Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Joystick for Mac
- Thread starter Koltrast
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
All USB joysticks that use the HID standard should work on OS X. If you are looking for force feedback, AKA haptic, AKA rumble, Apple removed the force feedback drivers for Logitech in 10.7. The most likely reason for doing so: They weren't 64-bit. You can still get the driver, but if the game is 64-bit only, it won't load it.
I don't know if there is any joystick that has 32-64 bit force feedback drivers for OS X. For a game pad, an Xbox 360 controller with the Tattieboggle drivers.
I don't know if there is any joystick that has 32-64 bit force feedback drivers for OS X. For a game pad, an Xbox 360 controller with the Tattieboggle drivers.
Like the guy below you said, Apple's OSX depends on USB devices that use the industry-wide HID standards.
The problem is that some manufacturers will release joysticks that are non-HID compliant because, for some reason, they want to make THEIR joystick super-special, or give it some special proprietary feature. So that joystick ends up breaking compatibility with OSX.
This is not the first thread to discuss this, but from my own personal research, here is a small list of USB joysticks that are HID-compliant, and therefore do work with MacOSX right out of the box. You don't even need to install the drivers that come in the box, and they probably don't even bother to include a Mac driver in the first place. I will put minor commentary for some entries:
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick (right handed)
It's a straightforward 'cheap-entry' USB joystick. No frills, lots of buttons, feels like cheap plastic, but it's easily Mac compatible out of the box.
Thrustmaster T-Flight Stick X Flight Stick (slightly right handed)
After some research, I found that this stick was actually OSX compatible as it is HID complaint, even tho it says PC only on the box. I bought one, and yes it works. This stick feels more sturdy than the Logitech, IMHO. There is also a HOTAS version that is also proven Mac-compatible, and THAT version happens to be a crowd favorite among the Mac veterans who have been playing X-Plane for over a decade, many forum member were pushing me to buy that one instead. I decided to get the non-HOTAS version because I wanted a simple joystick, not something that requires 4 arms to operate.
CH Products Flightstick Pro USB 4-Button Joystick 8-Way Hatswitch (ambidextrous)
CH has always been a Mac-friendly company. And from the various X-Plane forums, CH sticks seems to be a Mac user favorite. This model is a simplistic few-buttons version, but also one of the very few true ambidextrous flight sticks available. I only have one negative for this stick, that it lacks enough buttons, and does not have buttons to operate the rudder controls (used in the realistic flight sims like X-Plane). You do have the option of buying a "throttle" stick for your second hand or a pedal thinggy (rudder), but the cost does add up.
I won't mention the other sticks like Saitek or MadCat or Microsoft since I have no experience with them, or did not even do enough research on them when I considered a purchase.
I'll just make an addition to this long running but useful thread.
There's an app in the app store called "Joystick Show", priced at $0.99, or £0.69 here in the UK. It does exactly what its name suggests and shows the effect of stick-waggles and button presses for any game controller connected.
I bought it to check the compatibility of the Saitek X-55 Rhino HOTAS setup that I'll be using in Elite: Dangerous once the Mac client is available.
So, adding to Solomani's list...
Saitek X-55 Rhino HOTAS (Right-Handed)
Checks out as being HID compliant in "Joystick Show" with one caveat. In Windows, Saitek enable the selection of three separate modes via software, as well as a method of assigning macros to the various inputs to create profiles. There's no such support in OS X, unfortunately, but since I have yet to use such features even where they're available in Windows, I don't see it as any great loss. Pro-level ace simmers may feel differently, though. Anyway, all axes, buttons, hats, toggles, rotaries appear to be correctly handled, so this is another viable option.
I suspect the same story is true for the X52 and X52 Pro, but I haven't tested those.
*EDIT* Just like the CH Products controllers mentioned by tomvos below, The X-55 Rhino units are separate USB devices.
*EDIT 2* Saitek's Windows software also allows the setup of custom parameters like deadbands, response curves and electrical/physical axis adjustment. These adjustments are then applied to the stick or throttle and are independent of the programable profiles mentioned above. According to a quick experiment with Joystick Show, these adjustments appear to carry over quite happily to OS X, which is excellent news. The only drawback is the need for a Windows installation to set up these custom parameters.
There's an app in the app store called "Joystick Show", priced at $0.99, or £0.69 here in the UK. It does exactly what its name suggests and shows the effect of stick-waggles and button presses for any game controller connected.
I bought it to check the compatibility of the Saitek X-55 Rhino HOTAS setup that I'll be using in Elite: Dangerous once the Mac client is available.
So, adding to Solomani's list...
Saitek X-55 Rhino HOTAS (Right-Handed)
Checks out as being HID compliant in "Joystick Show" with one caveat. In Windows, Saitek enable the selection of three separate modes via software, as well as a method of assigning macros to the various inputs to create profiles. There's no such support in OS X, unfortunately, but since I have yet to use such features even where they're available in Windows, I don't see it as any great loss. Pro-level ace simmers may feel differently, though. Anyway, all axes, buttons, hats, toggles, rotaries appear to be correctly handled, so this is another viable option.
I suspect the same story is true for the X52 and X52 Pro, but I haven't tested those.
*EDIT* Just like the CH Products controllers mentioned by tomvos below, The X-55 Rhino units are separate USB devices.
*EDIT 2* Saitek's Windows software also allows the setup of custom parameters like deadbands, response curves and electrical/physical axis adjustment. These adjustments are then applied to the stick or throttle and are independent of the programable profiles mentioned above. According to a quick experiment with Joystick Show, these adjustments appear to carry over quite happily to OS X, which is excellent news. The only drawback is the need for a Windows installation to set up these custom parameters.
Last edited:
I just recently bought a Fighterstick and Throttle from CH Products. Both work fine under OS X 10.9.
The joysticks are detected as USB HID interfaces. Which is no problem if the game supports the concept of more than one joystick. Basically this means that the stick is joystick 1 and the throttle is joystick 2 etc.
What doesnt work is CH Products utility software. This software runs only under Windows. It allows you the aggregate your different CH joysticks into one virtual joystick. This comes in handy if a game supports only one joystick. Mostly this matters for some old games as newer games tend be be aware of the fact that multiple input devices are used simultaneously.
Besides this, the utility software allows you to create modes of button configurations. You can switch between the modes on the fly. This allows further customization of the stick to a game.
So basically the CH Product joysticks work just fine under OS X. But in order to take advantage of the optional advanced features you need Windows.
Saitek works fine, but they don't have any software for Mac (well, they point out a 3ed party).
Lack of support for Mac stuck!
Lack of support for Mac stuck!
Joystick Problems
I have a Logitech extreme 3D Pro that I am tying to use with my Mac Yosemite 10.9 and 10.9 (it's partitioned) It won't work!! It only clicks and doesn't let me direct it. I use it through a USB Overdrive so I can use it for a mouse because I cannot navigate the computer otherwise (I am handicapped) Does anyone know what is wrong? It was working before with Maverick, with the same JoyStick.
I have a Logitech extreme 3D Pro that I am tying to use with my Mac Yosemite 10.9 and 10.9 (it's partitioned) It won't work!! It only clicks and doesn't let me direct it. I use it through a USB Overdrive so I can use it for a mouse because I cannot navigate the computer otherwise (I am handicapped) Does anyone know what is wrong? It was working before with Maverick, with the same JoyStick.
You may need to Enable USB Overdrive's accessibility settings in System Preferences, under Security & Privacy.
Hi there, are you willing to share how you got the X55 to work properly in osx?
I'm failing in all ways. RMA.
I just bought one of those, and with Yosemite too. I am not trying to use it as a mouse but I am also experiencing issues with it as a kernel panic when booting the iMac when the HID is loading.
Have you experienced kernel panics?
I will try getting it to work like a mouse and see what happens.
[doublepost=1505597957][/doublepost]I have an older CH Flightstick Pro USB that my iMac 21.5 Sierra will not recognize as even plugged in to a port.Like the guy below you said, Apple's OSX depends on USB devices that use the industry-wide HID standards.
The problem is that some manufacturers will release joysticks that are non-HID compliant because, for some reason, they want to make THEIR joystick super-special, or give it some special proprietary feature. So that joystick ends up breaking compatibility with OSX.
This is not the first thread to discuss this, but from my own personal research, here is a small list of USB joysticks that are HID-compliant, and therefore do work with MacOSX right out of the box. You don't even need to install the drivers that come in the box, and they probably don't even bother to include a Mac driver in the first place. I will put minor commentary for some entries:
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick (right handed)
It's a straightforward 'cheap-entry' USB joystick. No frills, lots of buttons, feels like cheap plastic, but it's easily Mac compatible out of the box.
Thrustmaster T-Flight Stick X Flight Stick (slightly right handed)
After some research, I found that this stick was actually OSX compatible as it is HID complaint, even tho it says PC only on the box. I bought one, and yes it works. This stick feels more sturdy than the Logitech, IMHO. There is also a HOTAS version that is also proven Mac-compatible, and THAT version happens to be a crowd favorite among the Mac veterans who have been playing X-Plane for over a decade, many forum member were pushing me to buy that one instead. I decided to get the non-HOTAS version because I wanted a simple joystick, not something that requires 4 arms to operate.
CH Products Flightstick Pro USB 4-Button Joystick 8-Way Hatswitch (ambidextrous)
CH has always been a Mac-friendly company. And from the various X-Plane forums, CH sticks seems to be a Mac user favorite. This model is a simplistic few-buttons version, but also one of the very few true ambidextrous flight sticks available. I only have one negative for this stick, that it lacks enough buttons, and does not have buttons to operate the rudder controls (used in the realistic flight sims like X-Plane). You do have the option of buying a "throttle" stick for your second hand or a pedal thinggy (rudder), but the cost does add up.
I won't mention the other sticks like Saitek or MadCat or Microsoft since I have no experience with them, or did not even do enough research on them when I considered a purchase.
USB Overdrive, and no control manager will work with it. I also have a Logitech Attack 3 same problem.
All I can figure is it is my OS/Computer-system. I know that all Apple has on its minds is iPhone, iPhone, iPhone and to hell with the computer customer. Got no help from Apple, Logitech or CH. What a waste.
I have a logitech #D force feedback that works great in bootcamp and has from Windows Xp all the way through Windows 10. But if I try to use it in OS X it doesn't work, it's flakey and jerky pretty much useless. It's been that way for about 3 or 4 OS versions. Now that I think about I have a old Wacom tablet that is pretty much the same story.