Gamepad Hotbar
by swirly-sys
Gamepad Hotbar is a client-side utility for Fabric and NeoForge that rearranges the hotbar into four directional pairs for controller users.
What it does
The first eight hotbar slots are split into four pairs, each placed on one side of the screen in a layout that echoes the cross of a controller. The ninth slot, the off-hand, sits in its own pair on the other side. In-game menu screens and inventory slots carry distinct icons, so a player can see which gamepad direction each slot corresponds to.
Five new control binds are added for selecting slots from a controller, and none of them is mapped by default. The author suggests assigning the four cycle binds to the directions of a controller's D-pad and the weapon slot bind to a different button, such as a face or shoulder button. Alternatively, the four quadrants can be paired with the controller's buttons and the weapon slot placed on a D-pad direction. A configuration screen lets users adjust the position of the hotbar display, and the mod can coexist with mods that move other HUD elements.
Gamepad Hotbar is open source under the MIT License. Files are published for 1.21.1 and 1.21.11 on Fabric and NeoForge, and it runs on the client alone. Latest files are 1.21.11-1.0.2-hotfix.r1-fabric for Fabric (2026-01-03) and 1.21.11-1.0.2-neoforge for NeoForge (2025-12-28).
Key features
Four directional hotbar pairs
The first eight slots form four pairs placed in adjacent quadrants, each on one side of the screen.
Off-hand slot pair
The ninth slot is the off-hand, given its own pair on the opposite side of the screen.
Controller-style slot icons
Menu screens and hotbar slots show distinct icons that indicate which gamepad direction each slot corresponds to.
Five new control binds
Four cycle binds step through each quadrant and one selects the weapon slot, with no default mapping.
Configurable hotbar position
A configuration screen lets users move the hotbar display to suit their preferences.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
How it compares
Midnight gamepad adds controller support for Fabric on 1.21.11 under the MIT License, but it is not open source. Hotbar Quickswap is a Fabric, client-side option covering 1.21.10 – 1.21.11 under the CC0 1.0 Universal license, and it is open source. No Hotbar Swap is client-side and open source, targeting 1.21.1 on Fabric and NeoForge.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamepad Hotbar | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21.1 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-01-03 |
| Midnight gamepad (controller support) | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-06-06 |
| Hotbar Quickswap | Fabric | 1.21.10 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2025-12-24 |
| No Hotbar Swap | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2026-04-03 |
Questions
Does Gamepad Hotbar need to be installed on the server?
Which loaders does Gamepad Hotbar support?
Are the control binds set by default?
In the catalog
Gamepad Hotbar is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 19,862 mods support Minecraft 1.21.11.
Similar mods
What the author says
Gamepad Hotbar is a client mod for Minecraft which makes the HUD hotbar more gamepad friendly by rearranging the slots and adding new control binds. The first 8 slots of the hotbar are split into four pairs and placed into adjacent quadrants on one side of the screen. The 9th and off-hand slots are placed into their…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/gamepadhotbar
- Owner
- swirly-sys
- Published
- 2025-12-11
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-01-03
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15