Sometimes. Crossy Road supports controllers on Apple TV, where it also has multiplayer, but the iPhone and Android versions are built for touch, and the App Store listing doesn’t advertise gamepad support. Crossy Road Castle, the co-op spin-off on Apple Arcade and consoles, is made for controllers. Among smaller games, Edward Hopper supports gamepads, while Capybara Crossing is touch-only. If a controller matters to you, check the game’s store listing for “Game Controllers” before you buy one.
Which road-crossing games support controllers? #
| Game | Controller support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crossy Road (Apple TV) | Yes | Also supports multiplayer on Apple TV |
| Crossy Road (iPhone, Android) | Not advertised | Designed around tap and swipe |
| Crossy Road Castle | Yes | Co-op for up to four players, on Apple Arcade and consoles |
| Edward Hopper (iPhone) | Yes | Frogger-style, 16-bit, last updated 2019 |
| Capybara Crossing | No | Touch-only: tap to hop, swipe to move |
Crossy Road on Apple TV #
Apple TV is the one place where plain Crossy Road and a controller belong together. The tvOS version supports game controllers and multiplayer, so it’s the easiest way to play Crossy Road with a gamepad on a big screen and pass it around the family.
Crossy Road on iPhone and Android #
On phones and tablets, Crossy Road is designed for touch: tap to hop forward, swipe to move. Its App Store listing highlights characters, worlds and offline play, but not controller support. Some players report that controllers work on some devices and not others. If it’s important to you, try it with the controller you own before counting on it.
Crossy Road Castle: built for gamepads #
Crossy Road Castle isn’t a road-crosser. It’s a co-op tower platformer where up to four players climb rooms of traps together with the Crossy Road animals. It started on Apple Arcade and came to consoles in 2024, and it plays much better with controllers than on a touchscreen. For family couch play, it’s the best of the Crossy Road games.
Frogger-style games with gamepad support #
Edward Hopper, a Frogger-style crosser on iPhone, lists gamepad support alongside a 16-bit look and optional scanlines. It’s free with a $0.99 Pro upgrade. The last update was in December 2019, so test it on your device. More options are in our list of Frogger-style games.
Does Capybara Crossing support controllers? #
No. Capybara Crossing is designed for one thumb in portrait mode: tap to hop forward, swipe to move in any direction. It doesn’t read gamepad input. What you get instead is a game that needs no extra hardware, works offline, and fits a run into a bus stop.
D-pad or analog stick: which is better for hoppers? #
When a game does support controllers, use the D-pad. Road-crossing games move in four directions on a grid: forward, back, left and right. An analog stick makes it easy to push slightly off-angle, and a mistimed diagonal can send you into traffic. A D-pad gives clean, separate inputs, so you hop exactly where you mean to.
Touch or controller: which plays better? #
| Controller | Touch | |
|---|---|---|
| View | Your hands don’t cover the screen | Your thumb covers part of the screen |
| Precision | Clicky buttons, clean D-pad inputs | Swipes can be misread if rushed |
| Setup | Pairing, charging, carrying it | None |
| Portability | Extra thing to carry | Just the phone |
| Support | Only in some games | Every game |
For hoppers, touch is usually fine because the input is simple: one tap, one step. A controller helps most on a TV or a propped-up tablet, where reaching the screen is awkward.
How to pair a controller with an iPhone or iPad #
- Open Settings, then Bluetooth, and turn Bluetooth on.
- Put the controller in pairing mode:
- Xbox Wireless Controller: turn it on, then hold the small pair button on the top edge until the Xbox button flashes quickly.
- PlayStation DualSense or DualShock 4: hold the Create (PS5) or Share (PS4) button together with the PS button until the light bar flashes.
- Tap the controller’s name under Other Devices.
- Open the game and press a button. If nothing happens, the game probably doesn’t support controllers.
How to pair a controller with an Android phone #
- Open Settings and go to Connected devices (the name varies by phone), then Pair new device.
- Put the controller into pairing mode using the button combinations above.
- Tap the controller when it appears and confirm.
- Open the game. As on iPhone, only games with controller support will respond.
Troubleshooting #
- Nothing happens in the game: the game likely doesn’t support controllers on that platform. Check its store listing.
- Lag between press and hop: move closer to the device and turn off Bluetooth accessories you aren’t using.
- Controller won’t reconnect: forget it in Bluetooth settings and pair again.
- Wrong buttons: update the game and the phone. Older versions may not recognize newer controllers.
If you’re after more games in this style, see our list of games like Crossy Road with animals.
Frequently asked questions #
Can you play Crossy Road on Apple TV with a controller? #
Yes. The Apple TV version supports game controllers and multiplayer, so it’s the best way to play Crossy Road with a gamepad.
Does Crossy Road support local multiplayer? #
On Apple TV, yes. Crossy Road also has multiplayer modes on phones. Crossy Road Castle, the co-op spin-off, supports up to four players on Apple Arcade and consoles.
Does Capybara Crossing work with a controller? #
No, Capybara Crossing is touch-only. It’s built around one-thumb play in portrait mode, with a tap to hop forward and a swipe to move in any direction.
Do I need a button-mapping app to use a controller? #
For games with built-in support, no. Third-party mapping apps can sometimes clash with games that already support controllers, so turn them off if buttons behave strangely.