Half-Life 2 on a Mac with a controller
The Half-Life 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 current Mac version: Steam lists Half-Life 2 for Windows and Linux only. GeForce NOW lists it, and it can stream from a Windows PC you own. Both normally pass a controller to the game's own support. This layout sends the keyboard binds for a stream that does not see the pad.
You can play Half-Life 2 on a Mac with a controller through GeForce NOW or a stream from a Windows PC you own, because Steam now lists it for Windows and Linux only. The game has controller support of its own, which a stream usually passes through.
When it does not, this is the keyboard game from a pad, and the gravity gun is the reason to like it: primary and secondary fire on the two triggers is exactly right for launch and pull.
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.
- Fire. Primary fire on the right trigger, secondary on the left, which on the gravity gun is the pull.
- Face buttons. Jump, crouch, reload and E.
- Weapons and flashlight. The D-pad is weapon groups 1 to 3, with the flashlight on down. Create is the previous weapon, Escape on Options.
Launch on one trigger and pull on the other is how the gravity gun should feel.
Tune it to how you play
- The rest of the weapons. Groups 4 to 6 on a D-pad chord, or bind the bumpers to the scroll wheel, which cycles weapons the classic way.
- Quick save. Put F6 on the touchpad press. You will use it.
- Crouch jump. It is Space, then Ctrl in the air. A macro on the jump row's double-tap action does it every time.
- The episodes and Black Mesa. The same keys. Activate the layout for any Source game and it works.
If the stream sees your pad, use the game's own support and turn this preset off, so a press does not arrive twice. Put quick save on a button first, and you will thank yourself later.
Half-Life 2 controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Half-Life 2, 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 Half-Life 2.
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 Half-Life 2
When Half-Life 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 Half-Life 2, 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 Half-Life 2 still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Half-Life 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 Half-Life 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 Half-Life 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.
Half-Life 2 controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Half-Life 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 | Secondary fire |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump |
| B / Circle | Ctrl (Left) | Crouch (Ctrl) |
| X / Square | R | Reload |
| Y / Triangle | E | Use (E) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Shift (Left) | Sprint (Shift) |
| D-pad up | 1 | Weapon group 1 |
| D-pad left | 2 | Weapon group 2 |
| D-pad right | 3 | Weapon group 3 |
| D-pad down | F | Flashlight (F) |
| Back / Share / Select | Scroll up | Previous weapon |
| 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
Can you play Half-Life 2 on a Mac?
Half-Life 2 does not run natively on a Mac any more. Steam lists it for Windows and Linux only. GeForce NOW lists it, and a stream from a Windows PC you own works too. Both usually pass the controller through. This layout is for a stream that does not see your pad.
Does Half-Life 2 have controller support?
Yes, it has controller support of its own, which a stream usually passes through. This keyboard layout from a pad is the fallback, with the gravity gun on the two triggers.
Does Half-Life 2 have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Half-Life 2, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Half-Life 2 better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Half-Life 2, 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 Half-Life 2 on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Half-Life 2 still ignores it, activate the Half-Life 2 layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Half-Life 2 on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Yes, through a stream. Half-Life 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.
Updated