How to Use a Controller with Provenance

Provenance supports a wide range of physical game controllers on both iOS and tvOS, giving you a much more authentic retro gaming experience. This guide walks you through connecting a controller and getting it working in Provenance.

Supported Controllers

Provenance works with any MFi (Made for iPhone) certified controller and most Bluetooth controllers, including:

• PlayStation DualSense and DualShock 4 — pair via Bluetooth
• Xbox Series X|S and Bluetooth-capable Xbox One controllers (e.g., Xbox One S) — pair via Bluetooth
• 8BitDo controllers — pair via Bluetooth (use MFi mode)
• SteelSeries Nimbus+ and other MFi controllers
• Apple TV Siri Remote — limited input, works for basic navigation

Steps

1. Put your controller in pairing mode. For PlayStation and Xbox controllers, hold the pairing button until the light flashes. For 8BitDo controllers, hold the pairing button and switch to MFi/iOS mode as described in the controller’s manual.

2. Open Settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Go to Settings > Bluetooth and ensure Bluetooth is turned on.

3. Select your controller from the device list. It should appear under “Other Devices.” Tap it to pair. Once connected, it will move to the “My Devices” section.

4. Open Provenance and launch a game. Your controller should be detected automatically. You do not need to configure anything inside Provenance for standard button layouts.

5. Access in-game settings if needed. While a game is running, swipe down from the top of the screen (or press the Menu button on your controller) to access the Provenance overlay. From there you can adjust controller mappings under Settings > Controllers.

6. Customize button mappings (optional). In the Provenance settings, navigate to Controllers to remap buttons for individual systems or globally.

Tips

• If your controller is not detected, try toggling Bluetooth off and on, then re-pairing.
• On Apple TV, the Siri Remote serves as a secondary controller for Player 2 in some games.
• For the most reliable experience on Apple TV, use a controller with a strong MFi certification such as the SteelSeries Nimbus+.
• 8BitDo controllers must be in the correct pairing mode for iOS. Refer to your controller’s manual for the exact button combination.

Download Provenance

Provenance is free to download from the App Store. Get Provenance on the App Store. For additional features, check out Provenance Plus.