How to Connect Your PS4 and Xbox Controllers to Your iPhone or iPad

iOS 13 is available now and it brings with it a bunch of new features, including the possibility to pair your PS4 or Xbox controller via Bluetooth with your iPhone or iPad. Plus, Mac computers and Apple TV devices will also be capable of pairing up with your controllers.

This will be extremely handy for gamers that already own a console and don’t want to spend money on a controller to use only for their iOS devices. 

With this feature and the release of Apple Arcade, Apple is taking mobile gaming seriously. If you don’t want to miss out on any of the action, then you should get your PS4 or Xbox controller ready. If you don’t know how, then you came to the right place. 

Compatibility

To be clear, you can only pair your PS4 or Xbox controller if your device has iOS 13. This update has been available since September 19, 2019. Keep in mind only these devices will support the update:

1. 7th Generation iPod touch
2. iPhone SE
3. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
4. iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
5. iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
6. iPhone X and iPhone XR
7. iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
8. iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

Now if you have an iPad, then it needs to have iPadOS, which is supported by these iPads:

1. iPad Air 2 and 3rd Generation iPad Air
2. iPad mini 4 and 5th Generation iPad mini
3. 5th Generation iPad and 6th Generation iPad
4. 9.7-inch iPad Pro
5. 10.5-inch iPad Pro
6. 11-inch iPad Pro
7. 12.9-inch iPad Pro

You can also connect your controller to your Mac. However, you’ll need macOS Catalina 10.15, which supports these computers:

1. Mac Pro from 2013 and later models
2. All iMac Pro models
3. iMac from 2012 and later models
4. Mac mini from 2012 and later models
5. MacBook Air from 2012 and later models
6. MacBook Pro from 2012 and later models
7. MacBook from 2015 and later models

Finally, you can also use your Apple TV with tvOS 13, which is compatible with these devices:

1. Apple TV 4K
2. Apple TV HD

So there are a lot of devices to choose from. However, if you don’t have any of these devices, then you won’t be able to use your controllers for gameplay. With that out of the way, here’s how to connect your PS4 and Xbox One controllers to your iPhone or iPad.

How to Connect Your PS4 and Xbox Controllers to Your iPhone or iPad

Step 1 ✅

First, you need to pair your Apple device with your controller.

1. To do this, you need to go to the Settings app, or System Preferences if you’re doing it on a Mac computer.
2. Go to the Bluetooth settings and turn your Bluetooth on.

Step 2 ✅

1. Make sure your controller’s Bluetooth is turned on as well. To do this, you need to complete the following steps:
2. → For the PS4 DualShock controller, you need to press the PlayStation Button and the share button at the same time for about 4 seconds. You’ll see the light in the back flash for a moment. That means it’s pairing up with your Apple device.
3. → For the Xbox One controller, if you’ve never paired it to anything else before you’ll have to hold the Xbox button for a couple of seconds. If you have paired it before, you’ll need to press the button that’s on the top of the controller (between the left and right trigger) for a couple of seconds as well.
4. If you did it correctly, you’d see your controller on the list of devices. Tap or click your controller, and it should be connected in no time. 

While in Bluetooth settings, you can also connect, disconnect, and unpair your controllers. If you have your controller connected to a Mac computer, then you can also rename your controller. 

To do this, you just need to right-click the name of your controller and choose the rename option. Unfortunately, as of right now, you can’t change your controller’s name on the iPad, iPhone or Apple TV.

And that’s it! You’re ready to bring your “A” game to your Apple devices.