Model 1708)
- Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
- Xbox Wireless Controller Series S and Series X
- Xbox Adaptive Controller
Also, make sure your Mac runs macOS Catalina or higher. Let’s find out how to connect the Xbox Controller to your Mac now that everything is in order.
How to Connect Xbox Controller to Mac Using Bluetooth?
Fortunately, pairing the two Bluetooth devices is a pretty easy process. Follow the steps to connect your Xbox controller to your Mac:-
- Hold the Xbox button until it lights up to turn on your Xbox controller
- Now, hold the pairing button until the Xbox button flashes
- On your Mac, click the Apple symbol at the top right corner
- Then, select System Preferences from the drop-down menu
- Select Bluetooth and wait for the Xbox controller to appear
- Click on Connect
- Wait until the controller’s light stops flashing and turns into a solid color. This indicates that the pairing procedure is finished.
Note – The controller just has to be connected once. Until you disconnect it, it will stay connected. If you want to remove the device, control-click the device’s name.
Your Mac and Xbox Controllers are now linked. Despite how easy the process is, you could encounter some issues. So, if the above-mentioned process doesn’t work for you, follow the next steps.
How to Connect an Xbox Controller to Mac Through USB
If you are unable to connect your device through Bluetooth or your device doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity, try to connect the controller via the USB port. Follow the steps below to accomplish it:–
- Visit GitHub to download 360Controller
- Follow the prompts to finish the installation
- Now, let 360Controller have access to your Mac device
- Then, open System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy
- Select the Lock icon in the lower left, enter your Mac password, then click Allow to provide access.
- After that, restart your Mac
- Reopen System Preferences and choose the 360Controller icon from there
- Plug your Xbox controller into the USB port of your Mac to proceed
How To Connect An Xbox Controller to Steam on MacOS
Here’s how to connect an Xbox Controller on Steam on MacOS:–
- Launch Steam on your Mac
- In the top right corner, select Big Picture Mode
- A pop-up will appear for Driver Update. Select Ok.
- Next, the device will ask you to log in with administrative rights to install the update. Enter your password and click Install software.
- Go back to Big Picture Mode and then go to Settings
- Now, enable Controller Settings
- Check Xbox Configuration Support
Note – You can face some difficulties while performing the steps. Usually, after installing the update, Steam will open and display the Update pop-up once more. You can attempt a few times more if this occurs. You can press Cancel if this is frequently occurring and then carry on as normal. It’s possible that Steam already installed the drivers but didn’t detect them. However, by this time, you might be able to use your Xbox controller to explore the menu.
Bottom Line
Given the popularity of both Mac laptops and the Xbox One, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are numerous ways to use an Xbox controller with your Mac. You can quickly set up your Xbox controller to operate it with your Mac using Bluetooth, USB, or third-party software.
If you want to know more ways of connecting an Xbox controller to a Mac, get in touch with the Xbox customer support team.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
