Connect your wireless controller to play supported games from Apple Arcade or the App Store, navigate your Apple TV, and more.

Get started

• Starting with iOS 13, iPadOS 13, tvOS 13, and macOS Catalina, Apple devices and computers support pairing with and using Xbox and PlayStation wireless game controllers.
• If you need to update the firmware on your controller, check with your game controller manufacturer.
• Check that you’re in range of your device and there isn’t interference in the area.

See which wireless controllers are supported

Jan 07, 2020  Connect your wireless controller to play supported games from Apple Arcade or the App Store, navigate your Apple TV, and more. Get started Starting with iOS 13, iPadOS 13, tvOS 13, and macOS Catalina, Apple devices and computers support pairing with and using Xbox and PlayStation wireless game controllers. Nov 10, 2018  How to Use a PS4 Controller on Steam By Michael Andronico 10 November 2018 Steam now officially supports Sony's DualShock 4 controller, which works seamlessly with most games and can be. Apr 01, 2020  You can play games with just your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV. If you see a controller icon on the app's page, the game has controller support for that device. You can use a game controller to play most games, even if they don't require it. Some games on Apple TV require a controller to play. Each Apple Arcade game is different.

Video Game Controller For Mac

• Xbox Wireless Controller with Bluetooth (Model 1708)
• PlayStation DUALSHOCK®4 Wireless Controller
• MFi (Made for iOS) Bluetooth controllers, like the SteelSeries Nimbus, Horipad Ultimate, and more may be supported.

Game Controllers For Pc

Pair or unpair a controller with your iOS device

1. Begin with your controller turned off. Then to put your controller in pairing mode:
   • With an Xbox Wireless Controller, press the Xbox button to turn on the controller. Then press and hold the Connect button for a few seconds.
   • With a DUALSHOCK®4 Wireless Controller, press and hold the PS and Share buttons at the same time until the light bar begins to flash.
2. On your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, tap Settings.
3. Select Bluetooth and check that it's turned on.
   • To pair, find the name of your controller under Other Devices. Tap the name to connect.
   • To unpair, tap Information next to the name of the device, then tap Forget This Device.

Pair or unpair a controller with your Apple TV

1. Begin with your controller turned off. Then to put your controller in pairing mode:
   • With an Xbox Wireless Controller, press the Xbox button to turn on the controller. Then press and hold the Connect button for a few seconds.
   • With a DUALSHOCK®4 Wireless Controller, press and hold the PS and Share buttons at the same time until the light bar begins to flash.
2. On your Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth.
3. Wait while your Apple TV searches for nearby Bluetooth Accessories.
   • To pair, select the name of your controller. You'll know that your controller is connected when a notification that says Controller Connected briefly appears on your TV.
     
   • To unpair, select the name of your controller, then select Unpair Device. You'll see a notification on your TV that says Controller Connection Lost.

Pair or unpair a controller with your Mac

1. Begin with your controller turned off. Then to put your controller in pairing mode:
   • With an Xbox Wireless Controller, press the Xbox button to turn on the controller. Then press and hold the Connect button for a few seconds.
   • With a DUALSHOCK®4 Wireless Controller, press and hold the PS and Share buttons at the same time until the light bar begins to flash.
2. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences.
3. Click Bluetooth and check that it's turned on.
4. Find the name of your controller under Devices.
   • To pair, Control-click the name of your controller, then click Connect.
   • To unpair, Control-click the name of your controller, then click Remove.

If your controller won't connect or doesn't work as expected

• Unpair it, then pair it again. If you still can't pair or connect, get help pairing your Bluetooth accessory to your iOS device.
• If your DUALSHOCK®4 Wireless Controller pairs but then you see a Connection Unsuccessful notification, press the PS button in the middle of the controller and wait for it to connect.
• Make sure that you're not trying to connect too many Bluetooth accessories at once. Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD support up to two controllers at once, and other Bluetooth limits vary by device.
• Some controller functions aren't supported when paired with an Apple device, including the controller's audio jack. Contact Apple Support for more details.

There are a wide variety of games already on Apple Arcade Рђћ from simple 2D puzzle games to giant 3D open-world adventures. While all games are designed to work just fine without a controller, some games are just better with a controller in your hands.

A controller gives you a console-like feel and comfort when playing a game on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac, and luckily there are a ton of great options for controllers that are compatible with Apple devices Рђћ including the PlayStation DualShock 4 and the Xbox One Wireless controllers.

Note: The links in this guide only trigger the App Store on iOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina.

How to tell if an Apple Arcade game has controller support on iPhone and iPad

If you're familiar with buying games from the App Store, you know the pain of trying to figure out with games have controller support and which don't. Usually, you have to go looking through the game's description to see if the developer has included support Рђћ Apple Arcade changes all that. Apple Arcade has clearly labeled each game that supports a controller in, not just one, but two places, so you don't miss it. 0

When you tap on a game in Apple Arcade, you'll be brought to the game page. At the top of the game page, right underneath the app icon, you'll notice a banner of important information, if a game supports controller, you'll see it in this banner (pictured above in the middle). You can also scroll down the page to the Support section, and if the game supports controllers, it will be clearly labeled here as well (pictured above on the right).

How to tell if an Apple Arcade game has controller support on Mac

The process for seeing what games have controller support on the Mac is very similar to checking on your iPhone or iPad. When you launch the App Store, you can click on the Arcade tab in the sidebar. This will bring you to the Apple Arcade screen and you can either search for or click on a game.

Just like in iOS and iPadOS, when you tap on a game in Apple Arcade, you'll be brought to the game page. At the top of the game page, right underneath the app icon, you'll notice a banner of important information, if a game supports controller, (pictured above on the left) you'll see the icon here. Additionally, if you scroll down the page to the Support section of the description, (pictured above on the right) you will also see a controller icon.

All Apple Arcade games with controller support

To throw a wrench into things, in our own personal testing, we've noticed that some games that aren't labeled with controller support in Apple Arcade, appear to work just fine with controllers. For the sake of clarity, the following list will be separated into games that have officially been labeled with controller support, and those that haven't.

Games officially labeled with controller support

This is a list of Apple Arcade games that have official controller support and are listed as such in the App Store.

Games without controller support labels

These Apple Arcade games do not have the official controller support badge in the App Store, but as far as we can tell, they still function with a controller.

Questions?

Want to know anything else about Apple Arcade and controller support? Let us know in the comments down below.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Free Mac Games With Controller Support

C.J.'s next Fishing Tourney will be in July

Steam Mac Games With Controller Support

There are four Fishing Tourneys each year in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Here's when they are and what the rules are for participating.