Hytale is getting closer to consoles — gamepad support will finally be added to the game

The developers of Hytale are slowly adding new bits to their sandbox. Simon Collins-Laflamme, the project lead, says the next update may bring full controller support. It's still early testing, though — so keep expectations tempered.

Today the very first pieces of gamepad support go out in a test build. The studio warned up front: it's not polished. Expect bugs, odd control behavior, and rough transitions; sometimes the "jump" button might, for unknown reasons, make your character start digging. Weird, yes — but also part of the fun for folks who like to poke at early builds.

Why was this hard? Hytale leans on lots of key combos and context-sensitive interactions, e.g., quick menus, hotkeys, and varied item use. Mapping all that to a pad turned out to be more than just adding thumbstick movement. Tbh, the team had to invent ways to cram a keyboard’s worth of inputs into a handful of buttons without turning play into a contortion act.

A first controller layout is ready; it won't be the last word. Expect tweaks driven by player feedback, and the game already lets you remap buttons and tailor controls to your taste — so you can experiment, complain, or both.

Some will read controller support as a sign of broader platform plans; others will just enjoy the novelty. Fans, with their usual gallows humor, are already saying the game will support everything under the sun long before it ships.