Gamepad tester

How to test your controller

1. Plug the controller in by USB or connect it over Bluetooth.
2. Press any button. For privacy, browsers only reveal a controller after a button press, so the page says "Connect your controller and press any button" until then.
3. The controller appears with its Name, Mapping, number of Buttons and Axes, and its Index. Up to four controllers show as tabs.
4. Press every button: it lights up on the drawing. The analog triggers fill a bar from 0.000 to 1.000, so you can see if a trigger reaches full travel.
5. Move each stick: a dot with a short trail follows it, with X and Y values to three decimals.

The drawing is a generic controller with the standard layout: four face buttons, two bumpers, two triggers, select and start, two stick presses, the D-pad and the home button. A touchpad press appears when the controller reports one. Buttons are named by position ("Bottom face button") because each brand prints different symbols on them.

If the mapping says non-standard, the browser could not match the controller to the standard layout. You then see the raw buttons and axes instead of the drawing. Every button and stick should still move a value there.

Stick drift test and deadzone

Stick drift is when the stick reports movement while nobody touches it: your character walks slowly or the camera creeps.

1. Press Start drift test.
2. Put the controller down and let go of both sticks for 3 seconds ("Hands off… 3 s").
3. Read Drift and Suggested deadzone for the left and right stick.

Drift is the largest distance from the centre either stick reported during those 3 seconds, as a percentage of full tilt. 0.0 % is perfect. Up to 3 % the tester calls it "No drift you would notice in games". Above 3 %, the page warns you that the stick reports movement while untouched.

The Suggested deadzone is the drift plus 3 percentage points, rounded up to a whole number. For example, a drift of 5.0 % gives a suggested deadzone of 8 %. Set at least that much as the stick deadzone in your game's controller settings, and the creeping stops. A big deadzone makes small, precise movements harder, so it is a workaround, not a cure.

Run the test two or three times: drift that changes between runs or grows over weeks points to a worn stick.

Stick circularity test

Press Test left stick or Test right stick, push the stick all the way to the edge and turn it slowly around twice. The test keeps the outermost point you reached in each direction and shows the Average edge error: how far, on average, full tilt lands from a perfect circle.

0 % is a perfect circle. Values well above zero mean the stick reaches past full tilt in some directions (often the diagonals) or falls short in others. Falling short matters most: in a game you may never reach full speed in that direction. Compare the two sticks. A stick that scores much worse than its twin on the same controller is the one wearing out. If the page says not enough of the circle was covered, keep the stick pressed against the edge for the whole turn.

Vibration test

When the browser can drive your controller's motors, a Vibrate button appears. It runs the strong and weak motors together for one second. Support depends on the browser and the controller: Chrome and Edge support rumble for most common controllers; other browsers support fewer. If the button does not appear, your browser does not offer vibration for this controller, which says nothing about the motors.

Controller not detected? And fixing drift

• Nothing appears: press a button after the page has loaded. Then try another USB cable (some are charge-only), another port, or re-pair over Bluetooth.
• PS4 or PS5 controller: usually works in Chrome and Edge over USB or Bluetooth with the standard mapping. In other browsers or systems it may show as non-standard; the raw view still tests every button.
• Xbox controller: usually recognised with the standard mapping on Windows; on a Mac use Bluetooth with up-to-date software.
• Works here but not in a game: a launcher such as Steam may be translating the controller. Check its controller settings.

For drift, try the cheap fixes first: let the controller update its firmware, recalibrate it if your system offers that, and gently rotate the stick at full tilt a few times to move dust. If drift stays above a few percent, the stick module is worn; warranty, repair or a replacement stick are the real fixes. Our controller drift guide goes through each step, and the guide to reading test results explains the numbers.

Test your reaction speed with the reaction time test, or check your other inputs with the keyboard test and mouse test. The gamepad tester runs in your browser; nothing is recorded or uploaded. More tools: device tests.