8BitDo Gaming Controllers Now Compatible With iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac

A selection of controllers from gaming company 8BitDo are now compatible with Apple's product lineup, thanks to a firmware update that was released today.


The 8BitDo SN30 Pro for Android, SN30 Pro, Pro+, Pro 2, Ultimate 2.4g and Lite SE can be used with iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TV devices that are running the latest Apple software.

All 8BitDo controllers that are compatible with Apple devices can be used like any other Made for iPhone controller to play games that offer controller support, including Apple Arcade titles.


iPads and Macs with USB-C ports can use a wired connection to a compatible 8BitDo controller, but otherwise Bluetooth connections are available. Up to four controllers can be connected at one time depending on device, and unfortunately, rumble and motion control functions are not supported.

Controllers will need a firmware update to work with Apple devices, with the firmware updating software available through the 8BitDo website.

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago
Apple needs to come up with its own gaming controller. Imagine integrated with Dynamic Island!

Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorpit Avatar
30 months ago
I guess options are good, but I don’t see why you’d pick one of these over a PS or Xbox controller.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
30 months ago
Now all Apple need to do is quit messing around with Ted Lasso and licence some real AAA games for people to play.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
idktbh Avatar
30 months ago

Apple needs to come up with its own gaming controller. Imagine integrated with Dynamic Island!


wtf is this lmao
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Think|Different Avatar
30 months ago
Oh this is actually cool – I randomly was going to purchase one of these a few weeks ago, on a whim, and I literally didn't pull the plug because a lot of the comments and reviews confirmed it didn't have official support. I'll take another look then! Good on them.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tele-fragd Avatar
30 months ago

I thought these always worked with Macs?
They did, but only by by emulating an PS4 controller. There's some nuance to how the controller behaves and what functions are available depending on the mode you're in, but I'm not too sure on the specifics but my understanding of it from piecing together info from 8BitDo's FAQ and forum posts is:

Switch compatible (S mode)

* emulates a Nintendo Switch Pro controller
* allows for gyro to be used for motion controls
* trigger buttons not in analogue mode (they're either fully on or fully off)
* rumble support

Apple compatible (A mode)

* emulates a PlayStation DS4 controller
* no gyro
* trigger buttons in analogue mode
* rumble support

DirectInput (D mode)

* most compatible mode for emulators and old games due to it being the dominant 'standard' input mode before X-input
* can be used in Windows, Linux, Android and macOS (with emulators)
* no gyro
* trigger buttons in analogue mode (if the game supports it?)
* no rumble

X-input (X mode)

* emulates a Xbox 360 controller
* supported by pretty much all modern platforms such as Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and iOS/tvOS/iPadOS
* most modern games will pre-map their controller buttons automatically in this mode
* no gyro
* trigger buttons in analogue mode
* rumble support


I'm not really sure how it's better than a PS5 controller? I paired the PS5 controller with my mac to run ETS 2 on Steam, the problem isn't the controller, the issue is the weak GPU of the M1 mac mini, it's just no good even for old games.
It depends. Some of 8BitDo's controllers are better if you're frequently swapping your controller between different devices (of different types) since you can have it paired with up to 4 different types of devices with a simple switch mode on the back.

I for one, absolutely hate having to do the pair/re-pair Bluetooth dance between different devices when I use an Xbox or PS4/5 controller. With my Pro 2, I can go from using it on my iPhone (A mode) to my Windows PC (X mode) to my emulation box (D mode) to my tablet (S mode) by simply flicking a switch and it instantly pairs to each device. That functionality alone is a really nice 'quality of life' feature.

You also have control over things like deadzones in the 8BitDo software that you don't get with Xbox and PS controllers.

Controllers are also a bit of personal preference when it comes to ergonomics, so as always, it's best to check and test them yourself if you can before buying.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)