How To Play Minecraft On Mac With Xbox

Introduction: Standard 17: How to Set Up an Xbox Controller to Play Minecraft on a Mac

'Minecraft: Java Edition' allows cross-platform play across PC, Mac, and Linux 'Minecraft: Java Edition' is the original version of 'Minecraft,' and while it's not playable on consoles, it's the.
The new Minecraft comes packed with newer features and capabilities and is where all future updates and features will appear. The older Minecraft: Xbox One Edition is no longer supported with new features and will not be receiving any updates or new DLC in the future, but you can continue to play Minecraft: Xbox One Edition if you wish.

Before you begin this project, it's important to understand the background information for why this project is necessary. First, let's look at Standard 17. Standard 17 says 'Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use information and communication technologies.' This standard encompasses a lot more than it may seem. It includes talking about how information is organized, how it is translated and transferred, and the systems used to communicate it. This instructable is aimed at addressing those parts of communicating. A big part of communication systems are the tools that are involved. Specifically for this instructable, Standard 17-L says 'Information and communication technologies include the inputs, processes, and outputs associated with sending and receiving information.' As an example of that substandard, we will be looking at using an Xbox controller on a Mac computer to play Minecraft. The input of this scenario will be the controller itself. The controller gives players the ability to tell the game what actions they want to commit. The process here is the software interpreting the button pushes and communicating that with the game, which then leads to the output. The output of this scenario is the game performing the desired actions and consequences. Often times, Minecraft is used to teach students programming, design, or engineering processes. This is usually done with school-issued laptops. Since using keyboards and mice can sometimes be difficult for students, using a controller may be a better alternative. Given that Xbox controllers work pretty easily with PCs, this instructable will focus on connecting them to Macs.

Once signed in, Minecraft will redirect you to this page and it will display a code on the console. Enter the code on the page and click Let’s Play. For the Nintendo Switch: Open Minecraft and select the ‘Sign in for free’ option. Sign in with the Xbox account that you created. You will see a code on your console.

Step 1: Materials Needed to Start

Before getting started you will need to make sure that you have your necessary materials in order to ensure a successful setup. First, you will need a wired (micro USB) Xbox One or Xbox 360 controller (this could be a third party controller, an original controller or a new controller), your Macbook or Mac computer, access to the internet, other computer necessities, and a legally acquired copy of Minecraft. Your school may have already provided you with most, if not all of these, items, or you may be doing this with your own materials.

Step 2: Downloading and Installing the Xbox One Controller Drivers

For those new to the mac game or those that were just unaware, Mac does not support an Xbox One Controller right off the bat. With this in mind, we need to go and find an installation that will allow us to use our Xbox controller with our Mac.

For this, we used went to the website GitHub to find our download. If you go to google and type in GitHub Xbox One controller Mac it will be the second link. Once there you will click on the 360controllerinstall (see picture above) and begin the download. Once the download is complete it will walk you through the install on your computer.

While going through the install process your computer may be asked to reboot so make sure to save all that work you've been sweating to get done at the last minute so that you don't lose it and have to start all over.

Step 3: Setting Up the Controller With the Software

For this step, you will need to make sure that your controller is powered off. Once the download is complete you will go into your system preferences on your mac and look for the icon that looks like a controller and under it will say Xbox 360 controller. Click on that.

Don't think you have the wrong thing when you see Xbox 360. This will work for an Xbox one controller. Once you click on it and it pulls up the screen you will then use your Micro USB cord and plug that into your Mac and your POWERED OFF controller. This should allow your controller to be recognized by your Mac

Step 4: Test to Make Sure Everything Is Working Properly

An important part of this setup is ensuring that the drivers were installed correctly and your controller is communicating with the software properly. If the controller is not properly setup within the software, your controller won’t be usable in-game. Once you’ve got the software settings up and running and you are viewing the screen with the virtual controller, you can go through a test by moving the sticks and tapping the buttons on the physical controller. Your button presses and movements should match up in real-time. If they match up correctly, then your controller is ready to go! If they don’t match up, you may need to reinstall the driver software or use a different controller.

Step 5: Calibrate and Use In-Game

Now that you’ve got the controller communicating with the software correctly, you still need calibrate it for use in the Minecraft game. This is to ensure that the controller correctly performs the actions in-game that you are hoping to accomplish. The game should automatically adapt the default button layout for the controller, but some button mapping may be required. An example of button mapping is below. To get to this, start the Minecraft game, and under the Singleplayer, Multiplayer, and Minecraft Realms buttons, you should see Options. Clicking this, you’ll then need to select “Controls…”. This will allow you to map your buttons out to your liking.

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Making the jump from console gaming to playing on a Mac can be a difficult transition, especially if you buy into the idea that the average Mac gamer is more skilled than their console equivalent.

Besides, you’ll also need to consider the fact that by moving to Mac you’ll no longer be able to use your library of console games, or play with friends you’ve made on there. Plus, you’ll have to learn to use a mouse and keyboard. Or will you?

If you’re wondering how to use Xbox One controller on Mac, or the one from PS4, you’re in the right place. This article is about using Xbox One controller on Mac, as well as PS4, to play games like Overwatch, Minecraft, Eve: Valkyrie, House of the Dying Sun, Thumper, Elite Dangerous, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew (be warned: you might need virtual PC software for some of these titles).

The great thing about having a choice in which controller to use is that, even though both of them are around the same price point, they have a few distinct differences, meaning every Mac user can pick the one more suitable for them. An Xbox One controller is, for example, a little heavier and boasts haptic feedback triggers, whereas the lighter Sony DualShock 4 has an additional (touchpad) button, integrated lithium ion battery, and motion sensitivity.

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How To Connect PS4 Controller To Mac

In addition to the advantages mentioned above, many Mac gamers prefer the DualShock 4 to an Xbox One controller because there are a few different ways of connecting PS4 controller to Mac. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is to use an official wireless adapter.

Connecting PS4 controller to Mac wirelessly

It’s likely that many of you reading this, namely those who have struggled with unofficial products and sketchy workarounds in the past, will be breathing a sigh of relief to learn that an official DualShock USB Wireless Adaptor exists.

The official wireless connector is a decent solution for Remote Play or playing Mac games that support the use of external controllers. But the critics may be sceptical about the high price of the accessory — the top video on YouTube that mentions this product is titled “WHY DID THEY MAKE THIS???” — as much cheaper options are readily available: such as micro USB and Bluetooth.

How to use PS4 controller on Mac with micro USB

If you’re not, for whatever reason, picky about whether you play wirelessly or not, then you can just connect PS4 controller to Mac using the micro USB cable that you’d usually use to plug it into your PlayStation.

The extra benefit of using micro USB is that the cable also charges your controller while you play. When you plug it in, you’ll see an orange light appear on the touchpad indicating that it’s charging.

Pair PS4 controller with Mac via Bluetooth

The easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to start playing is to connect PS4 controller to Mac with Bluetooth via PS4 Bluetooth pairing. To do that:

Open System Preferences > Bluetooth
Press the PS and Share buttons simultaneously on your controller until you see a light on your DualShock 4 start blinking to indicate that it’s ready to pair
Look for the wireless controller in the list of Bluetooth devices on your Mac
Click Pair, and the light on your controller will go from blinking to lit

An even quicker and easier PS4 Bluetooth pairing option is to use ToothFairy, a utility that lets you add and manage all your Bluetooth devices:

Simply launch ToothFairy
Highlight the controller from the list of devices
Click Select

In Settings, you can also choose to add an icon to your menu bar that will connect to your chosen device (in this case, your PS4 Bluetooth controller) with a single click. At this time, there’s no controller icon, but you could use something like a keyboard symbol or the magic wand in its place.

Get ToothFairy for quick connection

Install ToothFairy for free and forget about any Bluetooth trouble. Any device will be paired with your Mac in a click.

If you love shortcuts, ToothFairy gives you an option to record a hotkey to connect or disconnect your controller, and show how much battery life your DualShock 4 has left next to its icon. As long as your controller is awake, ToothFairy is really handy for connecting it to your Mac with a single click!

Best of all, ToothFairy is available for free during your trial with Setapp, along with more than 150 top Mac utilities and apps. Try it out for seamless PS4 Bluetooth experience.

How to connect Xbox One controller to Mac

Since it’s so easy to connect a PS4 controller to a Mac, and since Xbox One controllers have built-in support for connecting to Windows, you could be forgiven for thinking that connecting Xbox One controller to Mac would be simple. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong — consider it a casualty of the ongoing Windows vs. Mac war!

It’s possible to connect Xbox One controller to Mac, but doing so requires a little bit of extra work. For a start, you can’t use Bluetooth to connect, so that’s the wireless route blocked right off the bat. You’ll also need to purchase a micro USB cable, since one isn’t included with Xbox One controllers like it is with a PS4 handset.

Minecraft Add On Xbox One

Once you’ve got your controller and cable in hand, you’ll need to download an Xbox One controller driver for Mac before you can plug anything in:

Head to GitHub (yes, it’s shocking that mapping an Xbox One controller requires unofficial drivers downloaded from GitHub)
Download the latest release
Double click the .dmg file that appears in your Downloads folder
Run the .pkg file
Follow all of the instructions, check out the Read Me file, and then click Install to progress to the next step
Restart your computer and you’ll find an Xbox controller icon in your System Preferences menu

Now it’s time to (finally) plug your controller in, using a USB-C to USB-A adapter if necessary, and head to Security & Privacy to bypass the popup that’ll appear when you plug the controller in.

Once all that’s done, you should be connected!

Which controller should you choose?

Just a quick glance at the instructions above shows that listing how to connect Xbox One controller to Mac takes up almost as much space as three different ways of explaining how to pair PS4 controller with Mac. So for some readers, that will make the decision of which controller to use a no-brainer.

If you already own an Xbox controller, it’s worth remembering that, while the above may look like a bit of a headache, the process is something that you only need to go through once.

Console and Mac gaming often tend to be treated as polar opposites, as if they are on different ends of the spectrum, and never the twain shall meet. But in reality, there’s a huge grey area in the middle that offers up a lot of fun.

Using a controller can, for example, be a really compelling way to enjoy VR titles that aren’t “on rails.” In fact, until someone starts mass producing those omnidirectional treadmills from Ready Player One, they are the best way to do so.

Whichever option you choose, using a controller offers an intuitive and familiar experience that’s backed up by all of the processing power a high-end Mac can offer. And don’t forget to make sure your Mac is properly optimized for games.

There are certain viewpoints that are widely held by gamers — those who play mobile games aren’t for “real” gamers, a Mac doesn’t make for an effective gaming laptop or desktop, and that “controllers are for consoles, mice and keyboards are for computers.”