American Truck Simulator on a Mac with a controller
The American Truck Simulator layout is built into InputConfig, free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
On a Mac: Native on macOS through Steam. Steam lists partial controller support, which means parts of the game still want a keyboard or mouse.
Yes, American Truck Simulator plays on a Mac with a controller. Steam lists partial controller support, and this layout drives it on the keyboard binds from any pad, for the controller the game does not see and for anyone who wants the signals and lights on the D-pad where a thumb flicks them. Trucking is a game you play for the calm, and a controller on a sofa is calmer than a keyboard.
On this page: 8 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Drive. The left stick steers (A and D), the right trigger accelerates (W), and the left trigger brakes (S).
- Gears and brakes. The bumpers shift up (Shift) and down (Alt). The bottom face button sets the parking brake (Space), and the left applies the engine brake (B).
- Cab. The right face button sounds the horn (H), and the top toggles cruise control (C). Options enters or exits the truck (E), and Back opens the world map (M).
- Lights. D-pad left and right flick the turn signals, up toggles the headlights (L), and down the hazards (F). The left stick click is the high beams (K) and the right the wipers (P).
- Look. The right stick picks the interior and chase cameras (1 and 2) and looks around the cab.
The signals are on the D-pad, so a lane change is a thumb flick.
Tune it
- Steering. The steering rows send A and D, which are on or off. Open Adjust live on a steer row and raise the deadzone, so a resting thumb does not nudge the truck.
- Camera. Put the other camera keys on chords.
A bigger steering deadzone is the change that keeps a truck straight on the interstate.
If the game does not see your controller
Climb this ladder, smallest step first:
- Check the Mac sees it. If it does not show in System Settings, Game Controllers, start with controller connected but not working.
- Check Steam Input. If Steam sees the pad and the game does not, see controller works in Steam but not in the game, then check the game's Controls options.
- Activate this layout. It drives the truck on the keyboard binds, which the game always reads.
Use the game's pad support or this layout, not both, or every press lands twice.
American Truck Simulator controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists partial controller support for American Truck Simulator: it plays on a controller, but some parts, such as a launcher, text entry or a menu, still expect a keyboard or a mouse. This layout sends keys and mouse movement from the pad, which can cover the parts the game's own support leaves out. With partial support, a layout fills the gaps the game leaves.
From Steam's listing, checked in October 2026. Every game's listing is in Mac games with controller support.
Get it in two clicks
- Get InputConfig free on the Mac App Store, open it, and click Smart Preset Maker on the welcome screen.
- Search for American Truck Simulator and pick it. The layout is created as a preset in your sidebar, named and ready.
- Press Activate. Every row can be changed afterwards: the editor's Scan button rebinds any control the moment you touch it.
To check the controller itself first, the gamepad tester shows every button and stick live in your browser.
American Truck Simulator controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is American Truck Simulator's default keyboard and mouse controls, as this layout expects them. If you changed a key in the game's settings, change the same row in InputConfig.
| Controller | Sends | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Left stick left | A | Left stick left steers left (A) |
| Left stick right | D | Left stick right steers right (D) |
| Right trigger | W | Right trigger accelerates (W) |
| Left trigger | S | Left trigger brakes (S) |
| A / Cross | Space | A sets the parking brake (Space) |
| RB / R1 | Shift (Left) | RB shifts up a gear (Shift) |
| LB / L1 | Alt / Option (Left) | LB shifts down a gear (Alt) |
| B / Circle | H | B sounds the horn (H) |
| X / Square | B | X applies the engine brake or retarder (B) |
| Y / Triangle | C | Y toggles cruise control (C) |
| Start / Options | E | Start enters or exits the truck (E) |
| Back / Share / Select | M | Back opens the world map (M) |
| D-pad left | [ | D-pad left flicks the left turn signal ([) |
| D-pad right | ] | D-pad right flicks the right turn signal (]) |
| D-pad up | L | D-pad up toggles the headlights (L) |
| D-pad down | F | D-pad down toggles the hazard lights (F) |
| L3 (left stick click) | K | L3 toggles the high beams (K) |
| R3 (right stick click) | P | R3 toggles the wipers (P) |
| Right stick left | 1 | Right stick left selects the interior camera (1) |
| Right stick right | 2 | Right stick right selects the chase camera (2) |
| Right stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 16) | Right stick up free-looks around the cab |
| Right stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 16) | Right stick down free-looks around the cab |
Button names follow the Xbox / PlayStation pair shown in the editor, so A / Cross is the bottom face button on either pad. On a Switch Pro Controller the bottom button is labeled B; the mapping still fires on position.
Questions
Does American Truck Simulator on Mac support controllers?
Steam lists partial controller support. This layout is for pads the game does not see, on the keyboard binds.
Why is my controller not working in American Truck Simulator on a Mac?
First check that macOS sees it: if it does not show in System Settings, Game Controllers, start with controller connected but not working. If Steam sees it and the game does not, Steam Input is often the cause: see controller works in Steam but not in the game, then check the game's Controls options. If it still will not take the pad, this layout drives the truck on the keyboard binds, which the game always reads.
Does American Truck Simulator have controller support?
Partly. Steam lists partial controller support for American Truck Simulator: it plays on a controller, but some screens still expect a keyboard or mouse.
Is American Truck Simulator better with a controller or a keyboard?
A controller works for most of it. Steam lists partial controller support for American Truck Simulator, so some screens still expect a keyboard or a mouse, and a layout like this one can put those on the pad.
Can I play American Truck Simulator on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
American Truck Simulator has a native Mac version, and its minimum requirements are listed on its Steam store page, so check your Mac against that list. I have not tested it on each Mac. The controller layout itself works the same on any Mac that runs InputConfig.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
Updated