Why is Controller Support For iOS/iPadOS So Bad?

[Oct_Baron]

So this is my first time getting into Stardew Valley and really liking the game. I’m playing on my iPhone 16 Pro (iOS 18.1), using my Backbone One controller, and playing on ver. 1.6.14.3 of the game. While I’m enjoying my time in the game, it’s hard to get into it with how AWFUL the controller support is for the mobile versions of the game.

I even connected my Xbox One controller to my phone to see if maybe it was my Backbone controller giving me issues, but only to find out I’m having the exact same issues with my Xbox controller.

Some problems I’m experiencing are:

• Start and Select buttons don’t work at all, especially when trying to access the journal.
• Navigating the menu is awful, especially in the settings section where you literally cannot use the controller at all and have to use the touch screen.
• Randomly deleting items in my inventory by accident because the game doesn’t tell you what buttons do what.
• No customizable button remapping to change specific controls
• Transferring items from your inventory and chests is slow and tedious because you can’t just hit a button to move items from one slot to another.

Considering how frequently they update the game on iOS, you’d think they’d fix controller issues on mobile so the game would be as enjoyable as on PC and console versions. I even connected my Xbox controller to my Steam version, and let me tell you, it’s a night and day difference. Using a controller on that PC is a whole new experience.

I can’t believe they haven’t done this yet. It’s crazy that they haven’t prioritized fixing controller issues on mobile. I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds it frustrating. Also I’ve heard Android has the same issues too so that’s dumb.

 

[PerfectionWhaleFarm]

From a developer's perspective, I can sympathize with CA - making a game on one platform is hard as it-is, but having it available on multiple platforms and having your vision of the user experience be consistently enjoyable and smooth will definitely be a challenge.

I think it would be much more productive to provide details of your experience and how it can be improved over at Game Suggestions. I am very certain that CA is always looking to make the user experience better for everyone. Just by seeing the details for 1.6 (purchasing Animals in bulk no longer requires you to move across the map each time, the game remembers where you are last left off, etc.), these details are appreciated and continue to be appreciated by many I'm sure. I am assured that your vision of improvement is a common goal for CA as well. Some things may have been overlooked or not thought about as you may have mentioned, but that's a great opportunity for us to help bridge the gap. They may just implement some of the things should you suggest the use case and benefits more clearly and concisely!