Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader on a Mac with a controller
The Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader 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 Mac version on Steam. Rogue Trader has a gamepad mode of its own from the console versions. Use it when it sees your controller. This layout is for pads it does not see, and for people who prefer the mouse interface.
Yes, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader runs natively on the Mac and has a real gamepad mode from the console versions, so try that first. This layout is for the pad it does not see and for people who prefer the mouse interface. It is turn-based, so a controller in a lap is the natural way to play it anyway.
On this page: 9 sections
- The layout, control by control
- How the layout thinks
- Tune it
- If the game sees the pad
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader controller support: controller or keyboard
- If your controller is not working in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
- Get it in two clicks
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader controls: every button and the key it sends
- Questions
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Pointer. The left stick moves the pointer at speed 16.
- Click. The right trigger selects and confirms (left click), the left trigger opens the context menu (right click).
- Face buttons. Jump on the bottom (Space), sneak toggle on the right (C), highlight items on the left (E), the journal on the top (J).
- Hotbar. Slots 1 and 2 on the bumpers, 3 to 6 on the D-pad.
- Menus. Inventory on Back (I), the map on the PS or Guide button (M), menu on Start (Escape).
Six hotbar slots without a mouse, and the pointer for everything else.
Tune it
- End turn. Both stick clicks are empty. Put its key on one.
- A slow pointer for the ability bar. Duplicate the four left-stick rows, set While also holding to a spare button on the copies, and give them half the speed.
- Camera. The right stick is empty. Add four rows for it with the game's camera pan keys.
End turn on a stick click saves a trip to the pointer every round.
If the game sees the pad
Rogue Trader's gamepad mode is the better choice whenever it sees your controller. Keep this preset off then. Use this layout when the game misses the pad, or when you want the mouse interface. With both running, every press does two things.
Use the gamepad mode first, and this layout for the mouse interface.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader controller support: controller or keyboard
Steam's store page lists partial controller support for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader: 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 Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
When Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader 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 Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. In Steam, open Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, 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 Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader still ignores the pad, activate this layout. It sends the keyboard and mouse controls Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader already reads. The layout works whether or not Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader 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 Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader 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.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader controls: every button and the key it sends
The Sends column is Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader'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 | Mouse motion left (speed 16) | Cursor left |
| Left stick right | Mouse motion right (speed 16) | Cursor right |
| Left stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 16) | Cursor up |
| Left stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 16) | Cursor down |
| Right trigger | Left click | Select / confirm (left click) |
| Left trigger | Right click | Context menu (right click) |
| A / Cross | Space | Jump |
| B / Circle | C | Toggle sneak (C) |
| X / Square | E | Highlight items (E / Alt) |
| Y / Triangle | J | Journal (J) |
| LB / L1 | 1 | Hotbar 1 |
| RB / R1 | 2 | Hotbar 2 |
| D-pad up | 3 | Hotbar 3 |
| D-pad down | 4 | Hotbar 4 |
| D-pad left | 5 | Hotbar 5 |
| D-pad right | 6 | Hotbar 6 |
| Back / Share / Select | I | Inventory (I) |
| 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
Should I use Rogue Trader's gamepad mode or this?
The gamepad mode, if it sees your controller. This layout is for when it does not, or when you want the mouse interface.
Does Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader have controller support?
Partly. Steam lists partial controller support for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader: it plays on a controller, but some screens still expect a keyboard or mouse.
Is Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader better with a controller or a keyboard?
A controller works for most of it. Steam lists partial controller support for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, 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 Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader on a Mac?
First check the Mac itself sees the controller, with the gamepad tester. If it does and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader still ignores it, change the game's Steam Input override in its Steam Properties, and if that does not help, activate the Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader layout in InputConfig, which sends the game's keyboard and mouse controls from the controller.
Can I play Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader on an M1 Mac or a MacBook Air?
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader 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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