How to Play Schedule 1 with a Controller

Mar 29

Note: This guide covers content from Schedule 1, a satirical video game set in a fictional world. All items, recipes, and references are entirely made up and exist only in the game. Please don’t try any of this in real life!

Trying to play Schedule 1 with a controller? Yeah, it’s not exactly plug-and-play—but it’s doable. The game doesn’t have official controller support yet, but with a little setup through Steam, you can play it comfortably on a gamepad or Steam Deck.

Here’s how to make it work.

Read More: Schedule 1 Tips and Tricks

Does Schedule 1 Support Controllers?

Not officially.
As of early access, Schedule 1 doesn’t have native controller support. If you plug in an Xbox or PlayStation controller, the game won’t automatically recognize it.

Can You Still Use a Controller?

Yes—via Steam Input.

Regardless of if you’re on Steam Deck or desktop, you can set up a custom layout that mimics keyboard and mouse controls. It won’t be perfect, but it works well enough to play.

How to Set It Up

Close the game.
Go to your Steam Library and right-click on Schedule 1.
Click Properties → go to the Controller tab.
Under "Override for Schedule 1," choose Enable Steam Input.
Click Controller Configuration.
Go to Browse Community Layouts.
Select a layout like “Hallway Crooks” or any other top-rated community config.
Click Apply Layout.

Now your controller will function with Schedule 1. The right stick will act like a mouse, and buttons will be mapped to common keyboard commands.

Steam Deck Notes

The game runs well on Steam Deck (read more on that here).
Default controls are solid, but you might need to use the trackpad for things like inventory management.
Community layouts make this much smoother.

Is Full Controller Support Coming?

Yes. The developer has confirmed that official controller support is planned. It’s on the roadmap, and they’ve even said they’re picking up a Steam Deck to test it properly.

Final Blurb

Until native controller support lands, you’ll have to rely on Steam’s input mapping to get the job done. It takes a few minutes to set up, but once you're in, it's surprisingly playable. Just don’t expect perfection—yet.