How to test your controller
- Connect your controller with a USB cable, or pair it with Bluetooth in your system settings.
- Press any button. For privacy, browsers don't reveal a controller until you press something on it.
- Press every button. Each one lights up; triggers and other pressure-sensitive buttons show a bar for how far they're pressed.
- Move both sticks in full circles. The dot should reach the edge of the ring smoothly in every direction, and press each stick in to check L3 and R3.
- Then let go of everything and leave the controller on the table for a few seconds to check for drift.
The tester works with PlayStation and Xbox controllers and most other gamepads that your computer recognises. Standard controllers show named buttons; others show numbered buttons.
Checking for stick drift
Stick drift is when a thumbstick reports movement even though you aren't touching it, so your character walks or the camera turns on its own. With hands off, the tester measures how far each stick sits from the centre:
- Under 0.05: no drift. A tiny reading is normal and games ignore it.
- 0.05 to 0.15: slight drift. Most games' dead zones hide this, but it may get worse.
- Over 0.15: drift likely to show up in games.
Things to try: rotate the stick firmly around its full range a dozen times, blow compressed air around the base of the stick, update the controller's firmware, and increase the dead zone in your game settings. Drift caused by worn parts often needs a repair or replacement, so check your warranty first.
Vibration
If your browser can control vibration for your controller, a Test vibration button appears. Support varies: Chrome and Edge handle most Xbox and PlayStation controllers over USB, while Bluetooth and other browsers may not. No buzz here doesn't necessarily mean the motors are broken.
Controller not showing up?
- Press a button again; the page only sees a controller after a press.
- Try a different USB cable. Some cables only charge and don't carry data.
- Close apps such as Steam or controller mapping tools that may take over the controller, then reload.
- Use an up-to-date Chrome, Edge or Firefox.