Hori's controllers are a fighting-game and tournament staple — the HORIPAD line, the Fighting Commander fight pads, and the Fighting Stick arcade sticks. Almost all of them are wired USB, which is exactly what makes them easy to use on a Mac: plug in and macOS sees a standard gamepad. A handful of newer HORIPAD models for Nintendo Switch are Bluetooth and pair wirelessly. This guide covers both.
What You'll Need
Hori Controller
HORIPAD, Fighting Commander, Fighting Stick, or wireless HORIPAD
Mac Computer
macOS 11 Big Sur or later
USB or Bluetooth
Wired for most; Bluetooth for wireless HORIPAD
Is Your Hori Wired or Wireless?
It's almost always the cable — Hori built its reputation on low-latency wired pads. Check which you have:
- Wired (USB) — HORIPAD (wired), HORIPAD Mini/Pro, Fighting Commander 3/4/OCTA, and Fighting Sticks. Plug the cable into your Mac; no pairing.
- Bluetooth — wireless HORIPAD models for Nintendo Switch. These pair like a Switch Pro Controller.
One caveat: the Split Pad Pro attaches to a Switch console over its rails and has no wireless of its own, so it can't connect to a Mac on its own — you'd need Hori's separate attachment that adds USB/Bluetooth.
Method 1: Wired (USB) — HORIPAD, Fighting Commander & Fighting Stick
Set the Platform Switch (if yours has one)
Many Hori pads have a small toggle to pick a console mode (e.g. a Switch / PC position). Leave it in its default — ControllerKeys can remap any button regardless of mode.
Plug It Into Your Mac
Connect the USB cable to your controller and to a USB port on your Mac. If your Mac only has USB-C ports, use a USB-A adapter or hub. The Fighting Stick and Fighting Commander draw power over the same cable.
macOS Detects It Instantly
Wired Hori pads present as a standard USB gamepad, so macOS recognizes them right away — no drivers, no pairing. Confirm under > About This Mac > More Info > System Report > USB.
Method 2: Bluetooth — Wireless HORIPAD for Switch
Put the Controller in Pairing Mode
Turn it on, then press and hold the small sync button (next to the USB-C port) until the player LEDs run back and forth.
Open Bluetooth Settings on Mac
Click the Apple menu () > System Settings > Bluetooth. Make sure Bluetooth is on.
Connect
Under Nearby Devices the controller appears — often as a "Pro Controller" or a HORIPAD name. Click Connect. The flashing LED settles once paired.
How ControllerKeys Recognizes Hori Pads
Hori pads aren't an Apple "made for" brand, so macOS doesn't give them a native gamepad profile the way it does for Xbox and PlayStation controllers. ControllerKeys handles this automatically: it identifies your Hori through a built-in copy of the community SDL controller database (~313 controllers, with Mac profiles for the Fighting Commander series and more) and maps every button to the standard Xbox-style layout for you. Connect the pad and it's ready to remap — nothing to configure.
Troubleshooting
Wired Pad Not Detected
- Try a different USB cable — many bundled cables are charge-only
- Flip the platform switch to its Switch/PC position and reconnect
- Check > System Report > USB to confirm the Mac sees it
Buttons Feel Swapped
- Switch-layout pads place A/B and X/Y Nintendo-style (swapped vs Xbox)
- That's cosmetic — remap any button to anything in ControllerKeys
Wireless Won't Pair
- Hold the sync button longer, until the LEDs actively run back and forth
- If you paired it before, choose "Forget This Device" and re-pair
- Keep the controller within a few feet of the Mac for the first pair
What Can You Do With a Hori Controller on Mac?
Beyond fighting games, emulators, and streaming, a Hori pad or stick makes a surprisingly good desktop remote:
- Keyboard mapping — bind buttons to any key or shortcut
- Mouse control — drive the cursor and scroll with the sticks (on pads with analog sticks)
- Couch computing — browse YouTube, Netflix, and the web from the sofa
- Macros & shortcuts — one button to run a whole sequence (great on a Fighting Stick's big button cluster)
Turn Your Hori Into a Mac Remote
ControllerKeys maps your Hori controller to keyboard shortcuts, mouse movement, scrolling, macros, and more — system-wide, in any app. Free 14-day trial.