One major feature that will come with the iOS 13 will be the ability to play games on your iPhone or iPad using a PS4 or Xbox One controller. Though the iOS 13 is still a few days away, you should know beforehand how to connect a PS4 and Xbox One Controller to an iPhone or iPad on iOS 13.
How to connect PS4 and Xbox One Controller to iPhone or iPad?
Apple iOS 13 is currently in beta, but those with access to the beta version can connect a PS4 and Xbox One Controller to an iPhone or iPad, such as the PlayStation 4 DualShock controller and the Xbox wireless controller.
Connecting a PS4 or Xbox One Controller to an iPhone or iPad will make use of PlayStation Remote Play and Microsoft’s xCloud, respectively. The prior version of the iOS did not enable the technology to utilize the PlayStation Remote Play and Microsoft’s xCloud.
Talking of how to connect PS4 and Xbox One Controller to iPhone or iPad is not rocket science. Rather, it is as simple as connecting any Bluetooth device. First let’s talk about connecting a PS4 controller to the iPhone or iPad.
To start, go to the settings on your iOS device, and make sure that Bluetooth is on. Before this, do make sure that you have iOS 13 installed on your device. Even the latest public build – iOS 12.4 – won’t work.
Next, grab the PS4 controller, and push and hold the PS and share buttons together for about five seconds, or until the lightbar starts blinking.
You will now see the PS4 controller in the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone or iPad. Now, click the controller name in the Bluetooth settings. The lightbar on the controller should now turn pink, indicating the controller is now connected to the device.
Once connected, you will be able to play all the supported games or the games that support external MFi (Made For iOS) controllers, such as Racing, Fortnite and more.
How to connect Xbox One controller?
Coming to connecting the Xbox One controller, the steps are mostly similar with a slight tweak. However, to connect to an iOS 13 device, you will need to have a controller with 1708 as the model number. The controller with this model ships with the Xbox One S. You can use the new Elite 2 controller, which Microsoft announced at the E3. Both of these controllers support a Bluetooth connection.
To connect the Xbox One controller, first press the power button on the controller.
Now, hold down the Connect button, which is located on the top of your controller for about three seconds. The Xbox logo will start to blink.
Next, go to the Bluetooth settings on your iOS and search for the Xbox controller, which should be labeled as “Xbox Wireless Controller.”
Once you get it, click on it to pair it. After the controller is connected, you can play any game that supports the controller.
After you are done playing, you can easily disconnect the controller just by holding down the PS or the Xbox and the OPTIONS button. You can also disconnect by going to the Bluetooth Settings on your iOS device and disconnecting the controller from there. Disconnecting will ensure that the battery on either your controller or the iPhone does not unnecessarily waste battery power.
Can you connect to Apple TV and Macs?
A similar method as described above can be used to connect the PS4 or Xbox controller to the Apple TV. All you have to do is update your Apple TV to tvOS 13, and go to the Settings -> Remotes and Devices -> Bluetooth, and follow the above steps.
You can also connect your PS4 and Xbox controller with Macs running macOS Catalina. Talking of how to connect, open System Preferences and go to the Bluetooth menu. Now, follow the same steps as connecting to the iPhone or iPad.
A point to note is that there is no mandatory configuration for the buttons on the controller. In some games, you may be allowed to use the remap button as per your preference. Thus, before you start to play games, it is recommended that you check the settings of the game to know if you can customize the button.
Apple has long been supporting game controllers on iOS. These supported controllers were made under the Made-for-iPhone program, such as the SteelSeries Nimbus controller. However, it will be the first time Apple is adding support for the PS4 or Xbox controller. Another point to note is that along with Apple’s support, the App Store games must also support the game controllers.
Apple’s upcoming gaming service – Apple Arcade – will also support game controllers, including the Xbox One controller and PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4. The Apple Arcade will launch in the fall. It is not a cloud streaming platform, rather gamers will use a connection to download the games fully. However, an active connection won’t be required to play the games.
