Skip to main content

Games

macOS doesn't let apps take a controller away from games, so your BetterTouchTool mappings would also fire while you play. To prevent this, BetterTouchTool pauses its gamepad mappings while a game is in front. This is on by default.

Automatic pausing​

BetterTouchTool recognizes games by their App Store category, their controller support and typical game installations such as Steam. If it gets an app wrong, you can fix that in the global gamepad settings at the bottom of any profile's settings:

  • Pause gamepad mappings while a game is in the foreground turns automatic pausing on or off.
  • Always pause in these apps - for games that aren't recognized.
  • Never pause in these apps - for apps that were mistakenly detected as games.

A single profile can stay active in games with Keep this profile active while a game is in front, e.g. for a profile that only adjusts the volume.

Pausing manually​

  • Hold Home + Menu for 2 seconds to pause or resume all gamepad mappings. A notification confirms the change.
  • The action Gamepad: Pause / Resume Mappings pauses, resumes or toggles the mappings from any trigger.

Hiding a controller from other apps​

You can hide generic USB and Bluetooth gamepads from all other apps with Hide the controller from other apps in the profile settings. Then only BetterTouchTool sees the controller. This isn't possible for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo controllers.

Home button​

macOS uses the Home button of controllers (Xbox button, PS button) for the Games app and the Game Overlay. BetterTouchTool receives the Home button, but it can't stop macOS from handling it as well. If you map the Home button, set its system action to "Disabled" in System Settings → Game Controllers. On macOS 27 the profile settings show the current setting and can open the right settings page.