If you want to use an original Xbox controller, then you’ll either need to downgrade to an earlier version of macOS, or dual boot your Mac. In macOS 10.11 and later, Xbox 360 controller support has been known to cause “kernel panics,” where the user is prompted to reboot their system.

The Xbox 360 controllers, on macOS Yosemite or earlier.

The original Xbox controllers, with the help of a USB adapter.

In this article, we’ll be focusing on adding support for the Xbox One controller, but it’s also worth noting that this driver supports:

Let's say the Space key means Jump, and you want to map that to the A button: Press A on your controller, click on 'Single Key.' in the Action menu, then press Space on your keyboard.The “ Xbox Controller Driver for macOS” is a free piece of software that allows you to interact with your Mac, using a range of Microsoft Xbox controllers. (We'll map controls to the thumbsticks and triggers next.) Key mapping in Gamepad Companion is simple. Map Keystrokes to your Controller's Basic Buttonsįire up Gamepad Companion and click the Stop button on the right to select your controller in the left-most panel.įor now, let's stick to single-action buttons. But it's still the best simple key-mapper, and plenty of great games hardly rely on the mouse anyway. Mac users' simplest option here is Gamepad Companion, (a bargain at $7.99 in the Mac App Store) and installing it is as easy as authorizing the purchase.īefore you buy, be advised that the app's debut build is having mouse-compatibility issues. Unfortunately, lots of Mac games force their default control schemes on us, and we hardly expected a shareware driver to be immediately compatible with every game. And while we haven't tested this, Feral Interactive has hinted at support for the driver in Bioshock. Halo should have no trouble with your controller once the driver's installed. If this works, you can forget Gamepad Companion (because you won't need it) and skip right down to our very last step. A few Mac games are accommodating enough that they'll recognize your connected controller, and might even let you pick your own control scheme.

How to xbox controller on mac