Mortal Kombat 11 on a Mac with a controller
The Mortal Kombat 11 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 streams 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.
Yes, Mortal Kombat 11 plays on a Mac with a controller, streamed from a Windows PC you own. This layout is for a stream that misses your pad. Mortal Kombat is the fighter with a block button, and here the block is on both triggers: one is a spare for the hand that is already busy.
On this page: 9 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move. The D-pad and the left stick both send the arrow keys: up jumps, down crouches.
- Four attacks. In the NetherRealm numbering: front punch (1) on Square (J), back punch (2) on Triangle (I), front kick (3) on Cross (K), back kick (4) on Circle (L).
- Block. Both triggers send O.
- Shoulders. Throw on the left bumper (Space). The right bumper sends a semicolon, labeled assist.
- Dash and menus. The left stick click taps Right twice for a forward dash. Flip stance on Back (Tab), pause on Start (Escape).
The dash row presses Right, so it dashes forward only while your fighter faces right. Block on both triggers means it is always under a free finger.
Tune it
- Amplify. Put its key on the right bumper if you do not use that row.
- Fatalities. They stay on the D-pad and your memory.
- Turbo. Never in ranked.
Check the right bumper first, because it is the one row you may want to repurpose.
If the game sees the pad
A stream normally passes your controller to Mortal Kombat 11's own scheme, which is the better way to play a fighter. Try that first with the preset off. Press Activate only if the game ignores the pad. With both running, every press arrives twice.
For a fighting game, the native pad comes first.
Mortal Kombat 11 controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Mortal Kombat 11, 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 Mortal Kombat 11.
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 Mortal Kombat 11
When Mortal Kombat 11 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 Mortal Kombat 11, 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 Mortal Kombat 11 still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Mortal Kombat 11 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 Mortal Kombat 11 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 Mortal Kombat 11 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.
Mortal Kombat 11 controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Mortal Kombat 11'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 |
|---|---|---|
| D-pad up | Up | Jump / up (Up arrow) |
| D-pad down | Down | Crouch / down (Down arrow) |
| D-pad left | Left | Move left (Left arrow) |
| D-pad right | Right | Move right (Right arrow) |
| Left stick left | Left | Left stick left (Left arrow) |
| Left stick right | Right | Left stick right (Right arrow) |
| Left stick up | Up | Left stick up = jump (Up arrow) |
| Left stick down | Down | Left stick down = crouch (Down arrow) |
| X / Square | J | Square = Front Punch / 1 (default J) |
| Y / Triangle | I | Triangle = Back Punch / 2 (default I) |
| A / Cross | K | Cross = Front Kick / 3 (default K) |
| B / Circle | L | Circle = Back Kick / 4 (default L) |
| Right trigger | O | RT = Block (R2 default, key O) |
| Left trigger | O | LT = Block (alt, key O) |
| LB / L1 | Space | L1 = Throw / Grab (default Space) |
| RB / R1 | ; | R1 = assist (default ;) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Right; sent 2 times | L3 = forward dash (tap forward twice) |
| Start / Options | Escape | Start = pause (Esc) |
| Back / Share / Select | Tab | Back = flip stance / select (Tab) |
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 Mortal Kombat 11 run on a Mac?
Mortal Kombat 11 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.
Does Mortal Kombat 11 have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Mortal Kombat 11, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Mortal Kombat 11 better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Mortal Kombat 11, 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 Mortal Kombat 11 on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Mortal Kombat 11 still ignores it, activate the Mortal Kombat 11 layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Mortal Kombat 11 on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Yes, through a stream. Mortal Kombat 11 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.
Does Mortal Kombat 11 run in CrossOver on a Mac?
I have not tested Mortal Kombat 11 in CrossOver. CodeWeavers keeps a compatibility list where players report how each Windows game runs. If it runs and the controller is not seen, this layout plays it from the keys and mouse.
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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