It'due south awesome to game on the gorgeous display of a Mac computer. Whether yous utilise Steam, OneCast, Apple tree Arcade, or emulators, it's really fun and cute.

The only thing that might improve the experience is connecting a controller to your Mac—particularly when you play Xbox or other console games. And then you go cracking graphics and peachy control of your game.

At that place are a few ways to connect an Xbox controller to your Mac, depending on the kind of controller you're trying to employ. Detect your model below to see how your controller tin can work with your computer.

Connecting Wireless Bluetooth Xbox Controllers

A wireless Xbox controller is held by two hands

The controllers in this section all have one feature in common: Bluetooth connectivity. This makes wireless pairing possible not only with the Xbox I and Xbox One S/Ten consoles, but with Windows PCs and Macs as well.

To be clear, this section covers the following controllers:

  • Xbox One Southward Wireless Controller
  • Xbox Ane X Wireless Controller
  • Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Serial 2
  • Xbox Adaptive Controller

Other console controllers can connect to a Mac via Bluetooth as well—we talk about it in our commodity on ways to ameliorate your Mac gaming experience.

To pair one of these controllers with your Mac, turn the controller on, and printing and concord the Pairing button on the device. This button is at the top of your controller, toward the left side.

The Xbox logo button should start blinking. This ways the controller is in pairing fashion.

On your Mac, get to Arrangement Preferences > Bluetooth. Y'all'll find a list of nearby devices to connect to, including one called Xbox wireless controller. Click on the Connect push to the right of that device name.

Your controller should now exist paired with your Mac!

If you're having issues, check out the Settings or Preferences on whatsoever gaming system you lot're playing on, and look for a controller section.

To disconnect your controller when you're done playing, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth, and hitting the Disconnect button adjacent to Xbox wireless controller.

Pre-2016 Xbox I Wireless Controller and Wired Xbox Controllers

Xbox One wireless controllers that came out earlier 2016 aren't Bluetooth uniform. Therefore, although they're wireless, they tin't be paired with a Mac the way the above controllers tin.

Yous tin nevertheless connect them though, just with a few extra steps. And with a few more steps than when y'all connect an Xbox controller to a PC.

These steps also apply to any wired Xbox controllers, including Xbox 360 controllers, if you still accept any of those around and want to use them.

Start, you have to download and install the driver 360Controller (Gratuitous).

Xbox drivers come natively to PCs, just Macs demand them added. 360Controller is merely available on GitHub. Make sure y'all get the near recent version.

Double click on the DMG file and run the PKG file. And then follow the onscreen instructions to install the driver.

Installation window for xbox360 Driver. The .pkg file window is behind the installer.

One time the driver is installed, make sure you have the right cablevision for your controller and your Mac. Yous'll need a micro USB on one side, for your controller, and a USB or USB-C on the other side, for your Mac. The latter office depends on which ports or converters you have on your Mac.

In one case you have your cable, plug it into your controller, and so into your Mac. Plough on your controller with the Xbox push button.

Adjacent, go to Organization Preferences > Xbox 360 Controllers, which should exist in your System Preferences now. You'll get a map of your controller, plus its proper noun at the tiptop, which should be the Xbox model it goes with, plus (Wired) at the stop.

Yous tin can reset or change your controller buttons by clicking on them on the map, and borer new inputs on your controller. To disconnect the controller, only unplug it!

Xbox Serial X and Series South Controllers

An Xbox controller is held up on a stand in front of a computer keyboard and beside a small cat statue

The Xbox Series X/S console is the latest generation in Microsoft's gaming panel. And it comes with wireless, Bluetooth controllers. But while some people take had luck connecting their Serial 10/South controllers to their Mac computers via the Bluetooth instructions in a higher place, many more haven't.

As per an Apple Support folio on connecting wireless controllers, Apple and Microsoft are working together to create Bluetooth compatibility back up between the new Xbox Series Ten/S controllers and macOS.

This means compatibility doesn't be between the controllers and Mac computers just still—at least, non at the time of writing this.

Yous can try using a cablevision—Microsoft sells a nine-foot USB-C cable—only that's had little luck for almost folks as well. Fifty-fifty less than the Bluetooth in fact.

So plan to connect via Bluetooth, per the Xbox I wireless controllers steps above when macOS gets the commuter update for this compatibility. We'll certainly be on the scout for information technology.

Connecting Keeps Getting Easier

Apple and Microsoft aren't well known for making their devices compatible with each other, but Xbox controllers show how that'south irresolute, especially with the latest systems.

We hope our steps above assistance you lot get your Xbox controllers paired with your Mac, and that your gaming experience is that much better for it. We've had a lot of fun with ours, and with other console controllers also.