Once Human on a Mac with a controller
The Once Human 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. Xbox Cloud Gaming carries it in a Mac browser (checked September 2026), and it also streams from a Windows PC you own; either normally passes a controller to the game's own scheme, and Steam lists full controller support. This layout is for streams that do not see the pad.
Yes, Once Human plays on a Mac with a controller, through Xbox Cloud Gaming in a browser or a stream from a Windows PC. Either one usually hands your pad to the game's own controls. This layout is for a stream that does not, and it gives the shooter, the survival game and the base builder each a home on the pad.
On this page: 9 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move and look. The left stick walks on W, A, S and D. The right stick moves the mouse at speed 18.
- Shoot. The right trigger fires (left click) and the left trigger aims (right click). Reload is the left face button (R) and melee the top one (V).
- Move fast. Jump on the bottom button (Space), crouch on the right (C), sprint on Back (Shift), and dodge on the left stick click (Ctrl).
- Gather and build. Interact and gather on the right bumper (F). Build mode on the left bumper (B).
- Bags and map. The item backpack is on Start (I) and the gear backpack on the right stick click (K). D-pad up opens the world map (M), D-pad down holsters (H), and the PS or Guide button opens the system menu (Escape).
The two backpacks live on easy buttons because you open them constantly. Build mode is one press of the left bumper, so a base goes up without a keyboard.
Tune it
- Slower aim. Duplicate the four right-stick rows, set While also holding to the left trigger on the copies, and lower their speed. While you aim, the plain rows stay quiet.
- Rotate in build mode. Add the game's rotate keys as chord rows on the bumpers, so they only fire while another button is held.
A slower aim on the left trigger is the change I would make first.
If the game sees the pad
Steam lists full controller support for Once Human, so try the stream's own handling first.
- You: Start the stream with the preset off and push the left stick.
- InputConfig: Stays out of the way until you press Activate.
- Check: If your character moves, the stream passes the pad, so keep the preset off. If nothing moves, press Activate and try again.
Run the game's controls or this layout, never both, or every press does two things.
Once Human controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Once Human, 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 Once Human.
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 Once Human
When Once Human 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 Once Human, 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 Once Human still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Once Human 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 Once Human 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 Once Human 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.
Once Human controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Once Human'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 trigger | Left click | Fire, shoot, left click |
| Left trigger | Right click | Aim down sights, right click |
| X / Square | R | Reload, R |
| Back / Share / Select | Shift (Left) | Sprint, Shift |
| B / Circle | C | Crouch, C |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump, Space |
| Y / Triangle | V | Melee attack, V |
| RB / R1 | F | Interact, gather, F |
| L3 (left stick click) | Ctrl (Left) | Dodge, roll, Left Ctrl |
| LB / L1 | B | Open build mode, B |
| Start / Options | I | Item backpack, inventory, I |
| R3 (right stick click) | K | Gear backpack, K |
| D-pad up | M | World map, M |
| D-pad down | H | Holster weapon, H |
| Home / PS / Guide | Escape | System menu, Esc |
| 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 Once Human run on a Mac?
Once Human does not run natively on a Mac. Xbox Cloud Gaming carries it in a Mac browser, and it also streams from a Windows PC you own. This layout covers a stream that does not see the pad.
Does Once Human have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support, and a stream normally passes your pad to it. This layout sends keyboard and mouse for a stream that does not see the controller.
Does Once Human have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Once Human, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Once Human better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Once Human, 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 Once Human on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Once Human still ignores it, activate the Once Human layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Once Human on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Yes, through a stream. Once Human 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