Gamepad Tester & Stick Drift Test

How to test your controller

1. Connect it. Plug it in with a USB cable or pair it over Bluetooth in your computer's settings.
2. Press any button while this page is open. For privacy reasons, browsers hide controllers until you interact with them.
3. Press every button and watch it light up. Analogue buttons such as triggers fill gradually as you press harder.
4. Move each stick in slow circles. The dot should reach the edge of the circle in every direction and the trail should look round, not flattened.
5. Run the drift check. Press Check stick drift, take your thumbs off both sticks and wait three seconds.

It works with Xbox, PlayStation (DualShock 4 and DualSense), Nintendo Switch Pro, 8BitDo and most other controllers your computer recognises. Controllers with a "standard" mapping show named buttons; others show numbered buttons and raw axes.

Stick circularity test

Press Test circularity and rotate each stick slowly around its outer edge, pushed all the way out, until the coverage reaches 100%. The test records how far the stick reaches in every direction and draws it as an amber outline over the stick's circle. The result is the average circularity error: how far, on average, that outline is from a perfect circle.

Average error	What it means
Under 5%	Excellent: the stick reaches evenly in every direction.
5–10%	Good: typical for many controllers.
10–15%	Fair: aiming and movement may feel slightly uneven.
Over 15%	Uneven: often a squarish outer edge, wear, or a stick that needs calibrating.

Many controllers deliberately reach a little further at the diagonals, which raises the number. Comparing before and after a calibration or repair is the most useful way to use it. The page also estimates how many input updates per second your browser receives while you move a stick.

What is stick drift?

Stick drift is when a joystick reports movement while nobody is touching it, so your character creeps sideways or the camera slowly turns. It's usually caused by wear or dust inside the stick's sensors, which are typically small potentiometers that wear with use.

The drift check records how far each stick sits from the centre while you leave it alone:

Resting offset	Result
Below 0.05	No drift. The stick returns cleanly to centre.
0.05–0.12	Slight offset. Most games ignore this using a deadzone.
0.12 or more	Drift. Likely noticeable in games with small deadzones.

The dashed inner ring on each stick shows a 10% deadzone for reference. If the dot sits outside it while you're not touching the stick, games with small deadzones will probably see movement.

How to fix stick drift

1. Recalibrate. Steam has a built-in controller calibration, and some consoles and controller apps offer one too.
2. Increase the in-game deadzone. Many games let you raise the stick deadzone, which hides small amounts of drift.
3. Clean around the stick. Gently rotating the stick in circles, sometimes with a little compressed air around its base, can clear dust.
4. Use the warranty. Drift is a recognised fault on many controllers. Results from this page are useful evidence for a repair or replacement.
5. Upgrade to Hall-effect sticks. Some newer controllers use magnetic Hall-effect sensors, which don't wear in the same way and are much less prone to drift.

Frequently asked questions

My controller isn't detected. What should I do?

Press a button while this page is in front; that's required. Try a different USB cable (some only carry power), re-pair it over Bluetooth, and close programs such as Steam or DS4Windows that can take exclusive control of the controller. Then reload the page.

Does it work on phones?

Many recent Android and iOS browsers support game controllers. Pair the controller with your phone over Bluetooth, open this page and press a button.

Why doesn't the vibration button appear?

Not every browser can control rumble motors. Chrome and Edge support it for many controllers; others may not.

Why are my buttons in a different order?

Controllers without a standard mapping report buttons in their own order. They're shown as numbers, and still work for testing.

Is my controller data sent anywhere?

No. Everything is read and displayed inside your browser.