Connect PS5 DualSense to macOS
To start pairing, hold both the PS button and the Share button together until the lightbar blinks. Bluetooth (legacy gamepad) or USB pairing in a few steps.
Step-by-step
Put the PS5 DualSense into pairing mode by hold both the PS button and the Share button together until the lightbar blinks, then follow the platform steps below.
DualSense uses Bluetooth with a proprietary "Wireless Controller" profile. Use the same pairing method every time; Windows sometimes lists two discovered devices — pair the one without "LE" in the name.
The DualSense is the pickiest of the five to pair on PC because Windows can show it as both a Bluetooth device and a separate Low Energy (LE) endpoint — pairing the LE entry gives you a connection that works for battery reporting but may never expose gamepad input. When that happens, forget both entries, re-pair the non-LE device, and then check that the controller's lightbar settles to a steady color rather than pulsing, which indicates the legacy-gamepad profile is active. On Steam, the DualSense also triggers Steam Input by default, which can mask raw gamepad input from other apps; if your tester shows no input but Steam is open, close Steam or disable the PlayStation configuration support for that device.
Press and hold the controller's pairing button until the LED flashes.
Open System Settings → Bluetooth and select the controller to pair.
For Nintendo-layout buttons on non-Nintendo pads, verify button roles in the game or with a tester before ranked play.
macOS treats most pads as generic HID gamepads. If the stick reads non-zero at rest on our Stick Drift Detector, that is sensor drift — not a macOS quirk.
Official reference: PlayStation Official ↗
Quick answers
How do I connect the PS5 DualSense to macOS?
Put the PS5 DualSense in pairing mode (hold the pairing button until the LED flashes), then pair it from macOS's Bluetooth settings. For a stable wired connection, connect the controller by USB instead.
Why isn't my PS5 DualSense being detected by macOS?
Most detection failures are one of: Bluetooth batteries draining, a stale pairing entry, or the pad connected to another device. Remove the old pairing, re-pair, and confirm with a browser tester before blaming the controller.
Does the PS5 DualSense work with a drifting stick on macOS?
It connects the same way — drift is a sensor issue reported by the gamepad, not a platform issue. Run our Stick Drift Detector after pairing to confirm the measurement.