Using Ps4 Controller To Play Steam Games On Mac

If you own a PS4, there's no reason to buy a new controller just to play PC games. The process for getting your games to work with the PS4's dual-shock controller is as easy as downloading and installing the DS4Windows driver. And if you want to play games on Steam or play on a Mac.

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.

Using Ps4 Controller To Play Steam Games On Mac Free

Mapping

Using Ps4 Controller To Play Steam Games On Mac Using Wine

See which wireless controllers are supported

  • 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.

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

Using Ps4 Controller To Play Steam Games On 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 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.

If you’re a console player as well as a PC gamer, you may have used the PS4’s controller on your PC from time to time. The DualShock 4 is a lovely bit of kit, with neat little triggers and lightweight design. You don’t have to have a PS4 to use one, though; you can use them with Steam, too.

For more guides, tips and tricks, head over to our Steam FAQ.

To use a PS4 controller with Steam, simply use a USB cable to connect the DualShock 4 to your PC. It really is that easy. Thanks to an update to Steam in October 2016, the client now supports the PS4 controller, and games will display the correct face button icons (should developers have provided that information). Big Picture Mode can be controlled with the PS4 controller too.

You can also use the PS4 controller wirelessly if your PC has Bluetooth connectivity. To pair your devices together, press and hold the PS Button and Share button together for three seconds. The lightbar on the controller will start flashing. Then open the Bluetooth settings menu in Windows. If you use Windows 10, this can be found by clicking the notifications button on the bottom right corner of your screen, then clicking Bluetooth, and finally selecting ‘Wireless Controller’. Users of older Windows versions can find Bluetooth settings in Control Panel.

You can also configure your PS4 controller in a similar way to a Steam Controller, such as using the joysticks as a mouse and enabling use of the trackpad. To do this you need to open Steam Big Picture Mode, open the Settings menu (the cog icon in the top right of the screen) and then open Controller Settings. From here you’ll be able to configure any kind of controller, one of which is the PS4 DualShock 4.

And that’s how you get a PS4 controller working with Steam. Nothing to it! Now enjoy using the controller with the best D-pad of this console generation to play your PC games.