Gamepad and Joystick Tester
Connect a game controller and press any button to test it. Every button, trigger, and stick shows up live, so you can find dead buttons, check for stick drift, and test the vibration motors. It works with Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro, and most other controllers, right in your browser.
Connect a controller and press any button on it
Plug it in with USB or pair it over Bluetooth first. Browsers only show a controller to a web page after you press one of its buttons.
What the gamepad tester does
The tester reads your controller through the browser's Gamepad API and draws it on screen. Buttons light up while you press them, the triggers fill up as you squeeze them, and the sticks move with your thumbs.
It also checks the things that wear out first. It measures where each stick rests when you let go, traces how far each stick reaches in every direction, and runs each vibration motor on its own. Raw numbers for every button and axis are listed below the picture.
Why use our gamepad tester
- ·Nothing to install. Works in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and more.
- ·Real button names. Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo controllers show their own labels.
- ·Drift and range checks. See a resting reading and a range trace for each stick, not just a moving dot.
- ·Nothing missed. The counter shows which buttons you have not pressed yet.
- ·Private. The test runs on your device and nothing is recorded.
How to test a controller online
- 1
Connect your controller
Plug it in with a USB cable or pair it with your computer or phone over Bluetooth, then open this page.
- 2
Press any button
Browsers only show a controller to a page after one of its buttons is pressed. The controller picture appears as soon as it is detected.
- 3
Press every button and move both sticks
Each button lights up while held and stays tinted once it has worked. The counter shows how many buttons you have tested.
- 4
Check the sticks and vibration
Let go of the sticks to check for drift, roll each one around its edge to check its range, and use the vibration buttons to test the motors.
How to check a controller for joystick drift
Joystick drift (or stick drift) is when a stick reports movement while nobody is touching it, so your character walks or the camera turns on its own. To check for it, move both sticks, then let go completely and keep your hands off for about two seconds. The tester takes a reading once the stick has stayed still:
- ·Below 0.05: centered. The stick returns to the middle. This is what a healthy stick looks like.
- ·0.05 to 0.15: small offset. Common on older controllers. Games ignore small movements near the center (the dead zone), so you usually will not notice it.
- ·0.15 or more: possible drift. The stick rests far enough from the middle that many games will read it as real movement.
Let go of the stick a few times and push it in different directions first. A stick that sometimes centers and sometimes does not is starting to wear. If the reading moves while you are not touching it, that is drift.
What to do about stick drift
Raise the dead zone. Many games, and Steam's controller settings, let you set a larger dead zone for each stick. That hides a small offset, at the cost of a little less precision near the center.
Clean around the stick. Dust and grime under the stick can stop it from returning to the middle. With the controller off, move the stick in circles while blowing compressed air around its base.
Update the controller. Xbox controllers update through the Xbox Accessories app or the console, and PlayStation controllers through the console. Updates do not fix worn parts, but they are worth trying first.
Repair or replace it. Most sticks measure their position with small parts that wear down with use, so drift tends to get worse over time. Check whether the controller is still under warranty, or look at replacement stick modules. Sticks that use Hall effect sensors measure position with magnets and do not wear in the same way.
Joystick range and circularity test
Push a stick all the way out and roll it slowly around its edge. The tester records the furthest point the stick reaches in 72 directions (every 5 degrees) and draws the shape. Once most directions are covered, it shows the average circularity error: how far that shape is from a perfect circle.
A healthy stick draws a shape close to the circle. Many controllers reach slightly past it at the diagonals, giving a rounded square, which is normal. Look for a side that falls short of the circle. That means the stick cannot reach full speed or full turn in that direction, often because of a worn part or something stuck under the stick. Comparing the left and right sticks is the easiest way to spot a problem.
Controller button numbers on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch
When a browser recognizes a controller, it numbers the buttons by position using the same "standard" layout for every brand. Button 0 is always the bottom face button, whatever is printed on it. This is how the numbers in the Buttons list match each controller:
| Button | Xbox | PlayStation | Switch Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | A | Cross (✕) | B |
| 1 | B | Circle (○) | A |
| 2 | X | Square (□) | Y |
| 3 | Y | Triangle (△) | X |
| 4 | LB | L1 | L |
| 5 | RB | R1 | R |
| 6 | LT | L2 | ZL |
| 7 | RT | R2 | ZR |
| 8 | View | Share / Create | Minus |
| 9 | Menu | Options | Plus |
| 10 | Left stick press | L3 | Left stick press |
| 11 | Right stick press | R3 | Right stick press |
| 12 to 15 | D-pad up, down, left, right | D-pad up, down, left, right | D-pad up, down, left, right |
| 16 | Xbox button | PS button | Home |
The sticks are axes 0 and 1 (left stick, across and up and down) and axes 2 and 3 (right stick). Up and left are negative, down and right are positive. Extra buttons, such as the PlayStation touchpad press, come after button 16 when the browser reports them.
How to test a flight stick, arcade stick, or other joystick
The tester works with any joystick your browser can see, not only gamepads. Browsers do not have a standard layout for flight sticks, arcade sticks, wheels, or pedals, so the picture will not match them. The tester shows a warning and lists every input by number instead.
- ·Axes.Move the stick, twist it, and slide the throttle one at a time, and watch which axis moves. Each should sweep smoothly from -1 to 1 with no jumps or dead spots.
- ·Buttons.Press each button and trigger and check that its number lights up in the Buttons list.
- ·Hat switch. The small thumb switch on top of a flight stick may show up as one axis that jumps between fixed values, instead of as four buttons.
The drift and range checks read the first four axes as two sticks, so on a flight stick only the first one (axes 0 and 1) is meaningful.
Why a controller is not detected
No button has been pressed. Browsers keep controllers hidden from web pages until you press a button while the page is open, so pages cannot see what is plugged in.
The cable only charges. Many USB cables that come with chargers carry power but no data. Try the cable that came with the controller, or one you know works for data.
Bluetooth is not paired. A controller that is on but paired with a console will connect to the console instead. Pair it with this device in its Bluetooth settings first.
The browser is out of date. Update the browser, or try another one. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari all support game controllers.
When to use a controller tester
- ·Anyone buying or selling a used controller. Run through every button and both sticks in a minute, and check for drift before you pay or hand it over.
- ·Gamers with a character that moves on its own. That is usually stick drift. The resting reading shows whether the stick is at fault or whether it is a game setting.
- ·Anyone who has repaired a controller. After replacing a stick module, a button, or a cable, check that every input works and that the new stick reaches its full range.
- ·Game and web developers. See the raw button and axis numbers, values, and layout the Gamepad API reports, to check how a controller maps in the browser.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I test my controller online?
- Connect the controller with USB or Bluetooth, open this page, and press any button. The controller picture appears and lights up each button, trigger, and stick as you use it. Press every button until the counter is full, then check both sticks and the vibration.
- Why is my controller not showing up?
- First press a button on it, since browsers hide controllers until one is pressed. If it still does not appear, check that a Bluetooth controller is paired with this device, and that a USB cable carries data (some cables only charge). Then try another USB port or a different browser.
- How do I test for joystick drift?
- Let go of both sticks and wait a moment. The tester reads where each stick rests. Below 0.05 from the middle counts as centered, up to 0.15 is a small offset that a game's dead zone usually hides, and 0.15 or more is reported as possible drift.
- What does the circularity error mean?
- It is how far, on average, the stick's furthest reach in each direction is from a perfect circle. Lower is closer to a circle. Many controllers reach a little past the circle at the diagonals, which is normal. A stick that falls short in one direction, or scores much worse than the other stick, may be worn or blocked.
- Does it work with a PS5 DualSense or PS4 controller?
- Yes, over USB or Bluetooth in any browser that detects it. When the browser reports a Sony controller, the tester uses PlayStation names such as Cross, L1, and Options, and shows the touchpad press where the browser reports it.
- Does it work with a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller?
- Yes, if your browser detects it. Buttons are numbered by position, so the bottom face button is B and the right one is A, matching the labels on the controller.
- Why does the vibration test not work?
- Vibration needs browser support. It works in Chrome and Edge for many controllers, and not in Firefox. Some controllers, such as many cheap or older pads, have no vibration motors at all. For patterns, custom strengths, and a check for a weak motor, use the Gamepad Vibration Test.
- Why do my triggers show up as axes, or the picture not match my buttons?
- Your browser did not recognize the controller's layout, so it reports raw numbers in its own order. The tester shows a warning when this happens. The Buttons and Axes lists below the picture still show every input, so you can check each one by its number.
- Can I test a flight stick or arcade joystick?
- Yes, if your browser detects it. Flight sticks and arcade sticks do not match the gamepad picture, so use the Buttons and Axes lists below it. Move each part of the stick and watch which axis or button number changes.
- Can I test two controllers at once?
- Yes. Connect both and press a button on each. A switch above the picture lets you pick which controller to show, and each one keeps its own test results.
- Can it test the gyro, touchpad position, or polling rate?
- No. Browsers do not give web pages a controller's motion sensors or touchpad positions. The tester reads the controller once per screen refresh, so it also cannot measure how often the controller itself reports.