The Binding of Isaac on a Mac with a controller
The The Binding of Isaac 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: Rebirth runs natively on the Mac through Steam, with full controller support, up to Afterbirth+. Steam lists Repentance for Windows only. This layout is for a controller the game does not detect, and for accessibility remaps.
Yes, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth runs natively on the Mac with controller support, up to Afterbirth+, so most Mac players with a PS5 or Xbox controller never need this page. Repentance is Windows only on Steam.
This layout is for two groups: players whose pad the game does not see, and players whose hands find the constant stick-holding hard and want what the game's remapping cannot do, such as tears that keep firing in one direction, a bigger rest zone on a drifting stick, or a bomb on a finger instead of a thumb.
On this page: 8 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move. The left stick sends W, A, S and D.
- Shoot. The right stick fires tears in four directions, because it sends the arrow keys, which is how the keyboard game shoots. A diagonal push sends two arrows, and the game fires the way the keyboard version does.
- Face buttons. Use item (Space) on the bottom, bomb (E) on the right, card or pill (Q) on the left, pocket item (C) on the top.
- Menu. Start opens the menu.
The game fits on two sticks and four buttons.
Go past the game's own options
- Drift and tremor. Isaac punishes a stick that creeps. Open Adjust live on a movement row, let go, and set the deadzone just above where the stick rests.
- A bomb on a trigger. Duplicate the bomb row and Scan the copy to the right trigger. Some hands want a finger for the panic bomb.
- Firing without holding. On one shooting row, set the press mode to Toggles on and off, and one flick keeps tears flying that way until you flick again. Useful for long boss fights where a held stick hurts.
- Drop. The game's drop key swaps trinkets and pills. Give it to the right stick click or a back paddle.
A toggled shooting row turns a long boss fight from a held stick into a flick.
Repentance and the game's own pad support
Steam lists Repentance for Windows only, so on a Mac it means a stream from a Windows PC you own, or the Windows build in a compatibility layer. The keys are the same, and this layout sends keys to whatever is in front, so it works there as well.
If the game sees your pad, use its own support and leave the preset off, so a press does not arrive twice. Rebirth on a Mac, Repentance on a stream: the same layout covers both.
If your controller is not working in The Binding of Isaac
When The Binding of Isaac does not react to your controller on a Mac, climb this ladder, smallest step first:
- Check that the Mac sees the controller. Open the gamepad tester and press a button. If nothing lights up there, the problem is the connection, and a controller that is connected but not working covers that first.
- Check the Steam Input setting for The Binding of Isaac. In Steam, open The Binding of Isaac, Properties, Controller, and change the Steam Input override. A controller that works in Steam but not in the game goes through each choice.
- Play it from keys. If The Binding of Isaac still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls The Binding of Isaac already reads. Turn the game's own controller option off while it runs, or a press can arrive twice. The layout works whether or not The Binding of Isaac ever sees the controller.
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 The Binding of Isaac 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.
The Binding of Isaac controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is The Binding of Isaac'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 | Move left (A) |
| Left stick right | D | Move right (D) |
| Left stick up | W | Move up (W) |
| Left stick down | S | Move down (S) |
| Right stick left | Left | Shoot left |
| Right stick right | Right | Shoot right |
| Right stick up | Up | Shoot up |
| Right stick down | Down | Shoot down |
| A / Cross | Space | Use item (Space) |
| B / Circle | E | Drop bomb (E) |
| X / Square | Q | Use card / pill (Q) |
| Y / Triangle | C | Use pocket item (C) |
| Start / Options | Escape | Menu (Esc) |
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 The Binding of Isaac on Mac support controllers?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Rebirth, which has a Mac version. This layout is for pads it does not see and for accessibility remaps like a larger deadzone.
Does The Binding of Isaac: Repentance run on a Mac?
The Binding of Isaac: Repentance does not run natively on a Mac. Steam lists Repentance for Windows only, while Rebirth, Afterbirth and Afterbirth+ have a Mac version. On a Mac, Repentance means a stream from a Windows PC you own, and this layout works there too.
Why is my controller not working in The Binding of Isaac on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and The Binding of Isaac still ignores it, change the game's Steam Input override in its Steam Properties, and if that does not help, activate the The Binding of Isaac layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play The Binding of Isaac on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
The Binding of Isaac 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.
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