The DualShock 4 is your best bet for playing Mac games with a PlayStation controller, but you'll be fine if you only have its predecessor. You just won't have support from Sony's official adapter.
To get started, plug in your DualShock 4 controller to your Mac via a micro-USB cable. Then, press the PS button on your DualShock 4 controller to turn it on. You should see the light on the front of the controller turn on, indicating that it is ready to be used. That's it, your DualShock 4 is ready to go! Apr 11, 2020 Mac users can pair and use Playstation 4 controllers with their Mac, which makes for an excellent gaming experience. The ability to pair PS4 controllers to the Mac has been around a while, but with MacOS Catalina 10.15 onward, it's easier than before (you can pair Xbox One controllers to Mac now too just as easily). The easiest way to connect a PS4 controller to a Mac is to use a Micro USB cable. To do that, follow these steps: Use a Micro-USB cable to connect the PS4 controller to your Mac. Jun 20, 2017 On your Mac, go to System Preferences Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Then, grab your DualShock controller and hold down the PS and Share buttons until the light starts flashing blue. Wait a few moments and Wireless Controller will appear in the list of Bluetooth Devices on your Mac. Click Pair and the two will connect.
Apple has been going big on gaming for a while, but the launch of Apple Arcade signaled that its focus on games is here to stay. It's perhaps surprising, then, that Apple doesn't make its own controller. Thankfully, it does support connecting great third-party controllers to your Mac, like the PlayStation 4 DualShock. Here's how to connect the PS4 controller to your Mac.
Unpair the controller from your PlayStation 4
Before you connect your PS4 controller to your Mac, you'll need to unpair it from your PlayStation.
- Switch on your PlayStation 4.
- Go to Settings.
- Choose Bluetooth Devices.
- Click on DualShock 4.
- Choose Disconnect.
Your controller is now ready to be used with your Mac.
When my Mac gets overloaded with apps and their by-products I run CleanMyMac X. This is a tool developed by MacPaw that has recently been notarized by Apple. It shaves off extra baggage from your Mac so you can game faster.
All you need to do is run the Optimization tool in CleanMyMac X.
(link to the free version of the app)
The Optimization module allows you to quickly and easily remove Login Items and Heavy Memory Consumers to give your Mac a speed boost.
How to connect your PS 4 controller to your Mac via Bluetooth
- Press and hold on the PlayStation button and the Share button on the controller until it starts flashing. It's now in pairing mode.
- In the Finder on the Mac, go to the Apple menu, and choose System Preferences.
- Click on the Bluetooth pane.
- When you see the name ‘wireless controller' in the list of devices, click Connect next to it.
- The PS4 controller is now connected to your Mac
How to a PS4 controller to your Mac using USB
You'll need a micro USB to USB-A cable for this, as well as a Mac that has a USB-A port.
- Plug the micro USB cable into the PS4 controller.
- Plug the other end into a USB-A port on your Mac.
- Press the PS button in the center of the controller to turn it on.
- Click on the Apple menu and choose About this Mac.
- Choose the System Report.
- Select USB in the left-hand column.
- If you see your controller listed in the main window, it's successfully connected and ready for use.
Optimize your Mac for gaming
The whole point of connecting a PS 4 controller to your Mac is to allow you to play games. But, depending on which ones you play, games can chew up a ton of system resources, which means you'd better make sure your Mac is running as fast as it possibly can.
Steam Mac Ps4 Controller
To speed up your Mac with CleanMyMac X, follow these steps.
- Download CleanMyMac X.
- Choose the Optimization module in the sidebar.
- Press View all items.
- Click on each section in the middle window to see the available options.
- Check the box next to any of the options you want to run.
- Press Perform.
To give your Mac an extra tune-up, check out the System Junk tab. It optimizes your Mac by getting rid of temporary files that can slow it down, ditching unnecessary application files, and resolving problems with broken installations.
Here's how to speed up your Mac with CleanMyMac X.
- Launch CleanMyMac X from your Applications folder.
- Click on System Junk in the sidebar and press Scan.
- When it's finished, press Clean or, if you want to see more details, click Review Details.
- Deselect any items you don't want to remove by clicking the checkmark next to them.
- Press Clean.
The whole point of connecting a PS 4 controller to your Mac is to allow you to play games. But, depending on which ones you play, games can chew up a ton of system resources, which means you'd better make sure your Mac is running as fast as it possibly can.
Steam Mac Ps4 Controller
To speed up your Mac with CleanMyMac X, follow these steps.
- Download CleanMyMac X.
- Choose the Optimization module in the sidebar.
- Press View all items.
- Click on each section in the middle window to see the available options.
- Check the box next to any of the options you want to run.
- Press Perform.
To give your Mac an extra tune-up, check out the System Junk tab. It optimizes your Mac by getting rid of temporary files that can slow it down, ditching unnecessary application files, and resolving problems with broken installations.
Here's how to speed up your Mac with CleanMyMac X.
- Launch CleanMyMac X from your Applications folder.
- Click on System Junk in the sidebar and press Scan.
- When it's finished, press Clean or, if you want to see more details, click Review Details.
- Deselect any items you don't want to remove by clicking the checkmark next to them.
- Press Clean.
Ps4 Remote Play
The Mac is becoming a very good option for playing games, with the launch of Apple Arcade and the increasing number of great games in the App Store. Make a bootable mac usb. Support for third party controllers like Sony's PS4 Dual Shock controller makes playing those games even more fun. Before you follow the steps above to connect it, however, it's worth giving your Mac a tune-up using CleanMyMac X to make sure it's running at its optimum performance.
Last year, I reviewed El Trackpad, which is an app that lets you control the mouse cursor on your Mac from an iPhone or iPad. However, the app requires the device to be connected to the Mac via USB, which is not ideal for some situations. Developer Hugo Lispector, who created El Trackpad, today released Controlly — a new app that uses PlayStation and Xbox controllers as remotes for Mac.
Controlly has some key differences from El Trackpad besides one app working with wireless controls and the other running on iOS devices. While El Trackpad basically turns the iPhone and iPad into a multitouch trackpad that works with the Mac, Controlly brings several other features in addition to controlling the mouse cursor.
For instance, you can not only move the cursor using the analog sticks, but also set shortcuts to each joystick button. There are multiple options available, including brightness and media controls, Launchpad and Mission Control access, showing desktop, and changing volume. The app comes with some functions set by default for controllers, but users can change them at any time in the settings.
Ps4 Controller Mac Games
In my experience, the app solves one of my biggest problems, which is controlling the Mac while I use it connected to my Apple TV over AirPlay. Now I can just leave the Mac in my office while I control it with a PS4 DualShock that is always in the living room. The app works extremely well, and it even supports some basic gestures on the DualShock touchpad.
Ps4 Controller Macbook
Setting up Controlly is quite simple and doesn't require any advanced configuration. You just have to install and open the app, connect a PlayStation or Xbox controller to your Mac via Bluetooth, and that's it. It should also work with some MFi-certified joysticks. Just keep Controlly open, and you'll be able to move the cursor and control macOS using the chosen game controller.
Controlly is now available on the Mac App Store, and it requires macOS Big Sur to work. You can try it for free for seven days and then unlock the full app with a $3.99 in-app purchase.
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