Ghost of Tsushima on a Mac with a controller
The Ghost of Tsushima 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. It can stream to a Mac from a Windows PC you own. The stream normally passes a controller to the game's native scheme. This layout is for streams that do not see the pad. It starts from the God of War template, so the axe recall and Atreus rows need new keys for Tsushima's stances, tools and the bow.
Yes, Ghost of Tsushima plays on a Mac with a controller, streamed from a Windows PC you own. This layout is for a stream that misses your pad. It starts from God of War, which has the same shape: light and heavy on the face buttons, block on a bumper, dodge on the big button. Tsushima is a parry game, and a parry on a stream is the real problem: the window is generous enough on normal difficulty and not on Lethal.
On this page: 9 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move and camera. The left stick walks on W, A, S and D. The right stick moves the mouse at speed 16.
- Fight. Light attack on the left face button (left click), heavy on the top (right click). Block and parry on the left bumper (Q). Dodge on the bottom (Space).
- Aim. The left trigger aims (Ctrl).
- God of War rows. The right bumper sends R (axe recall), the right trigger F (the son's action), and D-pad down Shift plus middle click (Spartan Rage).
- The rest. Interact on the right face button (E), sprint on the left stick click (Shift), lock on with the right (middle click). Swap weapons on D-pad up (1). The map on Back (M), pause on Start (Escape).
The fight works as it stands, and three God of War rows are waiting for Tsushima's keys.
Tune it
- Three key changes. Set the right bumper to the stance change, the right trigger to fire the bow, and D-pad down to the Ghost stance.
- Parry timing. On a stream, start the parry a hair early.
- Camera. Pointer speed on the preset's page scales all four camera rows together.
Start each parry a little early, and the stream's delay mostly disappears.
If the game sees the pad
A stream normally passes your controller to Ghost of Tsushima's own scheme, which is the better way to play a parry game. Try that first with the preset off. In CrossOver, controllers reach Windows games less reliably than keys, which is where this layout helps. With both running, every press does two things.
For parries, one input path matters more than anything.
Ghost of Tsushima controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Ghost of Tsushima, so the game was made to be played on a controller, menus included. A keyboard and mouse work as well, and the choice is yours. On a Mac, use the game's own controller support first when it sees your pad; this layout is for a pad it does not see, or for buttons it will not let you move. Full support listed means the controller is a first-class way to play Ghost of Tsushima.
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 Ghost of Tsushima
When Ghost of Tsushima 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 Ghost of Tsushima, then press any button. Streaming from your own PC has its own checks, in how to stream PC games to a Mac with a controller.
- Play it from keys. If Ghost of Tsushima still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Ghost of Tsushima 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 Ghost of Tsushima 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 Ghost of Tsushima 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.
Ghost of Tsushima controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Ghost of Tsushima'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 forward (W) |
| Left stick down | S | Move back (S) |
| Right stick right | Mouse motion right (speed 16) | Camera right |
| Right stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 16) | Camera left |
| Right stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 16) | Camera down |
| Right stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 16) | Camera up |
| X / Square | Left click | Light attack (LMB) |
| Y / Triangle | Right click | Heavy attack (RMB) |
| Left trigger | Ctrl (Left) | Aim / throw (Left Ctrl) |
| RB / R1 | R | Recall / reload (R) |
| LB / L1 | Q | Block / parry (Q) |
| A / Cross | Space | Evade / dodge (Space) |
| R3 (right stick click) | Middle click | Lock-on / reset camera (MMB) |
| Right trigger | F | Special action (F) |
| B / Circle | E | Interact (E) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Shift (Left) | Sprint (Shift) |
| D-pad up | 1 | Sheathe / swap weapon (1) |
| D-pad down | Shift (Left), Middle click | Special mode (Shift+MMB) |
| Back / Share / Select | M | Map (M) |
| Start / Options | Escape | Pause / options (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 Ghost of Tsushima run on a Mac?
Ghost of Tsushima does not run natively on a Mac. It streams from a Windows PC you own, and the stream usually passes a controller through. This layout covers a stream that does not see the pad.
Can I play Ghost of Tsushima on a Mac with CrossOver?
Whether it runs depends on the game version and your Mac, so check CodeWeavers' compatibility reports first. If it runs and your controller does not show up, this layout is the fix: CrossOver passes keys and the mouse to Windows games reliably and controllers less so. The CrossOver controller page explains why.
Does Ghost of Tsushima have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Ghost of Tsushima, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Ghost of Tsushima better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Ghost of Tsushima, so it was made to be played on a controller, and a keyboard and mouse work as well.
Why is my controller not working in Ghost of Tsushima on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Ghost of Tsushima still ignores it, activate the Ghost of Tsushima layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Ghost of Tsushima on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Yes, through a stream. Ghost of Tsushima 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.
Updated