Sep 19, 2010 Question: Q: Wired xbox 360 controller with Mac (steam). However, the 360 wired headset (the one that plugs into the controller) doesn't work. I dunno about the wireless 360 headset (the one that directly connects to the receiver) but I imagine it wouldn't. XBox 360 Controller Driver allows you to use wired XBox 360 Controllers via USB, and wireless XBox 360 Controllers via the Microsoft Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows, on your OS X machine, including support for the Apple Force Feedback library. The driver is licenced under the GPL.
Gaming on a Mac is not what Apple is historically known for. However, with Apple delving into the fledgling virtual and augmented reality space, some traditional game interfaces and not so traditional interfaces (think HTC wands or Valve's knuckle controllers) now need to be supported on macOS to reap the VR/AR benefits to their fullest.
To ready you for some amazing VR pilot games such as Eve: Valkyrie that utilize a traditional game Xbox game controller, we're here to show you how to connect one to your Mac! In the past this method only applied to the Xbox 360 controller, but the latest version of the software you'll be using also now supports the Xbox One controller.
How to download and install the drivers
We're assuming that you already own a wired Xbox controller, but if you're needing to buy, a standard controller is about $50. You'll need to connect it to your Mac using a microUSB cable which, sadly, isn't included. If you buy a third-party wired controller you won't have to worry about this.
Next, follow these steps.
- Launch Safari.
- Navigate to https://github.com/360/Controller/360Controller/releases.
Download the latest release of the 360Controller driver. As of this writing, the latest release is 0.16.5.
- Go to your Downloads folder in Finder.
- Double-click the 360Controllerinstall_*.dmg file.
Double-click the Install360Controller.pkg that pops up in Finder.
- Click Continue.
Again, click Continue.
- Select to Agree the license agreement.
- Click Install.
Agree to allow a restart of the computer by clicking Continue Installation.
- Click Restart.
You can optionally have the downloaded file Moved to Trash.
- Upon restarting the computer start System Preferences from the dock or the menu.
- Click on Xbox 360 Controllers.
How to connect your Xbox 360 controller
Once you've installed the drivers, you'll now logically see that there are No devices found, since we have yet to physically connect the game controller to the Mac.
- Plug in your controller to your Mac. If you have a current model MacBook or MacBook Pro, you'll need a USB-C to USB-A adapter.
- Click OK when the System Extension Blocked warning message pops up.
- Go into System Preferences via the dock or menu.
Click Security & Privacy.
- Under the General tab click the Lock at the bottom left.
Enter your password and click Unlock.
- Click Allow.
Xbox 360 Wired Controller Download For Mac Free
Your Xbox wired controller should now be connected!
Final thoughts
I am super stoked about developers climbing aboard the VR/AR hype train. As a mere consumer of VR, I can only hope for more and more creative minds to get on board. If you're a VR/AR developer, or even better yet, a macOS VR/AR developer, what other ways can Apple help promote virtual reality on their platform? Let us know in the comments!
Updated April 2018: Updated to reflect that this method also now supports the Xbox One controller.
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I like playing games on my Mac, but as a console gamer at heart, I much prefer the joypad to the keyboard and mouse. In particular, racing games like Dirt 2 -- recently acquired as part of the awesome Feral bundle -- just don't feel right to me controlling them with a keyboard. Not to mention the immense discomfort I'm feeling after a session. The solution; hooking up a controller. And, since the Xbox 360 controller is common, not that expensive, and easy to connect, that's the route I went. So, lets show you how you can do it too.
I'm using a wired Xbox 360 controller, but you can use a wireless one but you'll need to purchase a receiver to plug into your Mac. Since the wired controller has a standard USB port on the end, it seemed like the easiest option. To make it work, you're going to need to pick up a driver. The one we want is the Tattiebogle driver. Download the latest disk image, open it up and go through the install process. Once completed, your Mac will require a restart.
- Download the Tattiebogle Xbox 360 controller driver
UPDATE: Tattiebogle hasn't been updated since OS X Snow Leopard and doesn't seem to work on Yosemite. However, there's a GitHub repo that fixes the unofficial support unofficially:
- 360Controller 0.13.1
When you're back up and running, opening up the System Preferences pane, you'll see a new option under Other named 'Xbox 360 Controllers.' This is where you check that the controller is working, and can set it up to your liking by inverting the axis on the analog sticks on the controller. For some games, this is all you'll need to do. Dirt 2, for example, has gamepad support built in and so the controller works perfectly with it once you select it as the preferred control method for the game.
For the times your controller isn't supported out of the box, something like Joystick Mapper or Gamepad Companion could be your salvation. Available to download via the Mac App Store, Joystick Mapper sells for $4.99 and Gamepad Companion is $7.99. Their purpose is to configure your controller to act as a keyboard and mouse, with you getting the chance to dictate which buttons map to which keyboard presses.
- Joystick Mapper - $4.99
- Gamepad Companion - $7.99
That's about all she wrote. From here on out you should be good to go with your Xbox 360 controller and your Mac games. If you've hooked up a game controller to your Mac, let us know what it is, how you did it and why you like it in the comments below!
Note: Published May 2013, updated November 2014.
How To Connect Xbox 360 Wired Controller To Pc
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