Best Gamepad for Mac?

[NickD]

I'm looking for a gamepad to make my Mac game playing experience, more like my consoles, and don't really know where to start, because of all the different options, and possibly compatibility issues.

In your opinion, what's the best gamepad controller out there for the Mac platform?

Thanks,
NickD

[Eric5h5]

I'm looking for a gamepad to make my Mac game playing experience, more like my consoles

Just be aware, if you aren't already, that gamepads on computers are really only for a few specific games. The majority of computer games are designed for keyboard/mouse and most won't even work with a gamepad, at least not directly.

That said, all gamepads work with a Mac if they're properly USB compliant so just pick whatever you want. At worst, you might miss out on a feature, like the rumble in my Logitech Rumblepad II doesn't work (just as well; I'd switch it off anyway ;) ). A few require hacks/drivers, like the Xbox360 controller.

--Eric

[Counterfit]

I like mine (http://media.arstechnica.com/staff/fatbits.media/snes-controller.jpg).

[Jack Flash]

I believe you can use a Microsoft 360 SUB controller with a OS X driver. I will Google for it.

[apfhex]

I'm looking for a gamepad to make my Mac game playing experience more like my consoles
Do you have a PS2? Get a cheap USB Dualshock adapter from eBay or wherever, there you go!

[Amacfanboy]

The Sega USB Gamepad for Mac (http://www.ecrater.com/p/9260030/usb-sega-saturn-controller-control) is really good, especially if you play retro games on emulators like MAME OSX. Its great for fighting games like Street Fighter and the drivers are built in, so theres no need to install anything.

[lewdvig]

Speedball 2 is a good reason to have a gamepad.

[aznguyen316]

http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/ProjectRoot/Xbox360Controller/OsxDriver

I went ahead and googled the driver to use a 360 wired or 360 + wireless dongle. I have a wireless dongle for 360 so I'm gonna try that out sometime. =) I just bought an ebay one made by some chinese company since they don't sell the real ones anymore. works great.

[GreyMatta]

http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/ProjectRoot/Xbox360Controller/OsxDriver

I went ahead and googled the driver to use a 360 wired or 360 + wireless dongle. I have a wireless dongle for 360 so I'm gonna try that out sometime. =) I just bought an ebay one made by some chinese company since they don't sell the real ones anymore. works great.

I bought one of the non-microsoft ones from ebay and it does not work with OSX at all. Apparently only the official ones work OK

[aznguyen316]

Yikes guess I'll test it. Works fine in windows though.. Thanks for heads up.

[Dagless]

I'd go for the Xbox 360 controller. Had one for years just for my PC. Used it for gaming and developing and it has just been a joy to use. I must have got an early model though because the rumble is ultra strong. Punches a hole through my hands!

[bmb012]

There really is no PC gamepad that comes close to the quality of a 360 controller. Just grab a wired 360 controller, or a pack that comes with a wireless receiver, and that driver linked to above.

[Arregaithel]

Guys,,,,I have used both Games pads as the list below . I would say that XBOX 360 is remarkable in its result as compared to other game pads . Second one Sega USB Gamepad for Mac is also best option .

Xbox 360
Sega USB Gamepad for Mac

[Nightarchaon]

Just be aware, if you aren't already, that gamepads on computers are really only for a few specific games. The majority of computer games are designed for keyboard/mouse and most won't even work with a gamepad, at least not directly.
--Eric

that used to be true ' but nowadays most games are designed for the consoles first , as evident by the fact that most games (80% of the ones I own on a quick look through) have direct support and artwork and in game tutorial for the xbox 360 pad.

Which is a shame as I prefer the PS3 pad. But since Microsoft made it so easy to basically recompile 360 game for the PC (over simplifying I know'. But basically true) very few games are written for the PC as priority one, it's just seen as a niche Market by the money makers now, it's consoles 1st for full price titles , milk the PC Market for a fraction more sales with a sub par port later.

[Dagless]

Which is a shame as I prefer the PS3 pad. But since Microsoft made it so easy to basically recompile 360 game for the PC (over simplifying I know'. But basically true) very few games are written for the PC as priority one, it's just seen as a niche Market by the money makers now, it's consoles 1st for full price titles , milk the PC Market for a fraction more sales with a sub par port later.

That's not true in the slightest. The reason why the 360 controller is so widely supported is because 1) it's extremely common, developers will always jump to the most common hardware. 2) Native support with DirectX, Xinput. Crazy easy to implement.

All my games are developed from the ground up with both 360 & keyboard+mouse support because it's bloody simple. Even games ported from the Xbox and PS3 support a wide range of controllers... they just need calibrating and keys remapped.

[Nightarchaon]

That's not true in the slightest. The reason why the 360 controller is so widely supported is because 1) it's extremely common, developers will always jump to the most common hardware. 2) Native support with DirectX, Xinput. Crazy easy to implement.

All my games are developed from the ground up with both 360 & keyboard+mouse support because it's bloody simple. Even games ported from the Xbox and PS3 support a wide range of controllers... they just need calibrating and keys remapped.

You don't think that the crazy large number of games designed for 360 1st then ported to the PC with the console controls still mapped right down to the art assets and in game tutorial prompts are a big give-away that console support comes 1st .

Simply put, most games are written for console 1st nowadays (the PC is long on the decline, thanks to STEAM and online direct sales basically ensuring that high street retailers stop selling PC games, and World of Warcraft that stopped millions of people from bothering to play another game on a PC, and now the app store has shifted people's expectations to cheap throwaway games , I fear the future is a sad place of MMOs or 2minute mini games , or DLC riddled bloatware ) , if a game is written for the 360 , then the PC version will be recompiled for windows and since the 360 code transfer is so easy thanks to MS, the 360 gamepad for the MAC/PC is the logical choice , I play Lego star wars in mac OS with the 360 controller. All in game prompts are for it anyway.

[Dagless]

You don't think that the crazy large number of games designed for 360 1st then ported to the PC with the console controls still mapped right down to the art assets and in game tutorial prompts are a big give-away that console support comes 1st .

Simply put, most games are written for console 1st nowadays (the PC is long on the decline, thanks to STEAM and online direct sales basically ensuring that high street retailers stop selling PC games, and World of Warcraft that stopped millions of people from bothering to play another game on a PC, and now the app store has shifted people's expectations to cheap throwaway games , I fear the future is a sad place of MMOs or 2minute mini games , or DLC riddled bloatware ) , if a game is written for the 360 , then the PC version will be recompiled for windows and since the 360 code transfer is so easy thanks to MS, the 360 gamepad for the MAC/PC is the logical choice , I play Lego star wars in mac OS with the 360 controller. All in game prompts are for it anyway.

PC gaming isn't dying. Sheesh, this topic gets brought up all the time and is put back to bed soon after. Answer always being: PC gaming isn't dying. Some people believe otherwise and have done so for the last 15 years.

But regardless of that. Games are either developed for consoles, PC or all platforms. Outside of indie games you don't get that many that are released for an Xbox and then later ported to PC. So all assets are either created for all platforms during the same development cycle, or they're just made for one platform. Even Valve had accidentally left some console strings in Portal 2 recently... and that was a multiplatform title with most features, better graphics+connectivity on PC.

The only modern console-centric PC games that come to mind are GTAIV, Modern Warfare 2 and Crysis 2.
Not an epidemic. Not a problem.

[Nightarchaon]

PC gaming isn't dying. Sheesh, this topic gets brought up all the time and is put back to bed soon after. Answer always being: PC gaming isn't dying. Some people believe otherwise and have done so for the last 15 years

The only modern console-centric PC games that come to mind are GTAIV, Modern Warfare 2 and Crysis 2.
Not an epidemic. Not a problem.

your falling into the same perceptions everyone else seems to have, the PC gaming scene is on life support . Sure at first glance it looks healthy, but remove the games that are released on consoles as well, and look at what's left, MMos , Starcraft 2 , and Facebook games. Everything else is designed to run on a consoles limited hardware, and generations old graphics hardware,, a PC developed title , if one was to exist, should, using even 3 or 4 year old PC tech as an upper minimum requirement be impossible to port to a current gen console, PCs have long since had more ram ,better CPUs and much better GPUs, so why do all the games look the same on a PS3 at 1080p as they do on a state of the art butter my toast walk the dog in the morning all singing all dancing GPU and i7 at 1080p ?

Sure the frame rate might be 2million fps , but I can't tell ,being human I perceive around 25fps, so anything over 30 is lost on me.

When we get a game, that's world class, immense and ground breaking, and pushes PC hardware to it's limit,, we won't see it on a current gen console, and on that day , PC gaming will cease dying.. Until then .. The truth is.. PC gaming is out to pasture, getting console gamings scraps , and soon AppStore like morsels to survive on.

In my local big named game retailers there is 1 shelf allocated to PC games, 1 third is allocated to world of Warcraft , ,1 third to the sims, and the last to budget titles from the 486 era like Simon the sorcerer.

[Dagless]

Well done; you've not realised that PC gaming is shifting to digital services.

How much shelf space a system has is no indication of its success (the GC library was larger than the Xbox library at various GAME stores in the UK, and the PSP shelf was as big as the DS shelf...).

Oh and lock a games performance to 25fps, then play it at 60fps. There is a difference and the human eye sees it. What you probably haven't read up on is that films, TV shows are all filmed close to what our eyes see because, just like our eyes, their recordings have motion blur and other effects that our eyes have. Games can't mimic that just yet. Once a game looks real we can drop the framerate to 25-30 and everything will look fine.

If you think Crysis 2 (most recent example) looks the same on a PS3 and Xbox 360 as a PC on max specs, then you probably should get your eyes checked. The consoles are running on the PC's medium setting and at a much lower resolution.

Again though. People have said "PC gaming is dying" since 1995 when the N64 and PS1 showed up. 15 years later and, if anything, they've all merged into similarly capable machines. With only licenses holding games back from being ported to every console available.

[fsck-y dingo]

I like mine (http://media.arstechnica.com/staff/fatbits.media/snes-controller.jpg).

I'm not sure if you made yours or bought it but I have a USB SNES controller too. I went the lazy route and bought one from retrousb.com. For me it's the only way to play NES/SNES games. :)

[bmb012]

that used to be true ' but nowadays most games are designed for the consoles first , as evident by the fact that most games (80% of the ones I own on a quick look through) have direct support and artwork and in game tutorial for the xbox 360 pad.

Which is a shame as I prefer the PS3 pad. But since Microsoft made it so easy to basically recompile 360 game for the PC (over simplifying I know'. But basically true) very few games are written for the PC as priority one, it's just seen as a niche Market by the money makers now, it's consoles 1st for full price titles , milk the PC Market for a fraction more sales with a sub par port later.

You can bluetooth a stock PS3 pad to a Mac pretty easily, with the drivers that are on the same site as those 360 drivers.

But, it seems like most of the Steam games have built in support for the 360 pads beyond what those drivers offer, I haven't uninstalled the driver to check, but I was playing through Portal 2 with perfect rumble, just a few missmatched buttons, which could be because of the drivers.

[PowerGamerX]

I use a PS3 controller with Controllermate. You should really check it out. I've got configurations for all my games. The best part is that you can set it to automatically start a profile when you start a game (besides source games, which have no .app). It doesn't even have to be running. Just set it up. Exit. Then you never have to see it again. Very seamless and Mac-esque.

Unfortunately gamepads on computer games have always been almost a niche product. It's even worse on Macs, so after searching and searching. The PS3/360 controller plus controllermate seemed to be the best option.

[ronnydudek]

I use my wireless XBox 360 controller with a wireless to USB adapter.All easy to get from Best Buy or Walmart.Works good for me,I use it with an NES and Genisis emulator.I think there was a fan update for that or something but he should try resetting his hardware by unplugging the power and holding the power button.

[jakeyxinxin]

I use my wireless XBox 360 controller with a wireless to USB adapter.All easy to get from Best Buy or Walmart.Works good for me,I use it with an NES and Genisis emulator.I think there was a fan update for that or something but he should try resetting his hardware by unplugging the power and holding the power button.

I also am such

[bilbo--baggins]

Does anyone know if 2 wireless xbox 360 controllers require 1 or 2 wireless receivers?

[rgordon82]

You can use a PS2 or PS3 controller but you need a usb it's called dragon something. Sorry I forgot.

[bilbo--baggins]

Just bought two PS3 wireless controllers (dualshock 3). Work perfectly in Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga (from the Mac app store) without any drivers. Nearly bought the 360 controller but was put off by the fact that the wireless receiver doesn't seem to be sold by any reputable shops any more, and then I found a video by Feral demonstrating how the PS3 controllers pair with Snow Leopard (and now Lion) even without any software or drivers.

[edddeduck]

I found a video by Feral demonstrating how the PS3 controllers pair with Snow Leopard (and now Lion) even without any software or drivers.

Glad you found the video helpful! PS3 pads will work in all Feral games released in the last few years, if a game does not work with the PS3 pad we will add support when we next patch it although I think nearly every game already works.

Other games by other companies that support gamepads should also work with the PS3 pad (the OS treats it as a standard gamepad) but your experience my vary from game to game.

Edwin

[danielsmu]

Any tips on how to get ps3 controllers working via Bluetooth in lion?

I've been tinkering with my new 2011 Mac mini all weekend with no luck. I've installed the USB driver and followed the instructions to pair the controllers with my mini to the letter but I get varying results. The controllers usually show up in the Bluetooth list, but won't ever allow input in MAME. Sometimes I'm asked for a pairing code and sometimes I'm not. Also, the controllers do work via USB in MAME.

I also tested the Bluetooth pairing method on my 2010 MacBook pro and a sixaxis and dualshock controller paired without any issues and worked great in MAME (which is why I assumed this was yet another Lion support issue).

Any help you can provide on this would be much appreciated!

[edddeduck]

Any tips on how to get ps3 controllers working via Bluetooth in lion?

I've been tinkering with my new 2011 Mac mini all weekend with no luck. I've installed the USB driver and followed the instructions to pair the controllers with my mini to the letter but I get varying results. The controllers usually show up in the Bluetooth list, but won't ever allow input in MAME. Sometimes I'm asked for a pairing code and sometimes I'm not. Also, the controllers do work via USB in MAME.

I also tested the Bluetooth pairing method on my 2010 MacBook pro and a sixaxis and dualshock controller paired without any issues and worked great in MAME (which is why I assumed this was yet another Lion support issue).

Any help you can provide on this would be much appreciated!

These instructions I wrote should work fine, they are based on 10.6 but works fine here on 10.7.

********

First thing to do is make sure you have the following items and software ready before you begin.

10.6 or better (10.5 is NOT supported)
No PS3 Gamepad driver software installed (UNINSTALL ALL DRIVERS THEY BREAK THE SUPPORT)
PS3 Gamepad
USB charging cable for PS3 gamepad
Bluetooth enabled on your Mac
Once you are ready please download and watch the video below it will take you thorugh all the steps you need to take to connect your PS3 Gamepad to your Macintosh computer.

Walkthrough Video (http://www.feralinteractive.com/downloads/support/PS3_Gamepad_MacOSX.mov)

[danielsmu]

These instructions I wrote should work fine, they are based on 10.6 but works fine here on 10.7.

********

First thing to do is make sure you have the following items and software ready before you begin.

10.6 or better (10.5 is NOT supported)
No PS3 Gamepad driver software installed (UNINSTALL ALL DRIVERS THEY BREAK THE SUPPORT)


Thank you for your quick response! Can you please help me understand how to uninstall the PS3 controller driver? There's no uninstaller package with the driver and I don't know where to begin looking for those files on a mac.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[edddeduck]

Thank you for your quick response! Can you please help me understand how to uninstall the PS3 controller driver? There's no uninstaller package with the driver and I don't know where to begin looking for those files on a mac.

Thanks in advance for your help!

What drivers did you install?

You can try and follow my instructions with the drivers installed if you are lucky they will not effect the PS3 pad from working so I would try that first.

If you have trouble then you will need to investigate more into what exactly you installed. Please note I have only tested the PS3 pad with Feral games in Lion but it should work in most games once you set it up.

Edwin

[danielsmu]

What drivers did you install?

You can try and follow my instructions with the drivers installed if you are lucky they will not effect the PS3 pad from working so I would try that first.

If you have trouble then you will need to investigate more into what exactly you installed. Please note I have only tested the PS3 pad with Feral games in Lion but it should work in most games once you set it up.

Edwin

Totally understand and I realize I'm asking for help from people that didn't develop the driver I installed. I did try the instructions in the video, but I get a bluetooth popup saying I need to enter a code to pair the controller. I tried entering 0000 and I get a message saying that the pairing failed, most likely due to an incorrect passcode.

I installed the PS3 Controller driver from this website: http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/ProjectRoot/Ps3Controller

There's no uninstall package available however so I don't know how to go about removing that driver. Again, I totally understand nobody on this forum officially supports removing that driver, I'm just hoping someone knows enough about this process to help me out of the woods. I guess reinstalling Lion is always an option, but I'd rather not go through that process just to get the PS3 controller working if I can avoid it.

[edddeduck]

Totally understand and I realize I'm asking for help from people that didn't develop the driver I installed. I did try the instructions in the video, but I get a bluetooth popup saying I need to enter a code to pair the controller. I tried entering 0000 and I get a message saying that the pairing failed, most likely due to an incorrect passcode.

I installed the PS3 Controller driver from this website: http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/ProjectRoot/Ps3Controller

There's no uninstall package available however so I don't know how to go about removing that driver. Again, I totally understand nobody on this forum officially supports removing that driver, I'm just hoping someone knows enough about this process to help me out of the woods. I guess reinstalling Lion is always an option, but I'd rather not go through that process just to get the PS3 controller working if I can avoid it.

Double check the steps in the video, you should not try and add anything by clicking the + button just have the bluetooth window open but don't click on anything inside the window. The PS3 pad should just pop in after you unplug it from the USB.

I am off home now but I will see if I can offer some more advice tomorrow.

Cheers,

Edwin

[danielsmu]

Double check the steps in the video, you should not try and add anything by clicking the + button just have the bluetooth window open but don't click on anything inside the window. The PS3 pad should just pop in after you unplug it from the USB.

I am off home now but I will see if I can offer some more advice tomorrow.

Cheers,

Edwin

Thanks again for the help. To clarify, here are the steps/results I'm using now:

1. PS3 controller is off, PS3 is unplugged.
2. Open Bluetooth Preferences via Settings Menu, verify bluetooth is on and discoverable
3. Plug PS3 into Mac Mini via USB
4. (4 lights blink slowly)
5. Press and hold PS3 button for 3 seconds
6. Release PS3 button
7. Unplug PS3 Controller
8. (4 lights blink quickly)
9. (Popup for Bluetooth Pairing request shows up asking for Pairing Code)
10. I've tried 0000 0001 and 0002 with no luck. Each time a second popup immediately appears saying the pairing failed most likely due to a bad passcode.
11. These popups for pairing requests continue appearing until I hold the PS button on the controller long enough to shut it off.

I tried searching around on my machine and the only file I can find named *ps3* is in the System/Library/Extensions folder called "PS3Enabler.kext". I've tried deleting that file, testing, reinstalling the plugin, and retesting, all yielding the same results.

If there's anything else I can try, I'll be glad to help test. Thanks in advance for your help!

[edddeduck]

Thanks again for the help. To clarify, here are the steps/results I'm using now:

1. PS3 controller is off, PS3 is unplugged.
2. Open Bluetooth Preferences via Settings Menu, verify bluetooth is on and discoverable
3. Plug PS3 into Mac Mini via USB
4. (4 lights blink slowly)
5. Press and hold PS3 button for 3 seconds
6. Release PS3 button
7. Unplug PS3 Controller
8. (4 lights blink quickly)
9. (Popup for Bluetooth Pairing request shows up asking for Pairing Code)
10. I've tried 0000 0001 and 0002 with no luck. Each time a second popup immediately appears saying the pairing failed most likely due to a bad passcode.
11. These popups for pairing requests continue appearing until I hold the PS button on the controller long enough to shut it off.

I tried searching around on my machine and the only file I can find named *ps3* is in the System/Library/Extensions folder called "PS3Enabler.kext". I've tried deleting that file, testing, reinstalling the plugin, and retesting, all yielding the same results.

If there's anything else I can try, I'll be glad to help test. Thanks in advance for your help!

I will have a look when I get a spare second on a few machines here. No promises but I think it's solvable (and that it is likely those drivers).

Edwin

[danielsmu]

I will have a look when I get a spare second on a few machines here. No promises but I think it's solvable (and that it is likely those drivers).

Edwin

Thanks so much! I tried on my 2010 Macbook Pro running Snow Leopard last night as well and the controllers paired instantly without any issues so I know it's limited to the 2011 Mac Mini/Lion machine.

[danielsmu]

I will have a look when I get a spare second on a few machines here. No promises but I think it's solvable (and that it is likely those drivers).

Edwin

Hi again, sorry if I’m just being impatient but I thought I’d check back in and see if you were able to uncover anything in testing. If not, I’m thinking my next step is to upgrade my macbook pro to Lion and see if I can still pair my PS3 controller on that machine. If so, I know the issue is specific to installing the driver and a clean re-install of Lion on the Mac Mini *should* fix the problem. The other possibility is that there’s some sort of hardware conflict on the new Mini, but that seems highly unlikely.

At any rate, I know I’m asking for someone else to spend their free time to solve my problem so no worries if you haven’t had a chance yet. It will take a few hours to reinstall Lion and properly reconfigure everything so I thought I’d try checking in just in case. Either way, thanks again for trying to help.

[bushidounohana]

As a big fan of retro gaming and emulators, I do a lot of playing on my old green N64 controller (NES, Genesis, N64, MAME) via USB adapter. Tangentially, I LOVE me some Bad News Baseball, Castlevania64, Double Dragon (arcade), NBA Maximum Hangtime (arcade) and Double Dragon II for NES.

I also plug in my PS3 controller for NBA2K11, but after seeing this thread I'll have to give the Bluetooth a try! Thanks guys!

[danielsmu]

Whelp...I decided emulators were worth the trouble of reinstalling Lion from scratch so here goes. I'll report back with my results in case this happens to anyone else.

FYI, when going through the reinstallation of Lion on a new Mac Mini, the internet recovery method will only completely reinstall Lion if you delete your disk partition first, then reinstall.

If you only select reinstall lion from the recovery menu, all of your apps and settings will remain intact and you'll have wasted 1.5 hours. Don't ask me how I know.

[danielsmu]

Clean Lion install and still can't pair. If anyone with a 2011 Mac mini can pair their PS3 via bluetooth, please let me know; otherwise, I'm chalking this up to some strange sort of hardware/software incompatibility on the new mini. :(

[khurrram]

Fantastic thread. I'm torn between which controller to buy, and I was going to go ahead with the XBOX360 controller. But now that I have read that PS3 controllers works great without drivers and with bluetooth. I'm practically sold.

One question though, do the controllers have to be Original Sony PS3 Wireless or the ones on generic ones would work too. They are going on eBay for £15.

That'd be an amazing if they do. Thanks a bunch.

[Mr.C]

Fantastic thread. I'm torn between which controller to buy, and I was going to go ahead with the XBOX360 controller. But now that I have read that PS3 controllers works great without drivers and with bluetooth. I'm practically sold.

One question though, do the controllers have to be Original Sony PS3 Wireless or the ones on generic ones would work too. They are going on eBay for £15.

That'd be an amazing if they do. Thanks a bunch.

Personally I wouldn't bother with the generic third party ones as they are more trouble then they are worth. It's best to stick with the official ones especially when using with a something other then the PS3. They may cost more but they will ne less headache and likely to last longer plus work better.

[drxcm]

I'm having similar problems pairing my PS3 controller to my Mac.

No drivers installed, above instructions followed to the letter.

Macbook Pro 17" (2009) running Lion - works perfectly as discussed, pairs with no passcode required
Macbook Air 11" (2011) running Lion - asks for passcode constantly, won't maintain connection, cannot use over bluetooth.

Again, I've tried all kinds of passcodes, including 0000, 000000, 1111. I've tried deleting my bluetooth prefs and retried. Google has not helped. I've seen similar posts on other forums with no answers on where to go from here.

I'm not quite sure what the difference is here, except that my MBP was upgraded to Lion from Snow Leopard, and the MBA came with Lion factory installed. Also I think the Bluetooth chipset is different between the machines.

I'd really LOVE a solution to pair the controller via Bluetooth on my Air...

[Mr.C]

These instructions I wrote should work fine, they are based on 10.6 but works fine here on 10.7.

********

First thing to do is make sure you have the following items and software ready before you begin.

10.6 or better (10.5 is NOT supported)
No PS3 Gamepad driver software installed (UNINSTALL ALL DRIVERS THEY BREAK THE SUPPORT)
PS3 Gamepad
USB charging cable for PS3 gamepad
Bluetooth enabled on your Mac
Once you are ready please download and watch the video below it will take you thorugh all the steps you need to take to connect your PS3 Gamepad to your Macintosh computer.

Walkthrough Video (http://www.feralinteractive.com/downloads/support/PS3_Gamepad_MacOSX.mov)

I tried the method in the video but it didn't work for me. I kept getting asked for a pass code which obviously I didn't have. After trying several times I gave up.

[edddeduck]

I'm having similar problems pairing my PS3 controller to my Mac.

No drivers installed, above instructions followed to the letter.

Macbook Pro 17" (2009) running Lion - works perfectly as discussed, pairs with no passcode required
Macbook Air 11" (2011) running Lion - asks for passcode constantly, won't maintain connection, cannot use over bluetooth.

Again, I've tried all kinds of passcodes, including 0000, 000000, 1111. I've tried deleting my bluetooth prefs and retried. Google has not helped. I've seen similar posts on other forums with no answers on where to go from here.

I'm not quite sure what the difference is here, except that my MBP was upgraded to Lion from Snow Leopard, and the MBA came with Lion factory installed. Also I think the Bluetooth chipset is different between the machines.

I'd really LOVE a solution to pair the controller via Bluetooth on my Air...

I tried the method in the video but it didn't work for me. I kept getting asked for a pass code which obviously I didn't have. After trying several times I gave up.

We will have of course keep investigating the issue but early reports and testing it looks like this is a bug in OS X Lion & certain Bluetooth chips.

Edwin

[Mr.C]

We will have of course keep investigating the issue but early reports and testing it looks like this is a bug in OS X Lion & certain Bluetooth chips.

Edwin

Thanks for the reply. I suspect you're probably right. There is no reason that I can see for the PS3 controller to require a pass code. I'm thinking maybe I should just pick up a used wired Xbox 360 controller or see if there is a way to use one of my wireless Xbox 360 controllers. It seems certainly that the Xbox 360 controllers are supported a lot more in PC/Mac games anyway. I was hoping to go wireless as every other input device I use is wireless but untill this issue with the PS3 controllers gets sorted out I may not have a choice.

[maril1111]

Yes you can use the ps3 controller but i only got it to work with snow leopard, lion simply doesn't want to work

[edddeduck]

Thanks for the reply. I suspect you're probably right. There is no reason that I can see for the PS3 controller to require a pass code. I'm thinking maybe I should just pick up a used wired Xbox 360 controller or see if there is a way to use one of my wireless Xbox 360 controllers. It seems certainly that the Xbox 360 controllers are supported a lot more in PC/Mac games anyway. I was hoping to go wireless as every other input device I use is wireless but untill this issue with the PS3 controllers gets sorted out I may not have a choice.

I would hang on a bit if you can (and maybe give Apple some feedback about the PS3 pad) as I would expect something like this to be fixed in a system update. I have no more clue than you if this will happen but based on previous releases most of the launch day bugs get fixed quite quickly in the .1 and .2 releases.

Edwin

[Mr.C]

I would hang on a bit if you can (and maybe give Apple some feedback about the PS3 pad) as I would expect something like this to be fixed in a system update. I have no more clue than you if this will happen but based on previous releases most of the launch day bugs get fixed quite quickly in the .1 and .2 releases.

Edwin

Thanks. I'll send some feedback to Apple although I'm not sure if they will take the issues regarding a third party input device like the PS3 controller seriously. Hopefull they will fix it in an upcoming point update along with all the other issues and bugs I and others are facing.

I must admit when I got my PowerBook back in 2005 it was just before the release of Tiger and when I upgraded to Tiger I had no issues. When I got my original revision MacBook Air with Leopard and my 2009 Mac Mini with Snow Leopard both OS's had been out for a while and had already received point updates and gave me no problems. Lion is the first Mac OS where I have faced bugs and issues from the beginning.

[edddeduck]

Thanks. I'll send some feedback to Apple although I'm not sure if they will take the issues regarding a third party input device like the PS3 controller seriously. Hopefull they will fix it in an upcoming point update along with all the other issues and bugs I and others are facing.

I must admit when I got my PowerBook back in 2005 it was just before the release of Tiger and when I upgraded to Tiger I had no issues. When I got my original revision MacBook Air with Leopard and my 2009 Mac Mini with Snow Leopard both OS's had been out for a while and had already received point updates and gave me no problems. Lion is the first Mac OS where I have faced bugs and issues from the beginning.

You have been lucky :) I have never experienced a .0 OS release that did not have side effects and regressions on at least a few machines. Then again I get exposed to lots of complex software and machines in my day job :)

Edwin

[drxcm]

10.7.1 has not fixed this for me on the 11" Macbook Air.
Still asking for the passkey when they pair over bluetooth, so not useable.

:(

[edddeduck]

10.7.1 has not fixed this for me on the 11" Macbook Air.
Still asking for the passkey when they pair over bluetooth, so not useable.

:(

Can you send me your support report using a Feral game to support and mention you spoke to me in the forums. I have a similar laptop here and it works fine so I would like to se if you have a different bluetooth chip or drivers.

Edwin

[Val-kyrie]

We will have of course keep investigating the issue but early reports and testing it looks like this is a bug in OS X Lion & certain Bluetooth chips.

Edwin

Just a guess, but it may only be a problem with the Bluetooth on new Mac Minis and MBAs with Lion because Apple just switched from BT 2.1 + EDR to BT 4.0. I would be interested to find out whether this problem also affects Macs with Lion and BT 2.1 and earlier (MBPs, iMacs, MPs).

[edddeduck]

Just a guess, but it may only be a problem with the Bluetooth on new Mac Minis and MBAs with Lion because Apple just switched from BT 2.1 + EDR to BT 4.0. I would be interested to find out whether this problem also affects Macs with Lion and BT 2.1 and earlier (MBPs, iMacs, MPs).

I have a new 2011 mini (Lion only) in QA which sync's the PS3 pad in the Bluetooth options panel and does not bring up the prompt to enter a code. This gets more and more weird!

Edwin

[drxcm]

Can you send me your support report using a Feral game to support and mention you spoke to me in the forums. I have a similar laptop here and it works fine so I would like to se if you have a different bluetooth chip or drivers.

Edwin

Can I do this with a demo download? I dont have any Feral games..

[Milliva]

Hi, I've recently purchased a ps3 sixaxis dualschock 3 controller, mainly to play a few games more easily than i can with a keyboard and mouse. Heres the thing...having trawled online pages for answers, the best i found was the link to the feral video showing how easy it is to hook up this controller to my mac, no drivers, just simple. But it doesn't seem to work for me, the controller does not show up in the bluetooth and does not appear to be showing up at all on my mac.

I've followed all the rules to connect it to the mac, but the simple fact is it does not appear to show up anywhere on my mac.

its a 2008 iMac running 10.6.8 and it's really annoying me as i don't see why it shouldn't work when it appears to do so for so many others i see on forums like this. Can anyone please help me, I waited for when i would receive my controller so i could play games with it, but what a bummer now :(

[aonali21]

I'm looking for a gamepad to make my Mac game playing experience, more like my consoles, and don't really know where to start, because of all the different options, and possibly compatibility issues.

In your opinion, what's the best gamepad controller out there for the Mac platform?

Thanks,
NickD


I would recommend getting the Sega Saturn USB PC controller from ebay. Said that because it's a mackup of the Sega Saturn's 2nd model 6-button controller that has a great deel to it and legendary d-pad.
It's been called the best gamepad ever, for good reason.

[FaulconD]

I'm using a wireless PS3 Controller that did work well with MC Domination. It syncs easily with Lion via bluetooth. There are some excellent syncing tutorials on Youtube.

It worked very well with all buttons on default. However, I "foolishly" decided to invert both sets of buttons one and two. Since then the game fails on the last step, when detecting the gamepad and will not activate the game.

I think I need to reset the gamepad controls to default... but can not get by the detection phase.

Has anyone else experienced this problem or could suggest where the modificaitons might be saved?

And finally, can anyone suggest other Mac games that work well with the PS3 wireless controller?

[Mr.C]

Just an update from me. I've made some progress with my syncing issue. I got the PS3 controller to connect via Bluetooth by entering 0000 as the pass code. However I've tried playing both the Bioshock demo and the full version of Portal 2 and it doesn't work with either. I'm not sure if it's a technical issue or the controller just doesn't work with those games. Do I need to install controller software for the PS3 controller ?

[danielsmu]

Just an update from me. I've made some progress with my syncing issue. I got the PS3 controller to connect via Bluetooth by entering 0000 as the pass code. However I've tried playing both the Bioshock demo and the full version of Portal 2 and it doesn't work with either. I'm not sure if it's a technical issue or the controller just doesn't work with those games. Do I need to install controller software for the PS3 controller ?

Thank you for updating on this. Did you do anything different to get the PS3 controller to pair using that passcode?

I'm on a 2011 Mac Mini and I've tried that passcode before but it just caused the same passcode popup to appear for me. The only method I had any success with was deleting all of my bluetooth preferences files. Even then, that only allowed the controller to pair for a few hours or so before the passcode dialog box appeared again.

Ahh the joys of being an early adopter :rolleyes:

[Mr.C]

Thank you for updating on this. Did you do anything different to get the PS3 controller to pair using that passcode?

I'm on a 2011 Mac Mini and I've tried that passcode before but it just caused the same passcode popup to appear for me. The only method I had any success with was deleting all of my bluetooth preferences files. Even then, that only allowed the controller to pair for a few hours or so before the passcode dialog box appeared again.

Ahh the joys of being an early adopter :rolleyes:

I didn't do anything different. I just followed the instructions given earlier in this thread. that said the controller connected but didn't actually work with the games I tried. I think I'm just going to get a wired Xbox 360 controller and be done with it. It's much better supported in PC and Mac games anyway. I was trying to stay wireless as my various other controllers for my consoles are all wireless.

[Dr. McKay]

I have a Logitech Precision Pro digital joypad. It's designed like a playstation dual shock, but without the analog controls (I only use it for 2D fighting games in mame).
I'm sure the version with analog controls is just as good. I also have an Attack 3 joystick.

Very satisfied with Logitech, absolutely no drivers to install, works right out of the box. The new joypads are all with analog control and there's no mention of Mac support, but I suppose there wouldn't be a problem.

[edddeduck]

For people with the code prompt constantly appearing you can try these steps as listed in the IMG forums. (http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=42382&view=findpost&p=404171)

Please note you don't need to use the PAN setting you should be able to open the bluetooth assistant by clicking on the + button in System Preferences / Bluetooth.

Good Luck

Edwin

[danielsmu]

For people with the code prompt constantly appearing you can try these steps as listed in the IMG forums. (http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=42382&view=findpost&p=404171)

Please note you don't need to use the PAN setting you should be able to open the bluetooth assistant by clicking on the + button in System Preferences / Bluetooth.

Good Luck

Edwin

Thanks Edwin! I was only able to briefly test before work today, but this solution seemed to work perfectly.

I had previously successfully paired a Sixaxis and Dualshock PS3 gamepad to my 2011 Mac mini after deleting my Bluetooth preferences files. My problem was that after a few hours, I would start to get the pairing code popup which prevented the controllers from pairing. I only mention that because both PS3 gamepads were already listed in my Bluetooth devices list, they just wouldn’t pair (i.e. change from a red to a green light).

I tried to pair my 2011 Mini to my 2010 Macbook Pro (both running Lion) through the pairing interface on my Mini. The pairing was unsuccessful and I clicked the “Passcode options” button and then checked the radio button that said the device (my 2010 Macbook Pro) didn’t use a passcode. Now when I press the PS button on either gamepad, they pair instantly without asking for a pairing code. I tested them both in MAME and they work great.

Next steps will be to try pairing again after a few hours as well as rebooting my Mini to make sure this is a stable solution. I’ll post back with my results in a day or two, but this looks very promising so far. Thanks again!

[danielsmu]

Well, I may have spoken too soon. This solution does appear to work consistently; however, when I reboot my machine and try to pair the controllers, I'm presented with the same pairing dialog box.

It's definitely the best solution available, but it looks like we'll need to repeat these steps after each reboot.

[Menoetius]

hey guys, please take the time to write a short complaint to apple regarding this. I am for one extremely annoyed with my new ps3 controller not connecting to my mid 2011 MBA, regardless of any action I take.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

thanks

[mfr1340]

I use a PS3 controller with Controllermate. You should really check it out. I've got configurations for all my games. The best part is that you can set it to automatically start a profile when you start a game (besides source games, which have no .app). It doesn't even have to be running. Just set it up. Exit. Then you never have to see it again. Very seamless and Mac-esque.

Unfortunately gamepads on computer games have always been almost a niche product. It's even worse on Macs, so after searching and searching. The PS3/360 controller plus controllermate seemed to be the best option.

do you have the set up for cod4? I downloaded controller mate but I don't know what to set all the buttons at. It would be nice if it would set all the buttons automatically.

[Da Citizen]

Great thread. Cant wait to get home tonight to try my PS3 pad. Hope it works!
Portal 2 on sale on Steam today!!!!

[stevenvu]

Could someone kindly tell me the solution to the problem. I've been searching the net for hours and finally came across this thread which points to a link that is currently down!

http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=42382&view=findpost&p=404171

To make matters worse you then teased me by talking about how well the solution worked.

Steven.

[jasonmak1]

t just doesn't work with me, i have a mbp17 early 11 and it just say that playstation(r)3 controller, type keyboard and it also says not paired, even though i have already connected the controller with usb. and after a while, it just stop connecting. i have already installed the gamepad and the ps3controllerinstal.0.01, what can i do with this?

[edddeduck]

t just doesn't work with me, i have a mbp17 early 11 and it just say that playstation(r)3 controller, type keyboard and it also says not paired, even though i have already connected the controller with usb. and after a while, it just stop connecting. i have already installed the gamepad and the ps3controllerinstal.0.01, what can i do with this?

"ps3controllerinstal.0.01" could be the problem I never use drivers when getting the PS3 pad to work.

Edwin

[DIESEL-X]

Hit and miss for me.

The PS3 controller works with some App Store Apps i.e. 'Trine' right off the shelf and with using bluetooth... yet if I fire-up Mac version Call of Duty 4, then not a chance in hell as the game's controller setup options menu just doesn't respond to a single button-push from the controller. As mentioned Trine works straight-off but you do have to customise a few buttons as the default setup just hasn't really been setup effectively.

We need a proper default OS X Lion - PS3 driver that 'ALL' games will respond/recognise and proper OS X joypad mapping utility software, once and for all please Apple?

[edddeduck]

Hit and miss for me.

The PS3 controller works with some App Store Apps i.e. 'Trine' right off the shelf and with using bluetooth... yet if I fire-up Mac version Call of Duty 4, then not a chance in hell as the game's controller setup options menu just doesn't respond to a single button-push from the controller. As mentioned Trine works straight-off but you do have to customise a few buttons as the default setup just hasn't really been setup effectively.

We need a proper default OS X Lion - PS3 driver that 'ALL' games will respond/recognise and proper OS X joypad mapping utility software, once and for all please Apple?

There is no need for a driver (perhaps a bug fix to fix the pairing issues in bluetooth some people are having) but the pad itself is 100% HID compliant so supporting the PS3 pad is similar to supporting any other USB pad like the ones from Logitech for example.

The main difference is every button on the PS3 pad has digital and analogue sensors (no other pads do this) so you need to make sure your game knows how to pickup the one you want however this is relatively simple as you can get all the information you need using a USB programs like the Apple sample program "HID Calibrator".

Mapping software will not solve all the issues as you need to make the game compatible with gamepads which usually is the problem. A universal SDK would be useful but it would not be a golden bullet.

Finally compared to the 360 pad which does not use any published standards and requires special hardware and software to work on a Mac the PS3 pad (and the Wii) are a lot easier to get working.

Edwin

[AndyMoore]

When it comes to 360 controllers, will both the 360 version and the Windows version work on a Mac . . . ?

I'm assuming that the Windows version won't need any drivers and will be more compatible.

[edddeduck]

When it comes to 360 controllers, will both the 360 version and the Windows version work on a Mac . . . ?

I'm assuming that the Windows version won't need any drivers and will be more compatible.

All versions of the gamepad (Xbox 360/PC & Wireless/Wired) will work but they all require drivers (the drivers are open source on the Mac and have a few side effects/bugs). The wireless 360 pad does not use Bluetooth instead it has it's own special proprietary frequency which requires a special Microsoft dongle. This means the wireless version of the pad requires you to buy the USB 360 wireless dongle as well as installing the drivers.

Microsoft do not offer Mac drivers so the only option is the open source ones I mentioned above which sometimes have compatibility issues on some peoples Mac machines.

No versions of the XBox 360 gamepad will work on Mac (or Windows) without installing special drivers first.

Hope that clears up any questions on the 360 pad on the Mac.

Cheers,

Edwin

[Reea]

hi, just thought I'd post some of my experience.
I actually followed all the instructions and was quite frustrated when the controller appeared among the bluetooth devices as connected, but not paired and apparently didn't work.
But. I then installed a gamepad companion and programmed the controller's buttons. it is easy: you push a button of a controller, it appears as button #6, for example (button #6 is right arrow in mine) or button #5 or z axis or whatever. then you assign a specific key, key combination or mouse click or movement to it.
now, the controller works perfectly.
if you have the same case, the device is connected via bluetooth but doesn't work, see if you need to program the buttons, maybe they're just all blank, like in my case
BTW, the controller is still not paired, only connected. It works with Trine so far, haven't tried with others. this gamepad companion appears to allow storing different mapping schemes, so it could be that for different games one will have to save different schemes

[PrinceValium]

I was trying to get the PS3 controller to work with COD4 as well. I do have a spare 360 wireless controller to use if I have to. The Gamepad companion...will it work with COD4?? It is a pain in the neck starting PC games being used to a controller, and then having to use the mouse. i will look into the gamepad controller because it would suck to have paid for this game in the app store and not pay it well because I suck with the mouse and keyboard!

[cerote]

It will work. Basically what it does is have you program the buttons and keys used on the mouse/keyboard and map them to the controller. So it will take a few minutes to setup the controls.

[aruseman]

Well, I may have spoken too soon. This solution does appear to work consistently; however, when I reboot my machine and try to pair the controllers, I'm presented with the same pairing dialog box.

It's definitely the best solution available, but it looks like we'll need to repeat these steps after each reboot.

Hi,

I just figured out how to use the PS3 controller in Lion, via bluetooth, no need for 3rd party drivers, same way like it was in Snow.

It has not to be paired, just *configured* and *added to favorites* devices under bluetooth pref pane.

In order to do that,

1) plug the pad using the usb cable, unplug it.
2) don't care about the pairing request
3)Open Bluetooth Preferences (you have ~15 sec)
4)select the ("connected" and "configured" but not "paired") "Playstation3 controller"
5)add it to favorites

6) disconnect the controller from Bluetooth menu bar


7) push the PSX button on the controller, it will connect and you are ready to play.



Tested on 10.7.2 1nd 10.7.3 on MacBookAir 2011 and MacMini Server 2011

For some reason, previously (Snow or 10.7.1, can't test now) it was automatically added to the fav. devices. and not asking the pairing code, that's why the procedure broke updating the OS.

[madhatter14641]

Hi,

I just figured out how to use the PS3 controller in Lion, via bluetooth, no need for 3rd party drivers, same way like it was in Snow.

It has not to be paired, just *configured* and *added to favorites* devices under bluetooth pref pane.

In order to do that,

1) plug the pad using the usb cable, unplug it.
2) don't care about the pairing request
3)Open Bluetooth Preferences (you have ~15 sec)
4)select the ("connected" and "configured" but not "paired") "Playstation3 controller"
5)add it to favorites

6) disconnect the controller from Bluetooth menu bar


7) push the PSX button on the controller, it will connect and you are ready to play.



Tested on 10.7.2 1nd 10.7.3 on MacBookAir 2011 and MacMini Server 2011

For some reason, previously (Snow or 10.7.1, can't test now) it was automatically added to the fav. devices. and not asking the pairing code, that's why the procedure broke updating the OS.

I was able to make this work, but I had to enter "0000" as the passcode when it asked for one (right before step 3).

For those of you who are having a hard time finding the "add to favorites" button, you can find it by clicking on the gear in the bottom left corner of the bluetooth preferences pane.

Good luck!

[Yaboze]

I'm using some generic USB Mad Catz controller. I originally bought it for my PC a few years back. I forget the name, but it's black and has analog/digital sticks, multiple buttons, etc. It has rumble as well. It looks like a PS3/360 controller. It works perfectly in Lion and I used it with the Virtual ][ Apple IIe emulator. I had fun playing Lode Runner for a while. :)