Throughout the beta version of MacOS Big Sur 11.3, Apple has been perfecting and improving the way iPad and iPhone applications run on Macs M1. In the latest beta, Apple has added game controller emulation for M1 devices, allowing a keyboard or keyboard and mouse combination to function as a game controller.
/article-new/2021/03/game-control-emulation.png?resize=560%2C286&ssl=1)
The new game controller feature was discovered by MacRumors collaborator Steve Moser. When you run an iPhone or iPad application, when you open the preferences, an Alternative Touch and Game Control interface appears that can be used to make the iPhone and iPad touch applications work better with Mac controls.
With the controller emulation enabled, the usual game controller buttons are assigned to the keyboard keys and mouse buttons. X, for example, is assigned to Q, the address bar is assigned to WASD, and it can be assigned to Y to E. L1 and L2 can be accessed by pressing Tab and Shift, respectively, and the space bar is the button A.
Driver emulation will allow iPhone and iPad games that are compatible with the controller to be precisely controlled with a keyboard and / or mouse when these games are played on a Mac M1. This feature is designed for those who do not have a game controller, as those who have one can only connect one controller to play.
The beta version of macOS 11.3 Big Sur also includes the aforementioned Touch Alternatives panel for assigning touch functions such as touch, swipe, drag, and tilt on keyboard keys, and has a feature to make the windows of the iPhone and iPad applications larger.
/article-new/2021/03/touch-alternatives-m1-macs.jpg?resize=560%2C327&ssl=1)
Controller emulation and touch alternatives work independently of each other and only one of these functions can be enabled at a time.
In terms of game controller compatibility, many current Sony and Microsoft drivers are compatible with the Mac M1, and the beta version adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 and Xbox One X drivers.