Valheim on a Mac with a controller
The Valheim 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, and for the keyboard binds on a controller.
Yes, Valheim runs natively on the Mac and supports a controller on its own, so most people plug in and go. This layout is for a pad the game does not see, which on a Mac is more Bluetooth controllers than Iron Gate ever tested, and for builders who want the keyboard hotbar, one slot per button, instead of scrolling through it.
On this page: 9 sections
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Move and look. The sticks. Run is Shift on the left stick click.
- Fight. The right trigger attacks. The left trigger blocks, and it is the secondary attack for bows and spears.
- Face buttons. Jump on the bottom, sneak (Ctrl) on the right, E to use on the top, and R on the left, which repairs in the hammer's build mode and rotates a piece before you place it.
- Hotbar and menus. The D-pad is hotbar 1 to 4. Tab for the inventory on Create, the map on the Home button, Escape on Options.
Parry is a timed block on the left trigger, and the timing is all yours.
Tune it to how you play
- Hotbar 5 to 8. Add D-pad rows with While holding set to L1.
- Building. With the hammer out, the build menu is Tab and the piece rotates with the scroll wheel. Bind the bumpers to Scroll up and Scroll down, so a piece rotates one notch per press while R stays repair.
- Auto-run. It is Q in the game. Put it on the right stick click, set to Toggles on and off for the sensible version.
- Sit. X sits by a fire and rests. The touchpad press, because comfort deserves a button.
- Left System. Valheim's binds call the left Command key Left System, as Unity games do. The right one is Right System. To press it from a controller, give any button a Key output of Command.
Scroll on the bumpers makes building from the sofa as quick as at a desk.
If the game sees your pad
Use Valheim's own gamepad support and leave this preset off, because with both running one press arrives twice. Nothing runs inside the game either way, so the layout is fine on a dedicated server.
Use the native support first, and keep this layout for the pad it misses and for keyboard-style building.
Valheim controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists full controller support for Valheim, 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 Valheim.
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 Valheim
When Valheim 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.
- Check the Steam Input setting for Valheim. In Steam, open Valheim, Properties, Controller, and change the Steam Input override. A controller that works in Steam but not in the game goes through each choice.
- Play it from keys. If Valheim still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Valheim 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 Valheim 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 Valheim 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.
Valheim controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Valheim'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 | Block / secondary |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump |
| B / Circle | Ctrl (Left) | Crouch / sneak (Ctrl) |
| Y / Triangle | E | Use / interact (E) |
| X / Square | R | Repair / rotate (R) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Shift (Left) | Run (Shift) |
| D-pad up | 1 | Hotbar 1 |
| D-pad left | 2 | Hotbar 2 |
| D-pad right | 3 | Hotbar 3 |
| D-pad down | 4 | Hotbar 4 |
| 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
What is Left System in Valheim on a Mac?
The left Command key, next to the space bar. Valheim is a Unity game, and Unity's input system names the left Command key (the Windows key on a PC) "Left System". The right one is "Right System". To press it from a controller, give any button a Key output of Command in InputConfig.
Is Valheim on Mac?
Yes. Valheim has a native macOS version on Steam and on the Mac App Store, and it supports a controller on its own. This layout is for a pad the game does not detect, or for keyboard binds like the hotbar on the D-pad.
Does this work on a dedicated server?
Yes. The game receives keyboard and mouse input and nothing runs inside it.
Does Valheim have controller support?
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Valheim, so every part of the game can be played on a controller.
Is Valheim better with a controller or a keyboard?
Both work. Steam lists full controller support for Valheim, 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 Valheim on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Valheim still ignores it, change the game's Steam Input override in its Steam Properties, and if that does not help, activate the Valheim layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Valheim on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Valheim 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.
Updated