How to Connect Any Video Game Controller to Your IPhone
Your iPhone can do many things, including serving as a respectable mobile gaming console. And while many mobile games work great with touch controls, many games available for iPhone are best played with a controller, just like you would with a dedicated gaming system.
Luckily, the iPhone natively supports Xbox, PlayStation, and Bluetooth controllers, as well as others that connect directly via Lightning/USB-C, like the Backbone One . Here’s how to set yourself up to play on your iPhone.
How to Connect a DualShock 4 Controller to Your iPhone
If you’re using a PlayStation DualShock 4 controller, you’ll first need to put the controller into pairing mode by pressing and holding the Share button (the button to the left of the touchpad) for about three seconds until the light bar on the top of the controller starts flashing. Then on your iPhone, go to Settings and tap Bluetooth . Turn on Bluetooth if you haven’t already and view the list of available devices. Tap your controller’s name from the list; it should be called “DualShock 4 Wireless Controller “. After pairing, the status will change to “Connected”.
How to Connect a DualSense Controller to Your iPhone
If you want to use the DualSense or DualSense Edge PS5 controllers, first put the controller into pairing mode by pressing and holding the Create button (the button to the left of the touchpad with the lines pointing outward) for about three seconds until the light bar turns on. at the top of the controller will begin to flash. Go to Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone. Turn on Bluetooth if you haven’t already and you’ll see a list of available devices. One of them should be called DualSense Wireless Controller . Tap that name and it should say Connected once paired successfully.
How to Connect an Xbox Controller to Your iPhone
To pair your Xbox controller with your iPhone, first put the controller in pairing mode. To do this, press and hold the pairing button next to the controller’s charging port (the button with three curved lines) for a few seconds until the Xbox logo on the controller starts flashing. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth . The “Xbox Wireless Controller” ribbon will appear under the available Bluetooth devices and wait for it to connect.
How to Connect a Switch Joy-Con Controller to Your iPhone
In addition to Xbox and PlayStation controllers, you can also connect Joy-Con controllers to your iPhone. To do this, first remove the Joy-Con controller from your Nintendo Switch. Press and hold the sync button (the black button next to the four LED lights located on the connection side of the controller). The lights on the Joy-Con will move back and forth when it is in pairing mode. Then go to your iPhone, select Settings > Bluetooth . Turn on Bluetooth and select Joy-Con from the list of available devices with one tap. The status will change to “Connected” after pairing.
How to Connect a Switch Pro Controller to Your iPhone
To use the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller with your iPhone, first put the controller into pairing mode by pressing and holding the pairing button (that’s the black round button next to the charging port on the top of the controller) for a few seconds. The LEDs on the bottom of the controller will move from left to right when it is in pairing mode. Then on your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth (turn Bluetooth on if you haven’t already) and under Available Devices you should connect the Switch Pro Controller . Tap the controller name to pair it.
How to Connect a Controller to Your iPhone Via Lightning or USB-C to Your iPhone
As mentioned earlier, in addition to the Bluetooth controllers described above, there are several third-party controllers available for the iPhone, such as the Razer Kishi V2 or Backbone One, which connect directly using a Lightning or USB-C connector. The benefit of these types of controllers is that you don’t have to worry about charging them since they draw power directly from your iPhone. Additionally, many of these direct-connect controllers have pass-through charging ports and sometimes headphone jacks (which the iPhone has long abandoned).
To connect these direct connect controllers, slide out the controller and insert your iPhone into the left side of the controller, camera side first. Then connect the right side of the controller (with the Lightning or USB-C connector) to the port on your iPhone. If you have an iPhone 15 series, you’ll need a controller that connects via USB-C . If you have an iPhone 14 series or earlier, look for a Direct Connect controller with a Lightning connector.