How to Use PS4 Controller on Mac

If you don’t want to use the keyboard and mouse while playing games on your Mac, here’s how to use the PS4 controller on Mac.

While Windows is the dominant gaming platform, Macs are much better at gaming than they used to be, especially with Steam now running many games on Mac with OS X.

Many games can be played with a keyboard and mouse, but there are some games that really need a controller to play well enough. Racing games and sports games are two genres that I personally think are much better with a controller rather than a keyboard and mouse.

However, if you play a lot of games on your Mac, the keyboard and mouse are really the only way to control games, but you may be surprised to know that you can easily connect a PS4 controller to your Mac via Bluetooth.

The PS4 controller is a fan favorite because of its Bluetooth capabilities, making it pretty easy to connect to a Windows computer as well.

In any case, if you want to use a PS4 controller on a Mac, here’s how to do it.

Connecting the PS4 Controller to Your Mac

To use a PS4 controller with OS X, the first thing you’ll want to do is turn on your Mac’s Bluetooth. To do this, go into it, click it and open it if it is not already open.

Once Bluetooth is turned on, simultaneously press and hold the PlayStation and Share buttons on the PS4 controller until the controller’s light bar starts to flash.

The PS4 controller is finally under the Devices list in the Bluetooth settings panel.

Click and then click . You may be required to enter a passcode or pairing code, and if so, enter “0000” if prompted. At this point, the PS4 controller will be officially paired with your Mac.

If you don’t want to connect your PS4 controller via Bluetooth, you can connect it via standard USB as the PS4 controller has a standard microUSB port to plug into.

This is really an option because OS X can natively recognize your PS4 controller when you connect it using USB.

In any case, all you have to do now is launch any game that comes with controller support and start the races.

You can even play classic games on your Mac using an emulator, and while the emulator will most likely default to your keyboard and mouse, most emulators have settings or options that allow you to use your PS4 controller and even customize the controls.

As far as which Mac games support the PS4 controller on OS X, a handful of Steam games will run flawlessly, including Borderlands 2 and Batman: Arkham City. Lesser-known games like Return to Dark Castle and Fez work well with a PS4 controller.

Connecting a PS4 controller to a Mac is a bit easier than on Windows (since Windows natively supports Xbox controllers), given that you need some third-party software to trick Windows into thinking you’re using an Xbox controller.

With a Mac though, all you have to do is connect it and it will recognize it right away. The only thing holding you back is the games you want to play, as they must support external controllers for the PS4 controller to work.

However, most new AAA games come with controller support on PC and Mac versions, so this shouldn’t be a big concern.