Gamepad Tester — Controller & Stick Drift Test
Connect a controller by USB or Bluetooth and press any button. Every button, trigger and analog stick lights up live, and the drift and circularity tests tell you whether a stick is wearing out.
Overview
This tester reads your controller through the browser's Gamepad API, the same interface browser games use. It works with PlayStation DualSense (PS5) and DualShock 4 (PS4) controllers, Xbox controllers, Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, 8BitDo pads and most generic USB gamepads, with nothing to install.
The diagram highlights each button as you press it and fills the triggers in proportion to how far they're pulled, so a sticky button or a trigger that never reaches 100% is easy to spot. Each analog stick has its own plot with a trail, its raw X/Y values, and a deadzone ring you can resize.
Stick drift, where a character keeps moving when you aren't touching the stick, shows up as a resting position away from the center. The drift test measures that offset with your hands off the controller. The circularity test records how far the stick reaches in every direction as you rotate it, which reveals worn or uneven stick modules.
Examples & Sample Data
Checking a PS5 controller for stick drift
DualSense connected over USB, hands off, Measure drift
Left stick resting offset 0.004 (centered), right stick 0.081 (drift beyond a 0.05 deadzone)
Checking an Xbox controller's stick range
Run the circularity test and rotate the left stick slowly for 5 seconds
Average error 6.2%, full coverage of all directions
How It Works
- Plug the controller in with a USB cable or pair it over Bluetooth, then press any button. Browsers only reveal a controller after a button press.
- Press each button and move each stick and trigger. The diagram and the raw value table update live.
- Click Measure drift, then let go of the controller for 2 seconds. The tool reports each stick's resting offset from center.
- Click Circularity test, then slowly rotate each stick around its outer edge for 5 seconds. The tool reports the average error and how much of the circle you covered.
- If your browser supports it, use the rumble buttons to check the vibration motors.
Common Use Cases
Diagnosing stick drift before a repair or warranty claim
Measure the resting offset of each stick so you have numbers, not just a feeling, when deciding whether to replace a stick module or send the controller back.
Checking a used controller before you buy it
Run through every button, trigger and stick in a minute to catch dead buttons, weak triggers and drift.
Setting the right in-game deadzone
Find the smallest deadzone that hides your stick's resting offset, then set that value in your game's controller settings.
Tips & Best Practices
- If nothing appears, press a button. Browsers hide controllers from a page until it receives input, for privacy.
- A resting offset under about 0.05 is normal and is hidden by most games' default deadzone. Consistently higher values usually mean drift.
- Run the drift test a few times, flicking the stick between runs. A stick that returns to a different spot each time is wearing out.
- For the circularity test, rotate slowly and keep the stick pressed against its outer edge the whole time.
- Firefox and Safari don't support vibration from web pages. Use Chrome or Edge to test the rumble motors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any controller your browser recognizes as a gamepad: PS5 DualSense, PS4 DualShock 4, Xbox One and Series controllers, Switch Pro, 8BitDo and most USB or Bluetooth gamepads. Controllers using the standard layout appear on the diagram; others still show every button and axis in the raw values table.
No. Web pages can only read a controller's input, not change its firmware or calibration. This tester measures drift so you can decide on a deadzone setting, cleaning, or a repair.
Press any button first, since browsers hide controllers until they receive input. If it still doesn't appear, try a different USB cable (some are charge-only), re-pair it over Bluetooth, and close other apps such as Steam that may take exclusive control of it.
Vibration works in Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers. Firefox and Safari don't let web pages trigger rumble, so the rumble buttons stay hidden there.
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Related Tools
Explore more high-performance utilities.