Apple Adds Wired Xbox Controller Support in iOS18, iPadOS18 and macOS15 Sequoia

TapTechNews October 8th news, the tech media MacRumors released a blog post yesterday (October 7th), reporting that Apple has brought wired Xbox game controller support in iOS18, iPadOS18 and macOS15 Sequoia.

TapTechNews note: Previously, Apple devices could wirelessly connect Xbox and PlayStation game controllers via Bluetooth, but in the wired mode, only Sony PlayStation controllers were previously compatible.

Apple engineer NatBrown pointed out in June this year that Microsoft Xbox uses a custom USB protocol to connect wired game controllers and will directly support this protocol through a system update, allowing Apple users to natively use Xbox controllers.

The relevant situations to note are as follows:

For iOS devices with a Lightning port (such as older iPhones or iPads), a Lightning-to-USB adapter is required to connect the wired Xbox controller;

For devices with a USB-C port, just use a USB-C-to-USB-C cable to directly connect the controller.

After connection, in iOS18 and iPadOS18, the wired Xbox controller will not appear in the Bluetooth settings.

In macOS15 Sequoia, when initially connecting, an accessory permission dialog box will pop up, and the controller is displayed as Controller in the settings, but the identification function cannot be used. Although there is a minor issue with the identification function in macOS, the controller operates normally in supported games and applications.