If you try to connect an Xbox controller wirelessly with its USB dongle, you won’t be able to establish a connection. Wireless functionality is fortunately spotty on the Mac.
You’ll need to do a little bit of prep work to get the Xbox One controller functioning with macOS. Connecting an Xbox One Controller to your Mac is not quite as easy. No hard edges, everything is in easy rich, comfortable with any hand size, and intuitively laid out. The total lack of major changes over the years is a testament of just how “right” Microsoft made the Xbox controller. It’s a case study in usability and ergonomics. The Xbox One controller is one of the finest handheld controllers on the market.