How to Connect PS5 Controller to iPad or iPhone

How to Connect PS5 Controller to iPad or iPhone.

Apple iOS devices have excellent game controller support, and unlike Android devices, you can expect any controller-enabled iOS game to work with any controllers that work with iOS. The Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) DualSense controller is also supported. If you’re lucky enough to have one, you can easily connect your PS5 controller to your iPhone or iPad to play handheld games.

Read: Reset method for PS4 controller

Requirements To Use the PS5 Controller

Connecting a PS5 controller to your iPhone or iPad is as simple as having at least iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5. This update adds official support for PS5 and Xbox Series X controllers.

It is recommended that you update your PS5 controller to the latest firmware. Unfortunately, this is not possible without PS5. So if you don’t have a PS5, you can ask a console player friend or local game store to let you upgrade your controller with their console.

Which Other Controllers Are Supported?

Let’s say you don’t want to use your PS5 controller on purpose. In this case, you can use an Xbox Series controller, a Microsoft Xbox One S controller (with Bluetooth support), a PlayStation 4 controller, or any other controller that complies with the MFi standard.

“MFi” is short for “Made for iOS”, and in the context of controllers, it refers to certain minimum standards that Apple places on game controllers. All iOS games that support controllers must meet the minimum MFi standards that define button placement and controller capabilities for certification.

Some features, such as vibration, are not included in the minimum requirements. But if you have the right combination of controller and game, you can still enjoy these features.

What Games Can You Play With a PS5 Controller on iPhone or iPad?

While all controller-enabled games from the App Store will work with the PlayStation controller, not all of them will display the PlayStation UI elements. This is generally only true for older games, with newer titles automatically switching between PlayStation and Xbox style UI elements on screen. All Apple Arcade games with controllers have Xbox and Playstation UI elements.

Any game that supports controllers on iOS must comply with the MFi standard, so your PS5 controller will work with all of them. If a game doesn’t support controller input at all, you won’t be able to use your PS5 controller or any other controller with it.

Putting Your PS5 Controller Into Pairing Mode

Before we jump into the process of connecting a PS5 controller to an iPad or iPhone, let’s take a look at how to put it into pairing mode. This is an important first step before you can connect it to anything.

Unlike Xbox controllers, which have a dedicated pairing mode button, the PS5 DualSense controller requires a combo button to be pressed to initiate pairing mode.

You need to hold the Share/Create button and the PlayStation logo button at the same time until the light bar below the touchpad flashes rapidly in bursts.

This means that the controller is in pairing mode. If you want to cancel pairing mode, press the PS button again and the flashing should stop.

Connecting a PS5 Controller to an iPad

To connect your PS5 controller to your iPad, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app.Select Bluetooth and make sure it’s turned on.Put your PS5 controller into pairing mode.Search for your DualSense wireless controller under Other Devices and select it. li>< /ol>

Your PS5 controller’s light should stop flashing blue, change color, and become solid. You will also see it in the My Devices list. You can launch any controller-enabled game and start playing right away.

Connecting a PS5 Controller to an iPhone

To connect your PS5 controller to your iPhone, follow these steps:

As with the iPad, your PS5 controller’s light should stop flashing blue, change color, and become solid. You will also see it in the My Devices list.

Are Direct Cable Connections Possible for iPhone or iPad?

Unlike Android, iOS does not support wired controller connection. So if you were hoping to use a Lightning-to-USB-C (or C-C) cable to connect your controller, we fear that won’t work as of this writing. However, in our experience, the wireless connection is almost flawless.

Using the Share Button and PS Button in iOS

The Share/Create button on the DualSense controller still does the same job on an iOS device as it does on a PS5. If you are in a game and press and hold the “Create” button for a second or so, a highlight clip will be recorded.

The first time you do this in the game, it will ask for permission to write. So don’t forget to try it once before you start playing so you don’t miss the decisive moment.

The PS button also has a handy feature in iPadOS.

On an iPad, if you’re not in a game, you can press and hold the PS button to bring up games on your device and then launch them using your controller.

This is useful when your iPad is on a stand or connected to a TV. Since the Apple TV can also work with the PS5 controller, it’s even more useful.

In game, holding down the PS button does the same thing, but simply pressing the button in game brings up the Game Center menu.

Does the Touchpad Do Anything?

The PS5 controller’s touchpad is a customizable button that game developers can support. However, you’ll find that most games don’t use it, as other MFi controllers other than the DualShock 4 controller don’t have this feature.

Customizing the PS5 Controller on iOS and iPadOS

All games that support a gamepad have a default control scheme, and some allow you to change it in the game. However, you can customize the buttons at the operating system level. Here’s how:

Select User Controls.

Here you can remap the keys to suit your needs or taste.

You may also have noticed that on the previous screen, you can disable haptic feedback (vibration). If you want to save on battery life or just don’t like it.

Turning Off the PS5 Controller

You actually never have to think about unplugging your PS5 controller with your PS5, but now that you’re using it with something else, how the hell do you disable it?

There are two ways to turn off the controller. The first is to simply unplug it from the device you’re using it with. Open the Bluetooth device quick menu and click on the controller entry to disconnect. You will see it turn off immediately.

Or simply press and hold the PS button until the light bar turns off. This may take more than 10 seconds, but you can release the button as soon as the light turns off.

DualSense Works With Mac Too!

The iPad and iPhone aren’t the only Apple devices to support the PS5 controller. If you have a Mac running at least macOS Big Sur, you can enjoy controller gaming with standard Mac games, Apple Arcade games, and (for Apple Silicon users) iOS games.

The process works the same as with iOS devices, just put the PS5 controller into pairing mode and then add it as a Bluetooth device from the control center:

1 – Select the Control Center icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

2 – Select the right arrow next to Bluetooth when hovering over it.

3 – Select “Bluetooth Settings”.Put the controller into pairing mode.4Â – Select “Connect” next to it when it appears as an available device.

Some Troubleshooting Notes

While using the PS5 controller with an iPhone or iPad is pretty straightforward, we did encounter a few speed bumps. The most common problem was moving the controller between different devices. While the PS5 controller happily connected to the same device it was previously used with, moving it to another device and then back invariably meant forgetting the device and pairing from scratch. Sometimes turning Bluetooth off and on again also helped. Other than that little quibble, it was simple.