If you enjoy gaming on your Mac, these are the best Apple-compatible joystick controllers on the market.
If you like to play games on your Mac, be it an iMac, a MacBook Pro, or a Mini then you are surely wondering which are the best joysticks or game controllers for mac.
Not everyone likes to play with a gaming mouse and keyboard for games. So if you want to make the gaming experience even more exciting you will have to buy a game controller compatible with your macOS. Unfortunately, not all joysticks on the market are natively compatible with the Apple operating system. So in this article, I will show you the best joystick controllers that are perfectly compatible with your mac.
The best game controllers to play on Mac
As we know Mac OS is not a gaming operating system, there are some exciting games to play either classic games or new games that are for Mac OS. Gaming keyboards and mice are fine, but nothing can replace the convenience of playing with a gamepad on your Mac. The added convenience is that you can lie comfortably on your couch while enjoying the game.
One thing to keep in mind with game controllers is their design. It doesn’t matter how professional you are in a game, but if you’re not comfortable with your controller, you are likely to lose the battle. If you are experiencing this problem, you had better take a look at some of the best controllers for Mac that we have selected in this list.
Xbox Core Controller
You can’t just plug in and play the Xbox One controller on the Mac, but getting it to work really doesn’t require much effort. And when it’s active you’ll have one of the best controller experiences on any platform right there for your Mac games.
The Xbox One controller isn’t all that expensive and has an offset design for its sticks that many find much more comfortable than Sony’s side-by-side arrangement. It is large in size, not too heavy, and has nice bumpers and triggers.
The standard black controller costs around $ 50, but there are tons of special edition designs available at various price points that may be more to your liking.
DualShock 4 Wireless Controller
While the Xbox One controller is preferable to many, others swear by Sony’s DualShock 4. It’s a very different design but just as good for Mac games. Again, it’s not exactly plug-and-play, but the process of making sure it works properly is very simple.
This is another great controller and works flawlessly with Steam. The DualShock 4 is very comfortable in the hand with great triggers and bumpers, although it is a bit smaller than on something like an Xbox controller. The biggest difference is the side-by-side analog sticks.
It’s lightweight, so it’s great for long gaming sessions. Sony also has an official adapter that lets you use it with your Mac wirelessly.
Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas
While playing games on your Mac, you need superior comfort. For longer gaming sessions, a game controller should have a wide palm rest for optimal comfort. The Thrustmaster joystick highlights this feature. With easily accessible buttons, this controller gives you hassle-free gaming pleasure.
This gaming joystick comes with 12 buttons and five axes, which are fully programmable. If you love games related to civil aviation and military air strikes, this controller has a trigger for brakes and rapid fire. Also, see the best joysticks for flight simulators.
SteelSeries Nimbus Joysticks For Mac
Nimbus SteelSeries comes with Bluetooth for your Mac. This MFi-certified controller gives you a true wireless console experience on your Mac and other iOS devices. Pressure-sensitive buttons let you play for hours without causing finger cramps.
Once you recharge this controller, you can use it for more than 40 hours to enjoy non-stop games. You can use the Nimbus Companion app to explore free and paid games with the controller on your mobile devices.
And it is the one you find in any apple store where they take it as the right command to play on your Mac.
iNNEXT Retro USB Super Classic Controller
iNNEXT offers two retro USB super controller packages for your Mac. It is not Bluetooth enabled but has a 1.5-meter-long cable to keep a reasonable distance between your Mac and the Joypad. You can connect this generic USB controller with a standard USB port.
Sensitive buttons ensure precise game control. This joypad can be connected to your personal computer, notebook, laptop, MacBook, iMac, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro.
miadore PC USB NES Controller
Bring back your childhood memories with this classic USB controller for your Mac and NES games. This retro gamepad is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit computers. You can connect this controller to your Mac with a USB port.
It is easy to connect and use this controller as it requires no drivers or software. Sensitive buttons ensure precision in controlling your game.
Mac Joysticks: Steam Controller
Steam is most commonly associated with PC gaming, but there is still a good amount of Mac-compatible games. If that’s where you get most of your games, the official Steam controller might be the one for you and it has full and official Mac support.
It’s a bit unusual compared to many controllers, thanks in large part to the touchpad you find where you’d expect one of the analog sticks. The Steam Controller has been designed so that you can comfortably play keyboard and mouse games with one controller.
It takes some practice, but when you get used to it it’s just as easy to use as any other controller.
We, therefore, hope that our buying guide has directed you towards buying the best joystick for Mac for your gamer instincts. Stretch your fingers, turn on your monitors and get ready to tear up all your friends in any game, thanks to your skills and your purchase!
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