Tutorial Video: Gamepad Pairing with macOS: PS4 DualShock 4
Astrogun games support MFi Gamepads, like the Steelseries Nimbus, and, on macOS, additional gamepads from major consoles.
Here, we’ll cover pairing the PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 gamepad with macOS to play our debut title ‘VAST – Cosmic Treasure Hunters’, available now on the macOS App Store. It is also available on the tvOS App Store and as ‘VAST – Pocket Edition’ on the iOS App Store.
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Wireless Pairing
For macOS, first, power on a charged PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 gamepad by pressing the PlayStation button at the bottom center. Then press and hold the Share Button with the PlayStation button to enter pairing mode.
A popup window on macOS may immediately ask if you want to pair the gamepad as a Connection Request. Click Connect. If this pop-up doesn’t appear, go to the Bluetooth menu item up at the desktop Menu Bar and select Open Bluetooth Preferences.
If this menu item isn’t displayed, you can find it by going to System Preferences and selecting ‘Bluetooth’. Then, we recommend clicking the checkbox to ‘Show Bluetooth in Menu Bar’ so you can easily access and manage your connected devices, handy for turning them off later.
Under the Bluetooth Preferences window, the DualShock 4 gamepad appears as ‘Wireless Controller’. Right click it and select ‘Connect’. This is only necessary if it is not connected already from the previous automatic pop-up or if this is your first time pairing.
You can now close the Bluetooth window. It is important to always turn on your paired gamepad first before launching the app. You can now launch the ‘VAST – Cosmic Treasure Hunters’ app and play.
Next, enjoy the game!
Disconnecting & Powering Off
When finished playing, simply quit the game to return to the macOS desktop. There, access the Bluetooth option at the desktop Menu Bar.
Select your paired DualShock 4 listed as ‘Wireless Controller’ to expand its menu and select ‘Disconnect’. This not only disconnects the DualShock 4 but also automatically turns it off to conserve battery power.
It’s that easy.
Repeated Play
The next time you play is even easier. You can simply turn on your DualShock 4 gamepad by pressing the PlayStation button on the bottom center like usual, and it will automatically remember and connect with your Mac. Be sure to do this before launching the game each time you want to play this way.
Other Videos
We provide video tutorials on our YouTube channel and Astrogun.com for pairing our games on macOS with the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, the Xbox One controller, the MFi Steelseries Nimbus, Gamevice for iOS, and more.
Return-Pair DualShock 4 to Your PS4
If you want to return-pair your DualShock 4 back to your PlayStation 4, first go to the Bluetooth Preferences window, right click it as ‘Wireless Controller’ and select ‘Remove’. Don’t worry, you can always add it back. Now with it removed and your PlayStation 4 turned on, simply turn on your DualShock 4 gamepad again with the PlayStation 4 button and press the Share and PlayStation buttons together again to re-enter pairing mode.
From here, you can pair your DualShock 4 from your PS4 system.
On PS4, you can use another DualShock 4 already paired to navigate to Settings, Devices, Bluetooth controllers and enter pairing mode on the DualShock 4 previously used on macOS back to PS4. It will appear in the list here as ‘DUALSHOCK 4’. You then don’t need to use the other DualShock 4.
If you only have one DualShock 4, the one you were just playing on macOS with, you will need to wire connect the DualShock 4 gamepad to your PS4 to use it to access the Bluetooth Controllers menu on the PS4 system to pair it wirelessly there.
Returning Between PS4 & Mac
You can switch your DualShock 4 back and forth easily between your PS4 and your Mac by repeating these steps each time, but repeated play on a either machine that remembers the last pairing only requires that you turn on your paired DualShock 4 gamepad.
Wired Play
Alternatively, the DualShock 4 can be played in wired mode with macOS, which can also be useful if your DualShock 4 is low on battery power. Playing this way can be done by connecting a Micro-USB cable. One of these cables should have been bundled with your PlayStation 4 system for the included DualShock 4. Here, the Micro-USB end connects to the DualShock 4 and the standard USB end connects into your Mac’s USB port.
If your Mac uses USB-C ports, like the 15-Inch 2018 MacBook Pro featured in this video, you can buy a very affordable USB to USB-C adapter dongle or you can buy a Micro-USB to USB-C cable.
Astrogun recommendations for these cables and adapters are in our online Astrogun Shop at www.astrogun.com/product-category/gamepads. Direct links are in the video description below.
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Also be sure to give VAST a five-star rating on the macOS App Store or on the App Stores for the tvOS and iOS editions.
Have fun!
