Nioh 2 on a Mac with a controller
The Nioh 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 Mac version, and it is not in GeForce NOW's public list or Xbox Cloud Gaming's US library (checked September 2026). It streams to a Mac from a Windows PC you own. The stream normally passes a controller to the game's own scheme. This layout is for streams that do not see the pad. It starts from the Souls template; Nioh's three stances and the Ki pulse are its own keys, so give those rows new outputs.
Yes, Nioh 2 plays on a Mac with a controller, streamed from a Windows PC you own. This layout is for a stream that misses your pad. Nioh is Souls at twice the speed with stances, and the stances are the thing to add. A stream and Nioh 2 is a fair fight on the easier missions and a losing one on the late ones. That is the truth.
On this page: 9 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Right hand. R1 is a left click for the light attack, R2 Shift plus left click for the heavy.
- Left hand. L1 is a right click to block, L2 Shift plus right click.
- Move and look. The left stick walks on W, A, S and D. The right stick moves the mouse at speed 18. Lock on with the left stick click (middle click).
- Face buttons. Roll and sprint on the bottom (Space), interact on the right (E), the healing item on the top (R), the left sends F.
- D-pad and menus. The arrow keys, labeled weapon, spell and item swaps from the Souls template. Menu on Start (Escape), inventory on Back (Tab).
The Souls bones are right, and the stances are the part that makes it Nioh.
Tune it
- Stances. Set two D-pad directions' outputs to Nioh's stance keys, or put all three on chord rows.
- Ki pulse and burst counter. Give them rows with Nioh's own keys, the burst counter on a chord.
- Camera. Nioh is fast. Raise Pointer speed on the preset's page.
Do the stances first, because they are the changes that matter.
If the game sees the pad
Nioh 2 is not in GeForce NOW's public list or Xbox Cloud Gaming's US library, so on a Mac it is your own PC's stream, which normally passes your controller to the game. Try that first with the preset off. With both running, every press does two things.
Use the game's own pad controls whenever the stream passes the pad.
Nioh 2 controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists partial controller support for Nioh 2: 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 Nioh 2
When Nioh 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 Nioh 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 Nioh 2 still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Nioh 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 Nioh 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 Nioh 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.
Nioh 2 controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Nioh 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 | Move left, A |
| Left stick right | D | Move right, D |
| Left stick up | W | Move forward, W |
| Left stick down | S | Move back, S |
| RB / R1 | Left click | Right hand light attack, R1 to left click |
| Right trigger | Shift (Left), Left click | Right hand heavy attack, R2 to Shift plus left click |
| LB / L1 | Right click | Left hand attack or block, L1 to right click |
| Left trigger | Shift (Left), Right click | Left hand heavy or parry, L2 to Shift plus right click |
| A / Cross | Space | Roll, backstep, sprint, Space |
| B / Circle | E | Interact, pick up, E |
| Y / Triangle | R | Use item, heal, R |
| X / Square | F | Two hand weapon toggle, F |
| L3 (left stick click) | Middle click | Lock on, reset camera, middle click |
| D-pad right | Right | Switch right hand weapon, Right |
| D-pad left | Left | Switch left hand weapon, Left |
| D-pad up | Up | Switch spell, Up |
| D-pad down | Down | Switch quick item, Down |
| Start / Options | Escape | Pause, menu, Esc |
| Back / Share / Select | Tab | Inventory, equipment, Tab |
| Right stick right | Mouse motion right (speed 18) | Camera right |
| Right stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 18) | Camera left |
| Right stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 18) | Camera down |
| Right stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 18) | Camera up |
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 Nioh 2 run on a Mac?
Nioh 2 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 Nioh 2 have controller support?
Partly. Steam lists partial controller support for Nioh 2: it plays on a controller, but some screens still expect a keyboard or mouse.
Is Nioh 2 better with a controller or a keyboard?
A controller works for most of it. Steam lists partial controller support for Nioh 2, 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 Nioh 2 on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Nioh 2 still ignores it, activate the Nioh 2 layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Nioh 2 on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Yes, through a stream. Nioh 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.
Does Nioh 2 run in CrossOver on a Mac?
I have not tested Nioh 2 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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