Questions
Controller works on a Mac but not in Steam
Steam on the Mac puts its own layer, Steam Input, between the controller and the game, and on macOS that layer works in some games and not others. Check the three Steam settings first, then the macOS permission, and if a particular game still ignores the pad, map it to the keyboard for that game and move on.
Steam's controller settings
Steam, Settings, Controller. Turn on the support for your pad: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, or Generic. Then in the game's own page, the controller icon on the right, set Steam Input to Enabled for that title and pick a layout. Many games ship with a keyboard layout for controllers here, which is Steam doing on its side what a mapper does.
The macOS permission
On recent macOS, Steam needs Input Monitoring, and sometimes Accessibility, in System Settings, Privacy and Security, before Steam Input can see a controller outside Big Picture. If the pad works in Big Picture and dies in the game, this is usually it. Quit Steam fully after granting it.
Games that ignore Steam Input on Mac
A share of Mac Steam games, including some big native ports, read the controller themselves and never see Steam Input's output, or see both and double up. For those, turn Steam Input off for that game (the same per-game controller page) and let the game read the pad directly. If the game has no controller support of its own, that is where InputConfig comes in: it maps the pad to keys and mouse at the system level, below Steam, so the game gets keyboard input it cannot ignore. Turn Steam Input off for that game first so the two do not both fire.
The 2026 Steam Controller
Valve's new Steam Controller works on the Mac desktop and in Big Picture, and as of this writing reaches some games and not others. InputConfig reads it through its own helper and turns off its built-in keyboard emulation while a preset runs, which is the workaround for games it does not reach. The Steam Controller page is kept current.
Questions
Why does my controller work in Big Picture but not in the game?
Steam Input is not reaching the game. Grant Steam Input Monitoring in Privacy and Security, and check the game's per-title controller setting. If it still fails, the game is one that ignores Steam Input on Mac; map it with InputConfig instead.
Should I use Steam Input or InputConfig?
Steam Input when it works for the game. InputConfig for the games it does not reach, and for everything outside Steam. Do not run both on the same game.
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