How to play Undertale with a controller on a Mac
InputConfig is completely 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.
Map the controller to Undertale's keys: the game uses seven keys, the arrows, Z, X and C, so a free mapper puts them on any pad in a couple of minutes. Undertale has a Mac version on Steam, and Steam's store page lists no controller support for it, so I would not count on a pad working out of the box. If yours already does, use that.
Steps
- Connect the controller and open InputConfig.
- Make a new preset and choose Automatically insert available inputs.
- Give the D-pad and left stick the arrow keys, A / Cross Z, B / Circle X, Y / Triangle C.
- Press Activate and start Undertale.
Know Undertale's keys
- Arrow keys. Move, and in a fight they move your soul.
- Z or Enter. Confirm.
- X or Shift. Cancel.
- C or Control. Open the menu.
Holding Escape quits the game, so keep Escape off the controller.
Set up the layout
| Controller | Sends | Why |
|---|---|---|
| D-pad | Arrow keys | Precise dodging |
| Left stick | Arrow keys | For people who prefer a stick |
| A / Cross | Z | Confirm |
| B / Circle | X | Cancel |
| Y / Triangle | C | Menu |
- You: In InputConfig, make a new preset and choose Automatically insert available inputs. Give the rows in the table their keys and leave the rest empty.
- InputConfig: Adds a row for every control, then sends each key when you press its control.
- Check: Press Activate, start Undertale, and walk with the D-pad. Z, X and C answer on A, B and Y.
It takes a couple of minutes, once. Add Undertale to the preset's auto-switch list, and with automatic switching on in Settings, Advanced, it turns itself on when the game is in front.
Choose the stick or the D-pad for fights
The bullet boxes want small, exact moves, and a D-pad is four switches, which is exactly what the arrow keys are.
- A stick works too. If the soul creeps when you let go, raise the stick rows' Deadzone a little.
- Diagonals. They come from two arrows at once, and both the D-pad and the stick send them.
If Steam Input already works
If you launch Undertale from Steam, Steam Input can also map a controller to keyboard keys for that game, and if it works for you, you need nothing else. A mapper outside Steam is for when Steam Input does not take on your Mac, or when you want the same pad to work in games from other places.
Reuse it for Deltarune and other keyboard games
Deltarune uses the same keys, so a copy of this preset works there if it runs on your Mac. So do a great many small keyboard games. The guide to playing any Mac game with a controller covers the rest.
The short version
- Arrows on the D-pad and stick. These are for walking and dodging.
- Z, X and C on A, B and Y. These are confirm, cancel and menu.
- Nothing on Escape. Holding it quits.
The game uses only seven keys, so one preset covers it on every controller.
Questions
Can you play Undertale on a Mac?
Yes. Steam lists a Mac version, and it runs on Apple silicon Macs through Rosetta 2.
Does Undertale have controller support on Mac?
Steam's store page lists none, so do not count on it. Map the controller to the arrow keys, Z, X and C with a mapper and every controller works the same.
Which controllers work?
Any controller the Mac connects to: PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch Pro, 8BitDo and most others. The game only ever sees key presses.
Related
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