How to make Sony PlayStation 3 DS3 controller work with macOS 13 Ventura

Apple macOS 13.0.1 (Ventura) is not 100% compatible with Sony PlayStation®3 (PS3) DualShock controller out of the box. It's detected but input doesn't work. My model number is the CECHZC2E (black not transparent), and can be connected both via USB and bluetooth. My MAC has M1 SoC.

Connect the controller with cable (USB Mini-B connector) to macOS, then under System Settings > Game Controllers it should appear there (over cable not bluetooth):

It will be detected by apps and emulators as connected, however buttons will not work unless applying a live patch. So download ds3activate.zip and run the executable file ds3activate inside the zip, either from Terminal with ./ds3activate or with double click. The PS3 controller should vibrate and now will work perfectly with emulators like DuckStation.

If you disconnect the controller you will have to re-run the command again each time you reconnect it, changes are not preserved.

You can use also the program Game Controller Tester to check if all buttons and analog and digital pads work properly. Although the program is meant for Xbox and PS4 controllers, it works fine with the PS3 controller after running ds3activate.

If the controller does not stop rumbling reconnect it again and re-run the command.

file ds3activate
ds3activate: Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64
/ds3activate
Discovered 1 DualShock 3 gamepads
Handling device 0:
  Activating device...
  Should be rumbling!

This is the source code:

cat ds3activate.c
//
// Copyright (c) 2021 vit9696.  All Rights Reserved.
// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
//
#include <IOKit/hid/IOHIDLib.h>
#include <CoreFoundation/CoreFoundation.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

static void activate_gamepad(void *device) {
  IOReturn r = IOHIDDeviceOpen(device, kIOHIDOptionsTypeNone);
  if (r != kIOReturnSuccess) {
    printf("  Failed to open device - %d\n", r);
    return;
  }
  uint8_t controlBlob[] = { 0x42, 0x0C, 0x00, 0x00};
  IOHIDDeviceSetReport(device, kIOHIDReportTypeFeature, 0xF4, controlBlob, sizeof(controlBlob));

  printf("  Activating device...\n");
  sleep(1);

  uint8_t rumbleBlob[] = {
    0x01,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00, // rumble values [0x00, right-timeout, right-force, left-timeout, left-force]
    0x00,
    0x00, // Gyro
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00, // 0x02=LED1 .. 0x10=LED4
    /*
     * the total time the led is active (0xff means forever)
     * |     duty_length: how long a cycle is in deciseconds:
     * |     |                              (0 means "blink very fast")
     * |     |     ??? (Maybe a phase shift or duty_length multiplier?)
     * |     |     |     % of duty_length led is off (0xff means 100%)
     * |     |     |     |     % of duty_length led is on (0xff is 100%)
     * |     |     |     |     |
     * 0xff, 0x27, 0x10, 0x00, 0x32,
     */
    0xff,
    0x27,
    0x10,
    0x00,
    0x32, // LED 4
    0xff,
    0x27,
    0x10,
    0x00,
    0x32, // LED 3
    0xff,
    0x27,
    0x10,
    0x00,
    0x32, // LED 2
    0xff,
    0x27,
    0x10,
    0x00,
    0x32, // LED 1
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    // Necessary for Fake DS3
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
    0x00,
  };
  static const size_t RumbleLengthL = 4;
  static const size_t RumblePowerL = 5;
  static const size_t RumbleLengthR = 2;
  static const size_t RumblePowerR = 3;
  rumbleBlob[RumbleLengthL] = rumbleBlob[RumbleLengthR] = 80;
  rumbleBlob[RumblePowerL]                              = 255;
  rumbleBlob[RumblePowerR]                              = 1;
  IOHIDDeviceSetReport(device, kIOHIDReportTypeOutput, 1, rumbleBlob, sizeof(rumbleBlob));
  IOHIDDeviceClose(device, kIOHIDOptionsTypeNone);
  printf("  Should be rumbling!\n");
}

int main() {
  static const SInt32 VendorId = 0x054C;
  static const SInt32 ProductId = 0x0268;

  CFNumberRef vendorIdNum = CFNumberCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, kCFNumberSInt32Type, &VendorId);
  CFNumberRef productIdNum = CFNumberCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, kCFNumberSInt32Type, &ProductId);

  const void *keys[2] = {
    CFSTR(kIOHIDVendorIDKey),
    CFSTR(kIOHIDProductIDKey),
  };

  const void *values[2] = {
    vendorIdNum,
    productIdNum
  };

  IOHIDManagerRef manager = IOHIDManagerCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, kIOHIDOptionsTypeNone);
  CFDictionaryRef matching = CFDictionaryCreate(NULL, keys, values, 2, NULL, NULL);
  IOHIDManagerSetDeviceMatching(manager, matching);

  CFSetRef deviceSet = IOHIDManagerCopyDevices(manager);
  if (deviceSet != NULL) {
    CFIndex count = CFSetGetCount(deviceSet);
    if (count > 0) {
      printf("Discovered %ld DualShock 3 gamepads\n", count);
      void **gamepads = calloc(count, sizeof(void *));
      CFSetGetValues(deviceSet, (const void **)gamepads);
      for (CFIndex i = 0; i < count; i++) {
        printf("Handling device %ld:\n", i);
        activate_gamepad(gamepads[i]);
      }
      free(gamepads);
    } else {
      printf("No DualShock 3 gamepads found!\n");
    }
    CFRelease(deviceSet);
  }
  CFRelease(productIdNum);
  CFRelease(vendorIdNum);
  CFRelease(matching);
  CFRelease(manager);
}

Links:

• How to connect a wired PlayStation 3 controller for use with PlayStation games on the Tablet.
• PS3 gamepads do not work with macOS 12 #4923
• How To Fix DualShock 3 Controller macOS Monterey - M1 Mac Sony Controller
• The BEST PS1 emulator gets an OFFICIAL NATIVE ARM Mac release!