How to Connect Any Video Game Controller to Your iPhone

Your iPhone can do a lot, including serve as a respectable mobile gaming console. And while many mobile games play just fine with touch controls, many games available for iPhone are better played with a controller like you’d use with a dedicated gaming system.

Thankfully, the iPhone natively supports Xbox, PlayStation and Bluetooth controllers, in addition to others that connect directly over Lightning/USB-C, like the Backbone One. Here’s how to get yourself set up to game 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 want 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 at the top of the controller starts blinking. Next, on your iPhone, go to Settings and tap on Bluetooth. Enable Bluetooth if you haven’t done so already, and peruse the list of available devices. Tap the name of your controller from the list; it should called DualShock 4 Wireless Controller. Once it’s paired, the status will changed to “Connected.”

How to connect a DualSense controller to your iPhone

If you want to use the PS5’s DualSense or DualSense Edge controllers, first put the controller into pairing mode by pressing and holding the Create button (the button on the left of the touchpad with the lines pointing outwards) for approximately three seconds until the light bar at the top of the controller starts blinking. Go to Settings>Bluetooth on your iPhone. Enable Bluetooth if you haven’t done so already and you’ll see a list of available devices. One should be called DualSense Wireless Controller. Tap that name, and it should say Connected once you’ve paired successfully.

How to connect an Xbox controller to your iPhone

To pair an Xbox controller to your iPhone, first put the controller into pairing mode. To do so, press and hold the pair button near the controller’s charging port (the button with three curved lines) for a few seconds until the controller’s Xbox logo starts blinking. On your iPhone, go to Settings>Bluetooth. Under the available Bluetooth devices, tape Xbox Wireless Controller appear 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 so, first remove a Joy-Con controller from your Nintendo Switch. Press and hold the Sync button (the black button near four LED lights located on the connecting edge of the controller). The lights on the Joy-Con will move back and forth when it’s in pairing mode. Next, go to your iPhone, head to Settings>Bluetooth. Turn on Bluetooth and select the Joy-Con from the list of available devices with a tap. The status will change to Connected once paired.

How to connect the Switch Pro Controller to your iPhone

To use Nintendo’s Switch Pro controller with your iPhone, first put the controller into pairing mode by pressing and holding the pairing button (it’s a black round button near the charging port at the top of the controller) for a few seconds. The LEDs near the bottom of the controller will shift left to right when it’s in pairing mode. Next, on your iPhone, go to Settings>Bluetooth (turn on Bluetooth if you haven’t already), and under available devices you should sse the Switch Pro Controller. Tap the name of the controller 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 a few third-party controllers available for the iPhone, such as the Razer Kishi V2 or Backbone One, that 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 keeping them charged, as they draw power directly from your iPhone. Also, a lot of these direct connection controllers have pass-through charging ports, and sometimes headphone jacks (which the iPhone dropped a long time ago).

To connect these direct connection controllers, extend your controller and insert your iPhone into the left side of the controller, camera-side first. Next, connect the right side of the controller (with the Lightning or USB-C connector) to your iPhone’s port. If you have an iPhone 15 series, you’ll need a controller that connects using USB-C. If you have an iPhone 14 series or earlier, look for a direct connection controller with a Lightning connector.