Adding a functional off-hand is straightforward for most Bedrock input methods. The main challenge is the standard touch controls, so my suggestion is to reuse the existing touch interaction system instead of adding another button.
The off-hand should work like the main hand for compatible actions: placing blocks, using items, eating, drinking potions, using buckets, flint and steel, ender pearls, etc. However, it should still follow the normal off-hand limitations and not be able to attack, mine, break blocks, or use weapons as the main hand.
When tapping a block, the game should automatically choose the correct hand. If the off-hand item has a valid interaction, it is used; otherwise, the main hand behaves as it does now. The same applies to entities and interactive blocks such as chests, furnaces, and villagers.
A small button next to the hotbar could quickly equip or unequip the off-hand item without opening the inventory.
For better parity between Bedrock and Java Edition, shields could also raise while sneaking in Java, making shield activation consistent across both editions without requiring an additional button on touch controls.
This would provide full off-hand support for standard touch controls without cluttering the interface and while reusing mechanics that already exist.
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