Hytale controller support explained

Does Hytale have controller support? The differences between Hytale and Minecraft are mostly subtle: improved graphics, simplified crafting, and helpful QoL tweaks collectively make the games feel distinct. However, there is one glaring omission that has players up in arms, and that’s the lack of native Hytale controller support.

It’s a fair assumption to say that most of the Hytale player base has played Minecraft, and the majority of Minecraft players have played the sandbox game using a controller. With Hytale only launching on PC for the foreseeable future, there’s a large portion of the audience who want to be able to play Hytale on Steam Deck without having to plug in a keyboard and mouse. We analyze statements made by the Hytale developers about controller support, and we explain how to play Hytale using any controller.

Hytale controller support explained

Hytale doesn’t feature controller support in the current build. Simon Collins-Laflamme, founder of Hypixel Studios, posted to X on Thursday, December 4, 2025: “We don’t even support controllers yet. We are PC gamers, and the game is built for PC first”.

Three weeks later, Kevin ‘Slikey’ Carstens, technical director of Hytale, responded to comments asking about controller support on Reddit with a detailed explanation of the situation. “Controller support is next up on our roadmap for our accessibility [and] controls in order to support gamepads and make the game playable on Steam Deck,” says Carstens. “You won’t be able to mod this into the game easily and I would definitely recommend waiting with a purchase until we have added proper controller support.”

As is the case with Hytale launching on consoles, the developers are aware of the interest in adding controller support, but it’s not something they’re prioritizing right now. The current build of Hytale is an older version of the game, with the unreleased build featuring cross-platform play and controller support.

Hypixel Studios has avoided posting a public roadmap, instead relying on social media posts to keep players in the loop. As a result, it’s difficult to know when the developers will add this highly anticipated feature to the game. Judging by these statements, it’s safe to say it isn’t arriving any time soon.

How to play Hytale using a controller

You can play Hytale using a controller, but you need to run through some steps beforehand. While you can play Hytale using a controller, navigating menus and doing anything that involves the crafting system will be difficult unless you plug in a mouse. If you’re playing on a handheld gaming PC, you should have an easier time using your device’s touchscreen.

Here’s what you need to play Hytale using a controller:

• Open Steam and click on “Add a Game” in the bottom left corner.
• Go to “Add Non-Steam Game”, then select Hytale Launcher.
• Run the Hytale Launcher through Steam and open the game.
• Open the Steam overlay and select “Controller Settings” at the bottom of the screen.
• Under the “Current Button Layout” section, click the Gamepad button.
• Click the “Community Layouts” tab, then hit Square / X on your controller to see all layouts.
• Browse through the layouts and pick the one that suits you best (typically the highest-rated layout).

The whole process should take you less than five minutes to complete, though finding the perfect layout might be difficult as everyone’s preferences are different. We recommend choosing the highest-rated layout, then modifying it after playing for a bit to suit your needs.

And that’s all you need to know about Hytale controller support. Now that you’re able to play the crafting game from the comfort of your sofa, we highly recommend learning about what the best Hytale weapons are to help you on your adventure.