A method for controlling a planar drive system, wherein the planar drive system comprises a stator unit with a plurality of coil groups for generating a stator magnetic field and a rotor with a plurality of magnet units for generating a rotor magnetic field, wherein the rotor can be driven on the stator unit via magnetic coupling between the stator magnetic field and the rotor magnetic field, wherein the plurality of coil groups comprises rectangular X coil groups and rectangular Y coil groups, wherein the X coil groups are aligned along an X direction of the stator unit and the Y coil groups are aligned along a Y direction of the stator unit that is perpendicular to the X direction, wherein the X coil groups and the Y coil groups are arranged along the X direction and along the Y direction of the stator unit, wherein each coil group comprises a plurality of stator conductors extending in the X direction or in the Y direction, wherein the X coil groups are set up to generate Y components and Z components of the stator magnetic field, wherein the Y coil groups are set up to generate X components and Z components of the stator magnetic field, wherein the X components are aligned along the X direction, the Y components are aligned along the Y direction and the Z components are aligned along the X direction and along the Z direction of the stator unit oriented perpendicularly with regard to the Y direction, wherein the plurality of magnet units of the rotor comprises rectangular X magnet units (411, 413) and rectangular Y magnet units (415, 417), wherein the X magnet units (411, 413) are aligned along an X direction of the rotor, wherein the Y magnet units (415, 417) are aligned along a Y direction of the rotor that is perpendicular to the X direction, wherein the X magnet units (411, 413) are set up to generate Y components and Z components of the rotor magnetic field, wherein the Y magnet units (415, 417) are set up to generate X components and Z components of the rotor magnetic field, wherein the X components are aligned along the X direction, the Y component is aligned along the Y direction and the Z component is aligned along a Z direction of the rotor oriented perpendicularly with regard to the Z direction and to the Y direction, characterized in that the method comprises: moving the rotor to a rotational position of the rotor on the stator unit in a movement step, wherein, in the rotational position, each magnet unit of the rotor covers a coil group of the stator unit which is not covered by any other magnet unit of the rotor in each orientation of the rotor relative to the stator unit; actuating the coil groups which are covered by the magnet units of the rotor in the rotational position and generating a stator magnetic field by each actuated coil group in an actuation step; and rotating the rotor about an axis of rotation that is oriented perpendicular to a stator surface of the stator unit by a predetermined angle of rotation (α) by way of the stator magnetic fields of the actuated coil groups covered by the magnet units of the rotor in a rotation step. moving the rotor to a rotational position of the rotor on the stator unit in a movement step, wherein, in the rotational position, each magnet unit of the rotor covers a coil group of the stator unit which is not covered by any other magnet unit of the rotor in each orientation of the rotor relative to the stator unit; actuating the coil groups which are covered by the magnet units of the rotor in the rotational position and generating a stator magnetic field by each actuated coil group in an actuation step; and rotating the rotor about an axis of rotation that is oriented perpendicular to a stator surface of the stator unit by a predetermined angle of rotation (α) by way of the stator magnetic fields of the actuated coil groups covered by the magnet units of the rotor in a rotation step.