The Elder Scrolls Online on a Mac with a controller
The The Elder Scrolls Online 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 Mac client. ESO has a built-in gamepad mode that works on the Mac. Use it when it sees your controller. This layout is for pads the game does not recognize, and for people who prefer the keyboard interface with a controller in hand.
Yes, and the first thing to try is ESO's own gamepad mode, which works in the native Mac client. This layout is for the two cases it misses: a controller ESO does not recognize, and players who want the keyboard interface, addons and bars included, with a pad in hand. It uses the Skyrim layout, because ESO plays like Skyrim.
On this page: 9 sections
- The layout, control by control
- How the layout thinks
- Tune it
- If the game sees the pad
- The Elder Scrolls Online controller support: controller or keyboard
- If your controller is not working in The Elder Scrolls Online
- Get it in two clicks
- The Elder Scrolls Online controls: every button and the key it sends
- Questions
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move and look. The left stick walks on W, A, S and D. The right stick moves the mouse at speed 18 across and 12 up and down.
- Fight. The right trigger attacks (left click) and the left trigger blocks (right click).
- Face buttons. Jump on the bottom (Space), sneak on the right (Ctrl), the left button sends R, and activate is on the top (E).
- Shoulders and sprint. The left bumper sends Q and the right bumper T. Sprint on the left stick click (Shift).
- D-pad and menus. M, J, I and P on D-pad up, down, left and right. Tab on Back, Escape on Start.
The row notes keep Skyrim's names: sheathe on R, Favorites on Q, Wait on T, Magic on P. Check those four against ESO's controls menu and change any that do something else there. Check the Skyrim names against ESO's controls once, and the layout is yours.
Tune it
- Abilities. ESO's skill bar is 1 to 5 plus R. The left face button already sends R. Put 1 to 5 on chord rows held with a spare button.
- Camera. The camera rows run at speed 18 across and 12 up and down. Pointer speed on the preset's page scales them together.
The skill bar is the one thing this layout leaves for you to place.
If the game sees the pad
ESO's gamepad mode is the better choice whenever it detects your controller.
- Check macOS. Game Controllers in the System Settings sidebar shows whether the Mac sees the pad.
- Try ESO's gamepad mode. With the preset off, see whether the game responds to the controller.
- Activate the layout. If the Mac sees the pad and ESO does not, press Activate, and the pad drives the keyboard controls.
Never run both: a game reading the pad plus a preset sending keys doubles every press.
The Elder Scrolls Online controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists partial controller support for The Elder Scrolls Online: 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 The Elder Scrolls Online
When The Elder Scrolls Online 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.
- Play it from keys. If The Elder Scrolls Online still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls The Elder Scrolls Online already reads. The layout works whether or not The Elder Scrolls Online 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 Elder Scrolls Online 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 Elder Scrolls Online controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is The Elder Scrolls Online'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 18) | Look right |
| Right stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 18) | Look left |
| Right stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 12) | Look down |
| Right stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 12) | Look up |
| Right trigger | Left click | Right hand / attack |
| Left trigger | Right click | Left hand / block |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump |
| B / Circle | Ctrl (Left) | Sneak (Ctrl) |
| X / Square | R | Ready / sheathe (R) |
| Y / Triangle | E | Activate (E) |
| LB / L1 | Q | Favorites (Q) |
| RB / R1 | T | Wait (T) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Shift (Left) | Sprint (Shift) |
| D-pad up | M | Map (M) |
| D-pad down | J | Journal (J) |
| D-pad left | I | Inventory (I) |
| D-pad right | P | Magic (P) |
| Back / Share / Select | Tab | Menu (Tab) |
| Start / Options | Escape | System (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
Should I use ESO's gamepad mode or this?
The gamepad mode, if it sees your controller. This layout is for when it does not, or when you want the keyboard interface.
Why does ESO not see my controller on Mac?
Check macOS first: Game Controllers in the System Settings sidebar shows whether the Mac sees the pad. If the Mac sees it and ESO does not, this layout drives ESO's keyboard controls from it.
Does The Elder Scrolls Online have controller support?
Partly. Steam lists partial controller support for The Elder Scrolls Online: it plays on a controller, but some screens still expect a keyboard or mouse.
Is The Elder Scrolls Online better with a controller or a keyboard?
A controller works for most of it. Steam lists partial controller support for The Elder Scrolls Online, 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 The Elder Scrolls Online on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and The Elder Scrolls Online still ignores it, activate the The Elder Scrolls Online layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play The Elder Scrolls Online on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
The Elder Scrolls Online 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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