v1.0 beta · macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon

Your game controller is now a Mac input device.

Press a controller button, it presses a key. Tilt the stick, the cursor moves. That's it. Steer runs in the menu bar; pair any supported pad and the rest is configuration.

Join the beta Coming soon to theMac App Store

€8.99 one-time at launch · 7-day free trial

Steer File Edit View Window Help 14:32

Notarized & sandboxed Apple Silicon native Auto-updates via the App Store No account · no telemetry

What it does

One menu-bar app, every controller surface.

Every button, stick, touchpad and gyro the hardware exposes — wired up to anything macOS understands.

Radial app launcher

L3 opens an app ring (up to 12 slots). Aim with the left stick, click a face button to launch.

On-screen keyboard

Daisy-wheel layout reachable from any controller. Type without a keyboard nearby.

Menu-bar resident

No dock icon, no main window. Battery, profile and setup wizard one click away.

Cursor & scroll

Left stick aims; right stick scrolls. Curve, dead zone and acceleration are user-shaped.

Keyboard & shortcuts

Any controller button to any keystroke, including ⌘⇧⌥⌃ chords. Six layers per profile.

Adaptive triggers

Five DualSense presets — gun click, bow tension, brake — or hand-tune the 0–255 sliders.

Gyro mouse

Tilt the controller to aim. Hold R3 to engage; release and the cursor holds still.

Per-app profiles

Steer loads the right binding set when you switch apps. Safari to Xcode is one ⌘-tab away.

Haptics & LED

Custom feedback for scroll ticks, layer toggles, volume boundaries. Per-layer LED colors.

Use cases

Made for more than gaming.

However you sit, whatever you're doing — if it runs on your Mac, you can drive it from a controller.

Hands off the keyboard

Rest your wrists and keep working. Read, scroll, click and switch apps with the controller in your lap.

Code from the couch

Drive your editor, fire shortcuts, and trigger Claude Code, Cursor or Raycast from across the room.

Read & browse leaned back

Scroll long articles, flick between tabs and navigate the web without reaching for the trackpad.

Present & play media

Advance slides, skip tracks and control playback from a distance — no clicker needed.

An accessible input

When a mouse and keyboard aren't comfortable, a controller can be a gentler way to drive the whole system.

Games & emulators

Map any pad to keys for the games and emulators that ignore controllers natively.

Trust

Nothing happens without you seeing it first.

Import a preset or profile that does more than press keys — opening URLs, running scripts — and Steer shows you every binding for review before it applies, never straight into your setup. Every change is also a restore point you can roll back.

Diff before apply Full restore history Local-only profiles

Import review dialog listing each binding and what it does before you accept it

Import review — see what each binding does before you accept it

Compare

Steer vs ControllerKeys.

The only other actively-maintained paid macOS option. Both apps cover the basics; the gaps are where you choose.

Steer

This app

€8.99 one-time · 7-day trial · Mac App Store

Included: DualSense adaptive triggers — 5 presets + raw editor
Included: Switch Pro HD Rumble
Included: On-screen daisy-wheel keyboard
Included: Snapshots + full change audit
Included: Mac App Store distribution
Included: Apple Shortcuts integration
Included: No private APIs — sandboxed scripts & automation
Included: Xbox Elite paddles — P1–P4 (beta, seeking testers)
Not included: Mac-to-Mac controller relay

ControllerKeys

$9.99 launch, then $19.99 · Gumroad only

Included: Xbox Elite firmware variants — every paddle profile
Included: Mac-to-Mac controller relay over Wi-Fi
Included: Cursor, scroll, keyboard mapping
Not included: Adaptive trigger presets
Not included: On the Mac App Store

Pick ControllerKeys for Mac-to-Mac relay or firmware-level Elite paddle control across every variant. Otherwise Steer covers more surfaces and lets you trial it free for 7 days.

Inside the app

Built like a System Settings pane.

No marketing chrome — the same controls and rhythm as the rest of macOS. Snapshots: actual app, not renders.

Map every button across six layers

Tap, long-press, double-tap, while-held, release — and a modifier layer for each of L1, R1, L1+R1, L2, R2. The diagram tracks which layer you're editing.

Conflicts get their own page; if two bindings collide, you'll see it before you exit.

Settings → Bindings·46 bindings · 6 layers

Settings → Sticks·shaped curves · per-axis

Shape your own response curves

Cursor speed, acceleration, dead zone, scroll axis inversion. Set once per profile or per app; tune live with the controller in hand.

Profiles that follow your focus

Steer auto-switches profiles when you change frontmost app. Add a per-app override or leave Default in charge.

Settings → Profiles·Default + per-app overrides

FAQ

Boring details, answered.

Why does it need Accessibility?

To post mouse and keyboard events to other apps. macOS gates synthetic input behind Accessibility for everything from TextExpander to BetterTouchTool. Steer asks once; controller input stays on your Mac — only your profiles sync, and only if you turn on iCloud.

Will it break on the next macOS?

I run Steer on the developer betas every cycle and ship fixes through the App Store. If something does break, email me; turnaround is hours, not weeks.

What controllers are supported?

DualSense, DualSense Edge, DualShock 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Xbox Elite, Switch Pro, and any Made-for-iPhone controller. Wired or Bluetooth, both work.

Do the Xbox Elite paddles work?

Steer reads all four rear paddles (P1–P4) through the GameController framework, but I don't own an Elite to test on. If you do, join the beta and help verify it — that's exactly the feedback I need before launch.

Input Monitoring — do I need it?

Only if you have a DualSense Edge and want to bind its two rear paddles. Every other controller works with Accessibility alone.

Will there be a direct download?

Steer launches on the Mac App Store. A direct version may follow later.

What does it not do?

Mac-to-Mac relay, and firmware-level Elite paddle control across every variant. If those are deal-breakers, ControllerKeys is the right pick.

Beta

Get an email when the beta opens.

Steer ships first on TestFlight, then the Mac App Store. Email me and I'll send you the public TestFlight link the day it goes live. No marketing list, no spam.

Email me to join the beta

€8.99 one-time at launch · 7-day free trial · no account, no telemetry