Palworld on a Mac with a controller
The Palworld 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: Steam lists Palworld for Windows only (checked September 2026), so a Steam copy will not run on a Mac; Pocketpair's patch notes name a separate Mac version, and Xbox Cloud Gaming streams the game to a Mac browser. The game has its own gamepad support. Use that first. This layout is for pads it does not detect and for keyboard binds on a controller.
Palworld has a Mac version with its own controller support, but the Steam release is Windows only, so a Steam copy will not run on a Mac. Xbox Cloud Gaming also streams the game to a Mac browser. Use the game's gamepad support when it sees your pad.
This layout is the keyboard Palworld from a controller for when it does not. The two things you do most, throw a sphere and summon your Pal, are the two bumpers, so both hands stay on the sticks while a creature does the work.
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.
- Fight. The right trigger attacks, the left trigger aims.
- Face buttons. Jump, crouch, reload, and F to interact.
- Pals. Throw a Pal Sphere (Q) on the left bumper, summon or use your Pal (E) on the right.
- Hotbar and menus. Hotbar 1 to 3 on the D-pad, Tab for the inventory on Create, the map on the Home button, Escape on Options.
Capture and summon are on the bumpers, so you never let go of the sticks to use them.
Tune it to how you play
- More hotbar. D-pad down is free. Put the rest on a chord.
- Pal skills. The number keys pick a Pal's skill while it is out. A chord on the D-pad sends them.
- Glide and mount. They use the same jump and interact keys, so there is nothing to add.
- Building. R already rotates. Snapping is the scroll wheel, so put Scroll on the bumpers behind a chord if you build a lot.
If the game sees your pad, leave the preset off, so presses do not arrive twice. Pal skills on a D-pad chord keep fights quick.
Palworld controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Palworld, 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 Palworld.
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 Palworld
When Palworld 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 Palworld, then press any button.
- Play it from keys. If Palworld still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Palworld 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 Palworld 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 Palworld 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.
Palworld controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Palworld'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 18) | Look right |
| Right stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 18) | Look left |
| Right stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 12) | Look down |
| Right stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 12) | Look up |
| Right trigger | Left click | Attack |
| Left trigger | Right click | Aim |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump |
| B / Circle | Ctrl (Left) | Crouch (Ctrl) |
| X / Square | R | Reload |
| Y / Triangle | F | Interact (F) |
| LB / L1 | Q | Throw Pal Sphere (Q) |
| RB / R1 | E | Summon / use Pal (E) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Shift (Left) | Sprint (Shift) |
| D-pad up | 1 | Slot 1 |
| D-pad left | 2 | Slot 2 |
| D-pad right | 3 | Slot 3 |
| Back / Share / Select | Tab | Inventory (Tab) |
| Home / PS / Guide | M | Map (M) |
| 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 I play the Steam version of Palworld on a Mac?
Not directly. Steam lists Palworld for Windows only (checked September 2026). Pocketpair's patch notes refer to a separate Mac version, and Xbox Cloud Gaming carries the game in a Mac browser. On a stream, this layout covers a pad the stream does not see.
Does Palworld on Mac support controllers?
Yes, the Mac version has the game's gamepad support. This layout is for pads it does not see and for keyboard binds.
Does Palworld have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Palworld, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Palworld better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Palworld, 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 Palworld on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Palworld still ignores it, activate the Palworld layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Palworld on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Yes, through a stream. Palworld 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.
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