Yes. The Steam version of Mina the Hollower has full gamepad support. SteamDB lists gamepad input and full controller support for the Windows, macOS and Linux versions. A familiar Xbox-style or PlayStation-style controller is the sensible starting point: movement works with either the D-pad or left stick, while face buttons handle the main actions and shoulder or trigger inputs handle swapping and abilities. You can change bindings in the game’s settings.
On Steam Deck, the built-in controls are the baseline. Steam’s compatibility listing, reproduced on SteamDB, says: “All functionality is accessible when using the default controller configuration.” An external Bluetooth or USB controller can require one extra step, however: selecting it manually as the active controller from SteamOS Quick Access.
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Does Mina the Hollower support controllers?
It does. The Steam listing is recorded as having full controller support, not merely partial or community-created input. SteamDB’s configuration page lists gamepad as a supported input and identifies Windows, macOS and Linux as supported systems. That makes a conventional PC gamepad an intended input option rather than a workaround for keyboard users.
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The Steam support listing identifies Yacht Club Games as both developer and publisher and gives May 28, 2026 as the release date. For technical issues with the Steam release, use the official Steam support page for Mina the Hollower.
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A controller suits the game’s design. It is an action-adventure built around movement, jumping, burrowing and combat, so several actions may need to be reached quickly while you are moving. A review by PC Gamer describes that action-focused structure, but it does not establish that one controller model or one directional input is best for every player.
What controller should you start with?
Use the controller you already know
The available evidence supports a controller category, not a universal winner. Start with the Xbox-style or PlayStation-style pad that feels familiar to you. The published control guide provides Xbox and PlayStation labels, so either layout is a reasonable match for the game’s documented inputs. There is no cited test showing that a particular brand, model, thumb-stick tension, dead-zone value or wireless protocol gives every player better accuracy.
Choose between the D-pad and left stick by feel
Both the D-pad and the left stick are listed for movement. That means you can choose based on directional comfort rather than assuming the game requires one. A D-pad may feel more deliberate for players who prefer distinct cardinal directions; a stick may feel more natural if you routinely use analog movement in action games. Those are practical preferences, not measured performance findings.
Try each during ordinary travel and combat. If diagonals, repeated taps or repositioning feel awkward, switch to the other movement input before changing the rest of the layout. The guide does not establish a best dead-zone setting, so leave the platform’s normal setting in place unless your own controller produces drift or missed movement.
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Published control layout
Shacknews’ May 28, 2026 controls and keybindings guide documents the action categories below and provides Xbox, keyboard and PlayStation entries. Because the guide is dated and the game can receive updates, treat its labels as a reference and confirm the current icon in the in-game control screen.
| Action | Documented controller input | How to use the information |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | D-pad or left stick | Use whichever gives you more comfortable directional control; both are supported. |
| Jump | Face-button input | The published table assigns a platform-specific button; verify the current Xbox or PlayStation icon in your game. |
| Burrow | Face-button input | Check the live control screen if an update has changed the assignment. |
| Attack | Face-button input | Use the mapped face button while moving with the D-pad or stick. |
| Heal | Face-button input | Confirm the button and any contextual requirement in the game’s controls menu. |
| Sidearm | Face-button input | The guide lists a face-button assignment; the exact current icon should be your authority. |
| Swap | View/right-bumper input | The guide uses this label for the swap control; check the platform-specific symbol shown in-game. |
| Ability | Right trigger | The documented Xbox-style input is the right trigger, with the equivalent PlayStation control shown by the game. |
The source also lists keyboard counterparts, but the exact key for every action is not reproduced in the available reference. If you need a keyboard layout, open the current in-game controls screen rather than relying on an old copied chart.
How to remap the controls
The published guide says bindings can be changed in settings. Use that option instead of forcing yourself to learn a layout that causes mistakes.
- Open the game’s Settings or controls menu. From the title or pause interface, choose the entry that displays controller or key bindings. Menu wording can change with an update, so follow the labels shown by your installed version.
- Select the action you want to change. Choose movement, jump, burrow, attack, heal, sidearm, swap or ability individually rather than changing several actions at once.
- Press the new controller input when prompted. Keep movement on the D-pad or left stick unless you have a specific reason to separate it, and avoid assigning two essential actions to a button combination that you cannot reach while moving.
- Save or apply the layout. Leave the settings screen only after the game confirms the new binding. If there is no separate confirmation, return to the controls list and check that the new icon remains visible.
- Test the complete action loop. Move, jump, burrow, attack, heal, use the sidearm, swap and trigger an ability in a safe area. This catches accidental duplicate assignments before a difficult encounter.
Remapping is especially useful when a face-button action feels too close to another frequently used action. The evidence supports the availability of remapping, but it does not identify one custom arrangement as objectively superior.
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Steam Deck controller support
Built-in controls
Steam Deck is marked Verified in the compatibility metadata reproduced by SteamDB. The record says the default configuration exposes all functionality, uses Steam Deck controller icons, presents legible interface text and performs well at the default graphics configuration. The compatibility test is dated May 13, 2026, so a later game or SteamOS update can still alter details.
For the built-in Deck controls, begin with the default configuration. That gives you the platform layout against which any custom changes can be judged and avoids introducing unnecessary variables before you know whether a control actually needs adjustment.
Using an external Bluetooth or USB pad
SteamDB’s Deck metadata includes an important caveat: an external Bluetooth or USB controller on Deck or SteamOS may connect without becoming the active game input automatically. If the game continues responding to the built-in controls, open SteamOS Quick Access and manually select the external controller as the active device.
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- Connect the Bluetooth or USB controller and wait for SteamOS to show it as connected.
- Open Quick Access while the game is running.
- Find the controller or input-device selection and choose the external pad.
- Return to the game and test movement plus one action from each input group.
This is a SteamOS-specific setup note, not evidence that controllers fail on Windows or macOS. If the external pad still has no input, disconnect and reconnect it, confirm that SteamOS still lists it as active, then reopen the game’s controls screen. The compatibility record does not claim that every third-party controller requires this step.
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Trackpads as optional helpers
A PZFans Steam Deck guide, updated July 29, 2026, recommends a controller for the game’s attack, jump, burrow, heal and sidearm loop. It also describes the Deck trackpads as optional helpers for map and menu work. That is third-party guidance rather than an official statement from Yacht Club Games or a controlled comparison, so treat trackpad use as a convenience choice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which controls matter most during play?
Movement and jump
Keep movement on the input you can control without looking down. Jump is a face-button action in the published layout, so practice moving and jumping together. If a stick makes small corrections easier but the D-pad gives you cleaner taps, use the stick for general travel and test the D-pad in sections where precise direction changes matter—or reverse that arrangement if the opposite feels better.
Burrow and attack
Burrowing and attacking are also assigned to face buttons. Put your thumb on the button you can reach without losing reliable movement. The goal is not to reproduce another player’s arrangement; it is to make the movement-to-action transition predictable.
Heal and sidearm
Healing and sidearm use occupy the same broad face-button group. Because both can be important under pressure, verify their icons in the current control screen before you begin. If you repeatedly trigger the wrong one, remap one action and test it in a low-risk area.
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Swap and ability
The guide places swap on a View/right-bumper input and ability on the right trigger. These shoulder and trigger controls keep those actions separate from the face-button cluster, but the exact platform symbol should come from your installed version. Test both while moving so you know whether your grip can reach them without releasing the movement input.
Common setup problems and fixes
- The game ignores a connected Deck controller: open Quick Access and select the external Bluetooth or USB controller as the active device. Steam’s compatibility record specifically identifies this possible manual step.
- The controls do not match an online chart: use the in-game control screen. The published Shacknews table is dated May 28, 2026, and bindings can be changed in settings.
- Movement feels wrong: switch between the D-pad and left stick. Both are documented inputs, and no source establishes a universally better choice.
- An action is hard to reach: remap that individual action in Settings, save the layout and test the full movement-and-combat sequence.
- You are unsure whether the issue is platform-specific: separate SteamOS troubleshooting from ordinary PC use. The external-controller selection caveat applies to Deck or SteamOS and should not be generalized to Windows or macOS.
What the evidence does—and does not—say
The documented facts support these conclusions: the Steam release has full gamepad support; the primary actions have Xbox and PlayStation mappings; bindings can be changed; and Steam Deck is Verified with a possible external-device selection step. They do not provide a measured controller-preference percentage, a precision benchmark, a recommended dead-zone value or a developer-endorsed controller model.
That distinction matters when buying hardware. A standard Xbox-style PC controller is a reasonable accessory category because the game explicitly supports gamepad input and the published guide includes Xbox labels. No cited source tests a particular model, verifies current stock, or establishes that Yacht Club Games endorses one. Choose based on compatibility with your platform, comfort and your ability to reach the mapped actions, then confirm the live bindings in-game.
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Quick setup checklist
- Confirm that you are running the Steam version of Mina the Hollower.
- Connect a familiar Xbox-style or PlayStation-style controller.
- Try both the D-pad and left stick for movement.
- Check the current icons for jump, burrow, attack, heal, sidearm, swap and ability.
- Remap any action that is difficult to reach, then save and test it.
- On Steam Deck with an external pad, select that controller in Quick Access if input remains on the built-in controls.
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