Nine Sols on a Mac with a controller
The Nine Sols 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 on macOS through Steam, with the game's own gamepad support. Use that first. This layout is for pads the game does not detect.
Yes, Nine Sols plays on a Mac with a controller, and it supports one on its own. This layout plays the keyboard game for the pad it misses. Nine Sols is Sekiro in 2D, and the deflect is everything: it is the right face button, where the thumb rests.
On this page: 8 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move. The left stick and the D-pad move. Up climbs, down crouches and drops.
- Fight. Attack (J) is the left face button, deflect (K) the right, and jump the bottom. The top shoots the bound arrow (C).
- Dash and talisman. The right bumper dashes (Shift), and the left attaches or detonates the talisman (F).
- Heal and the Nymph. The right trigger heals (R) and the left calls the Mystic Nymph (Q).
- Arrows and menus. Options picks the next arrow type (O) and the left stick click the previous (U). Create interacts (E), and the right stick click opens the map (Tab).
- Pause. The Home button pauses.
Deflect is where your thumb rests, which is the only place it can be in this game.
Tune it
- Deflect timing. It is a tap, so leave the row plain.
- Pause elsewhere. If you hold Home by habit, press Scan on the pause row and move it to the touchpad press.
Leave the deflect row untouched, because it lives on timing.
If Nine Sols ignores your controller
Climb this ladder, smallest step first:
- Check the Mac sees it. The pad should show in Game Controllers in the System Settings sidebar and in Steam.
- Flip Steam Input. If Steam sees it and the game does not, switch Steam Input on or off for Nine Sols in its Steam controller settings. Controller works in Steam but not in the game has more.
- Activate this layout. If it still does not respond, play from the keyboard keys.
Use the game's pad support or this layout, never both, or every press lands twice.
Nine Sols controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Nine Sols, 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 Nine Sols.
From Steam's listing, checked in October 2026. Every game's listing is in Mac games with controller support.
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 Nine Sols 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.
Nine Sols controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Nine Sols'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 | Up, climb ladder, W |
| Left stick down | S | Crouch, drop down, S |
| X / Square | J | Attack, J |
| B / Circle | K | Parry, deflect, Unbounded Counter, K |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump, Space |
| RB / R1 | Shift (Left) | Dash, dodge, Shift |
| LB / L1 | F | Talisman attach or detonate, F |
| Y / Triangle | C | Shoot bound arrow, C |
| Right trigger | R | Restore health, heal, R |
| Left trigger | Q | Mystic Nymph, Q |
| Back / Share / Select | E | Interact, hook, E |
| Start / Options | O | Next arrow type, O |
| L3 (left stick click) | U | Previous arrow type, U |
| R3 (right stick click) | Tab | Open map and status, Tab |
| Home / PS / Guide | Escape | Pause, menu, Esc |
| D-pad right | D | Move right on dpad, D |
| D-pad left | A | Move left on dpad, A |
| D-pad up | W | Up on dpad, W |
| D-pad down | S | Down on dpad, S |
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 Nine Sols on Mac support controllers?
Yes, natively. This layout is for pads it does not see.
Why is my controller not working in Nine Sols on Mac?
Nine Sols has its own controller support on the Mac, so first check that the pad shows up in Game Controllers in the System Settings sidebar and in Steam. If Steam sees it and the game does not, try switching Steam Input on or off for Nine Sols in its Steam controller settings. If it still does not respond, this layout plays the game from the keyboard keys instead.
Does Nine Sols have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Nine Sols, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Nine Sols better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Nine Sols, so it was made to be played on a controller, and a keyboard and mouse work as well.
Can I play Nine Sols on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Nine Sols 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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