Destiny 2 on a Mac with a controller
The Destiny 2 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: No Mac version. GeForce NOW streams it and normally hands a controller to the game's own scheme with aim assist. This layout is for streams that do not see the pad.
You can play Destiny 2 on a Mac with a controller through GeForce NOW, which usually passes your pad to Bungie's excellent scheme, aim assist and all. There is no Mac version. Play that way if it works.
This layout is the keyboard Destiny from a pad, for the stream that does not see the controller, and for the small group who prefer number-key weapon swapping to the console cycle.
On this page: 8 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move and look. The sticks. Sprint is the left stick click.
- Shoot. The right trigger fires, the left trigger aims.
- Face buttons. Jump, crouch, reload and E.
- Abilities. Grenade (Q) on the left bumper, melee (C) on the right.
- Weapons and Super. Kinetic, energy and power weapons on D-pad up, left and right. The Super (F) is on down, far enough from everything that you never pop it by accident.
- Menu. Escape on Options.
The Super lives on D-pad down so it never fires by accident.
Tune it to your class
- Class ability. It is Shift plus a key in the game: a dodge, a rift, a barricade. Give the sprint row a double-tap action that sends the class ability key, so double-clicking the stick dodges.
- Finisher. Put G on the touchpad press.
- Emotes and the Ghost. The emote wheel is a held key, and Tab is the Ghost. Put them on a D-pad chord.
- Air moves. Jump twice for the glide. The layout sends Space each time, which is all the game wants.
If the stream sees your pad, use the native scheme for aim assist and turn this preset off, so a press does not arrive twice. With this layout the game sees a mouse, so there is no aim assist.
Destiny 2 controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists partial controller support for Destiny 2: 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.
If your controller is not working in Destiny 2
When Destiny 2 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.
- Press a button after the stream has started. A stream only picks up a controller that is paired with the Mac, and a browser shows a controller to a page only after a button press. Start Destiny 2, then press any button.
- Play it from keys. If Destiny 2 still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Destiny 2 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 Destiny 2 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 Destiny 2 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.
Destiny 2 controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Destiny 2'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 | Strafe left (A) |
| Left stick right | D | Strafe right (D) |
| Left stick up | W | Move forward (W) |
| Left stick down | S | Move back (S) |
| Right stick right | Mouse motion right (speed 20) | Look right |
| Right stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 20) | Look left |
| Right stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 14) | Look down |
| Right stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 14) | Look up |
| Right trigger | Left click | Fire |
| Left trigger | Right click | Aim down sights |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump |
| B / Circle | Ctrl (Left) | Crouch (Ctrl) |
| X / Square | R | Reload |
| Y / Triangle | E | Interact (E) |
| LB / L1 | Q | Grenade (Q) |
| RB / R1 | C | Melee (C) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Shift (Left) | Sprint (Shift) |
| D-pad up | 1 | Kinetic weapon (1) |
| D-pad left | 2 | Energy weapon (2) |
| D-pad right | 3 | Power weapon (3) |
| D-pad down | F | Super (F) |
| 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 Destiny 2 run on a Mac?
Destiny 2 does not run natively on a Mac. GeForce NOW streams it and normally passes a controller to the game's own scheme.
Is there aim assist with this layout?
No. The game sees a mouse. Let the stream see the pad for aim assist.
Does Destiny 2 have controller support?
Partly. Steam lists partial controller support for Destiny 2: it plays on a controller, but some screens still expect a keyboard or mouse.
Is Destiny 2 better with a controller or a keyboard?
A controller works for most of it. Steam lists partial controller support for Destiny 2, so some screens still expect a keyboard or a mouse, and a layout like this one can put those on the pad.
Why is my controller not working in Destiny 2 on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Destiny 2 still ignores it, activate the Destiny 2 layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Destiny 2 on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Yes, through a stream. Destiny 2 runs on the other end, on a cloud service or your own PC, so the Mac only plays the video and sends your input. An M1 MacBook Air streams it like any other Mac.
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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