Controller test (gamepad tester)

• Buttons: every button lights up when pressed. Standard-mapped controllers get Xbox-style (A, B, X, Y, LB, RB…) or PlayStation-style (×, ○, □, △, L1, R1…) labels automatically; others show numbered buttons.
• Triggers: the analog value of each trigger, so you can see whether it reaches 100% and returns to 0.
• Sticks: live position with exact x and y values and the distance from center.
• Drift: the largest resting offset measured while you don't touch the sticks.
• Circularity and dead-zone preview: see below.
• Report rate: an estimate of how often the controller sends updates, in Hz.
• Rumble: short, long, strong and weak presets where the browser allows vibration.

Stick drift is when a stick reports movement even though nobody is touching it, so your character or camera creeps on its own. To test:

1. Move each stick around its full range a few times.
2. Put the controller on a table and don't touch the sticks.
3. Read the resting offset for each stick.

Games ignore small movements inside a dead zone. Set an inner dead zone in the preview and watch whether the resting position falls inside it. If it does, the drift won't show up in a game using a similar setting; if not, raise the game's dead zone or fix the stick.

Rotate each stick slowly around its outer edge a few times. The tool draws the path the stick reports and calculates the average error from a perfect circle as a percentage. Lower is better. A path with flat sides or corners means some directions don't reach full input, while bulges past the circle mean the stick reports more than full deflection in those directions. Both can make aiming and steering feel uneven. There is no universal pass mark, so use the number to compare sticks and to check a controller before and after cleaning or calibration.

Pull each trigger slowly. The value should rise smoothly from 0 to 100%; a trigger that jumps, stops short or doesn't return to 0 when released causes problems in racing and shooting games. Press the sticks straight down too (L3 and R3), since those clicks wear out.

The report rate is estimated from how often the browser receives new data, so it can read lower than the controller's true rate. Use it to compare wired and Bluetooth connections.

The rumble presets test short and long, strong and weak vibration. In Chrome and Edge, Xbox controllers can also test trigger rumble where the browser supports it. Adaptive trigger effects and touchpads are not exposed to web pages.

The built-in troubleshooter under the test detects your system and browser and suggests matching steps. The usual fixes:

• Press a button. For privacy, browsers reveal a controller only after an input while the page is open.
• Steam Input: if Steam is running, it may remap or take over the controller. Close Steam or turn off Steam Input for testing.
• DS4Windows and similar tools can hide the original controller and show a virtual one instead. Close them to test the real device.
• Bluetooth: on Windows 11, remove and re-pair the controller in Settings › Bluetooth & devices; on a Mac, use System Settings › Bluetooth. Try a USB cable to rule out wireless issues.
• Calibration: Windows still has the Set up USB game controllers panel (search for it in Start). On a Mac, check System Settings › Game Controllers.
• Browser differences: button mapping and rumble support vary. If a controller looks odd in one browser, try Chrome or Edge.

Blow compressed air around the base of the stick while rotating it, update the firmware through the console or the manufacturer's app, and raise the dead zone in games that allow it. Drift is a known wear issue on many controllers, so check the warranty.

Using a mouse and keyboard as well? Run the keyboard test and the mouse test, and confirm your monitor's real refresh rate with the refresh rate test.