Did you know that Apple has added native support for PS4 and Xbox One controllers? Add to that Apple Arcade as well as Google’s Stadia and you can quickly see how iPhones/iPads can become great gaming devices. Touch screens are great but nothing enhances the overall gaming experience more than a controller. If you have one of these systems and want to learn how to pair a PS4 or Xbox One controller with your iOS device, read our guide.
First thing first; it’s a no brainer but I have to make sure it’s written down for that one person that assumes otherwise. Your iPhone or iPad must be running the latest iOS. As of this writing iPadOS or iOS13 for iPhones. Anything below that won’t work. You won’t have to switch between the touch screen and controller because all games support PS4 and Xbox controllers.
How to Pair Xbox Controller to iPhone and iPad
Step 1: Enable Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad and stay on the same page.
Step 2: Turn off the Xbox controller by pressing the Xbox button. Then press the pair button located at the rear.
Step 3: The controller should then show up as ‘Xbox Wireless Controller’ on your iPhone or iPad. Simply tap on it to finish the pairing process.
How to Pair PS4 Controller to iPhone and iPad
Step 1: If not already, enable Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad. Make sure to stay on the Bluetooth page in the Settings menu.
Step 2: Press and hold the Share and PS button on your PS4 controller for a few seconds. The light bar will start blinking in white rapidly.
Step 3: On your iPhone or iPad, you should see the ‘DualShock 4 Wireless Controller’ show up under Bluetooth. Tap on it to finish the pairing process.
That’s It…but read this…
That’s it! You have successfully paired your PS4 or Xbox One controller with your iPhone or iPad. Keep in mind once you pair your PS4 or Xbox controller to an iPhone or iPad, it won’t work on your system anymore. You will have to pair the controller with your console again if you want to use it on the system. You can work around this by simply using a microUSB cable connected to your system or getting another controller.