Easy Fix for Controller Issues on M1 Macs and Big Sur

[protosteel]

I was very disappointed to learn of the current situation with controller support on macOS 11 (Big Sur), which is apparently that Steam's controller drivers use some outdated methodology that Apple has blocked from installing on the latest version, so controllers won't work at all in-game, despite navigating Big Picture Mode just fine. Seeing this, I did some searching around online, but only found workarounds for non-M1 Macs, and/or ones that require tinkering with a bunch of technical stuff and disabling security features on your computer. Here is a solution that is easily accomplished in seconds via the Steam interface, and which immediately restored full in-game functionality in Hades using a PS4 controller (note that I have not tested other games or controllers). All you have to do is:

-Right-click the game in your library and select Properties

-Under the General tab, uncheck "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game"

-Under the Controller tab, set the override to "Disable Steam input"

And done. I assume one these options are disabled, the built-in macOS controller support takes over, so obviously you can't use custom Steam button configs etc. Once again, I've only tested this with Hades, using a PS4 controller, on an M1 Macbook Air, so your results may vary. Hope this helps!

[Kakkamakkara]

Works with Hades. Does not work for Binding of Isaac. So there must be some extra game specific thing that's needed for controller support.

[S I C K N E S]

i just write this for win something in steam

[Homy]

It looks like it will be fixed in Big Sur 11.3: https://youtu.be/2_JB88bHcEY

[Montag]

I've upgraded to the 11.3 public beta and tried this fix for Stardew Valley. This did not work with a bluetooth or wired Nintendo Pro Controller (my preference). A PS4 Controller worked with and without the overlay and Steam input enabled. Seems there's still more going on.

[Dr Aions]

?

[Dr Aions]

ok

[2631]

sadly this doesnt wotk with steam controller

[Kinomoro1]

Does not work with danganronpa

[kmihalj]

Does not work with TombRider :(

[firm3d]

There's an app called Enjoyable you guys might find useful. It allows you to map keys and mouse movements to a controller.

[efiorentino]

I've also been trying to play Hades on the exact same computer with a switch controller, but this fix didn't work. Do you have any idea why or anything else I could try? I'm so frustrated!

[Jabrwock]

Did not help with Moonlighter, controls are still all over the place (A/B are up/down, etc)

[Atom]

Did not seem to help on MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) running Monterey in Ultimate Chicken Horse with a PS4 remote. Works fine in Big Picture mode, but nothing in game.

[Miguel]

Same issue here.
My controller is working fine under Steam Big Picture. But it's not detected in Eastward.
I tried the trick above without success

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
MacOS Monterey vs 12.0.1
Xbox Controller Model NO 1914

I plugged my Controller on a Windows laptop to check for firmware upgrades, it was already up to date. Bluetooth pairing with the MacBook is pretty straightforward, no issues there.

[rlxmx]

I checked first to see if the problem had fixed itself, but Stardew Valley controls were still broken. Tried THIS, and the controller worked again in-game! Everything seemed to work normally except for some reason I had to use a mouse to click ok at the end of the day (and only then).
Macbook pro on Catalina, Nintendo Switch Pro controller.