Gamepad Test: Check Your Controller Online
Test every button, stick and trigger on your game controller, and check stick drift, rumble and polling rate. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Runs in your browser. Your button presses and stick readings never leave this device. No upload, no sign-up.
Waiting for a controller. Press any button on it.
Connect your controller, click this page, then press any button on the controller. Browsers show a controller to a page only after one of its buttons is pressed.
If nothing happens when you press a button:
- Click anywhere on this page, then press a button again. Browsers send controller input only to the window in front.
- On a cable, try another USB port and a cable that carries data. Some cables only charge.
- Over Bluetooth, check that the controller shows as connected in your system's Bluetooth settings.
- Close apps that can take over the controller, such as Steam, DS4Windows or a game, then reconnect it.
- Still nothing? Try another browser, then work through the fixes further down this page.
| Controller | – |
|---|---|
| Mapping | – |
| Reports | – |
| Slot | – |
| Rumble | – |
Buttons
0 tested- A ×
- B ○
- X □
- Y △
- LB
- RB
- LT
- RT
- Back
- Start
- LS
- RS
- ↑
- ↓
- ←
- →
- Home
Press each button once. Each one turns green when it works.
Sticks
Move each stick around the edge in slow circles. The dot should reach the circle in every direction and come back to the middle when you let go.
Triggers
Press each trigger slowly all the way down, then let go. The curve shows how the reading rose and fell.
Not pressed yet
Press it slowly all the way down, then let go.
Not pressed yet
Press it slowly all the way down, then let go.
Stick drift
Put the controller down, press Test stick drift and don't touch it for 7 seconds.
Left stick Not tested
| Rests at | – |
|---|---|
| Jitter | – |
| Furthest from center | – |
| Suggested dead zone | – |
Right stick Not tested
| Rests at | – |
|---|---|
| Jitter | – |
| Furthest from center | – |
| Suggested dead zone | – |
Rumble
- Strong motor
The deep rumble, usually in the left gripFelt it? - Weak motor
The lighter buzz, usually in the right gripFelt it? - Both motors
Both at once, at full strengthFelt it? - Trigger motors
The small motors in the triggers, on controllers that have themFelt it?
Rumble works from web pages in Chrome, Edge and Safari 16.4 or later on a Mac.
Polling rate
Press Measure polling rate, then move a stick in circles until it finishes, about 3 seconds.
Raw values from the browser
Buttons
Axes
Your report
Run the test above. Your results will appear here as plain text you can paste into a support chat, a return request or a forum post.
How to test your controller
- Connect the controller with a USB cable or pair it over Bluetooth, click this page, then press any button on the controller. The status line turns green and shows the controller's name.
- Press every button once, including the D-pad, the home button and both sticks (push them in). Each one turns green on the drawing and in the list when it works.
- Move both sticks around the edge in slow circles, then press each trigger slowly all the way down and let go.
- Put the controller on a table and press Test stick drift. Keep your hands off it for 7 seconds.
- Try the rumble buttons and measure the polling rate if you need them, then press Copy report.
What the results mean
Buttons
A button works when it lights up as you press it and goes dark when you let go. If one doesn't light up, press it firmly and from a few angles: a button that works only sometimes is wearing out or has dirt under it. If a button lights up on its own, or a different one lights up, an app may be remapping the controller. Quit Steam, DS4Windows and similar tools, reconnect the controller and test again.
Sticks and drift
Each stick reports two numbers from -1 to 1: X (left to right) and Y (up to down), with 0 in the middle. When you let go, a stick should spring back to the middle, but no stick lands exactly on 0. The drift test reads both sticks on every screen refresh for 5 seconds and shows where each one rests, how much the reading shakes (jitter) and the furthest it got from center.
- Normal: less than 0.03 from center. Games ignore this much without you noticing.
- Slight drift: 0.03 to 0.08. A small dead zone in your game or in Steam Input hides it.
- Severe drift: more than 0.08. Your view or character is likely to creep in games that use a small dead zone.
The suggested dead zone is the furthest reading plus 0.02, rounded up. It covers the stick in every direction, so it works in games with round dead zones too. Run the test two or three times: drift that comes and goes is usually dust, and drift that stays is usually wear. How to fix controller stick drift covers dead zones, cleaning, calibration and repair.
Triggers
Analog triggers report how far you press them, from 0 to 1. A slow press should rise smoothly to 1.00 and fall back to 0. A trigger that stops short of 1, skips part of its travel, or doesn't come back to 0 at rest (the drift test checks that too) is worn, dirty or blocked. Some controllers, such as the Switch Pro Controller, have digital triggers that read only 0 or 1; that's normal for them.
Rumble
The rumble buttons ask your browser to run the controller's motors for a second, then ask you whether you felt it. Rumble from a web page works in Chrome, Edge and Safari 16.4 or later on a Mac. Firefox, and Safari on iPhone and iPad, can't do it, so the buttons stay off there; that says nothing about your controller.
Polling rate
The polling rate is how many new readings your browser gets from the controller each second, measured while you move a stick. It's what web games get, but it isn't always the controller's own rate: browsers read controllers on their own schedule, and timing in a browser varies by a millisecond or two. Compare results on the same computer and browser, for example a cable against Bluetooth.
The standard button layout
When your browser recognizes a controller, it uses the standard mapping: every controller's buttons get the same numbers, by position. That's why the bottom face button is button 0 whether it's labeled A, Cross or B. Web games read these numbers, and this test does too.
| Number | Xbox | PlayStation | Switch Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | A | Cross (×) | B |
| 1 | B | Circle (○) | A |
| 2 | X | Square (□) | Y |
| 3 | Y | Triangle (△) | X |
| 4, 5 | LB, RB | L1, R1 | L, R |
| 6, 7 | LT, RT | L2, R2 | ZL, ZR |
| 8 | View | Create (PS5), Share (PS4) | Minus (−) |
| 9 | Menu | Options | Plus (+) |
| 10, 11 | Left and right stick press | L3, R3 | Left and right stick press |
| 12–15 | D-pad up, down, left, right | D-pad | D-pad |
| 16 | Xbox button | PS button | Home |
| 17 | Share, on some systems | Touchpad click | Capture, in some browsers |
Axes 0 and 1 are the left stick and axes 2 and 3 the right stick. Pushing a stick up gives -1 on its Y axis and pulling it down gives 1. Button 17 isn't part of the standard; browsers that know a controller well use it for one extra button.
For button names that match the controller in your hands, and the quirks of each model, use its own test: the PS5 Controller Test, the PS4 Controller Test, the Xbox Controller Test or the Switch Pro Controller Test.
Connect a controller
With a cable
Plug the controller into a USB port on the computer itself rather than a hub, with a cable that carries data. Some cables that come with phones or power banks only charge. Windows 11 and macOS set up most controllers in a few seconds, without extra software.
Over Bluetooth
Put the controller in pairing mode first. Each maker does this differently: on a PS5 controller hold Create and PS, on a PS4 controller hold Share and PS, on an Xbox controller hold the Pair button on top, and on a Switch Pro Controller hold the Sync button. Then, on Windows 11, open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Add device → Bluetooth; on a Mac, open System Settings → Bluetooth and click Connect next to the controller.
With a wireless receiver
Controllers that come with their own USB receiver connect through it. Many third-party controllers also have modes, set with a switch or a button combination, for Xbox (XInput), DirectInput, Switch or Android. On Windows, Xbox mode is the one browsers most often recognize with the standard mapping.
Controller not working? Try these fixes
The controller isn't found
Browsers show a controller only after you press one of its buttons while the page is open, and only to the window in front. If that doesn't help, your system may not see the controller either.
Windows 11
- Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices and check that the controller is listed and connected.
- Press Windows+R, type joy.cpl and press Enter. If the controller isn't in the Game Controllers list, Windows doesn't see it: try another USB port or cable, or pair it again.
- If you use an Xbox controller, update its firmware in the Xbox Accessories app from the Microsoft Store.
macOS
- Open System Settings → Bluetooth and check that the controller shows as Connected.
- On a cable, plug it into a port on the Mac itself rather than a hub or dock.
Steam, DS4Windows and some games take over controllers. Quit them, reconnect the controller and press a button on this page again.
Some buttons don't light up
- Press the button firmly and from a few angles. A button that works only sometimes is wearing out.
- Quit apps that remap controllers, such as Steam or DS4Windows, then reconnect the controller and test again.
- If the mapping line says Not standard, your browser lists the buttons by number only. Open the Raw values list under the test and press the button to see whether its number changes, or try another browser.
Some buttons never reach web pages, such as the PS5 mute button and, on Windows, the Xbox Share button. Each controller's own test lists them.
The wrong buttons light up
The controller may be in a different mode, or an app is swapping buttons.
- Check the controller's mode switch or button combination. Xbox (XInput) mode works best on Windows.
- Quit Steam and other remapping apps, reconnect the controller and test again.
On Nintendo controllers, A and B, and X and Y, are swapped compared with an Xbox controller. That's by design, and the test numbers buttons by position.
The rumble buttons stay off
Your browser can't run controller motors, or doesn't offer it for this controller.
- Use Chrome or Edge, or Safari 16.4 or later on a Mac.
- Connect the controller with a USB cable and test again.
- If the test says the rumble was sent but you felt nothing, try the rumble in a game. If games don't rumble either, the motors may be faulty.
The drift test says a stick moved
- Put the controller on a table and keep your hands off it for the whole 7 seconds.
- Run the test again. If the stick moves every time while nobody touches it, the stick is faulty: see the stick drift guide linked below.
Common questions
Why doesn't my controller show up in the browser?
Browsers keep a controller hidden from a page until you press one of its buttons while the page is open, so press any button first. If nothing appears, click the page so its window is in front, try another USB cable or port, and close apps such as Steam or DS4Windows that can take over the controller.
How do I know if my controller has stick drift?
Put the controller down and run the stick drift test without touching it. A stick that rests within 0.03 of center is normal; 0.03 to 0.08 is slight drift that a small dead zone hides; more than 0.08 is severe and usually shows up in games.
What dead zone should I set for stick drift?
Use the dead zone the drift test suggests: the furthest reading from center it measured, plus 0.02. Set it in your game, in Steam Input or in DS4Windows, and keep it as small as works, because a large dead zone makes small, precise stick movements harder.
Does this test work with PS5, PS4, Xbox and Switch controllers?
Yes. It works with any controller your browser can read, including the DualSense, DualShock 4, Xbox Wireless Controller and Switch Pro Controller. For button names that match your controller, use its own test: PS5, PS4, Xbox or Switch Pro.
Why doesn't my controller rumble in the test?
Rumble from a web page works in Chrome, Edge and Safari 16.4 or later on a Mac, but not in Firefox or on iPhone and iPad. It also depends on the controller and the connection, so if the rumble buttons stay off, try a USB cable or another browser.
What does standard mapping mean?
It means your browser recognized the controller and numbered its buttons in the standard layout that web games use, so the drawing can follow them. Without it, the browser lists buttons and axes by number only, and the test shows them that way.
Is the polling rate here my controller's real polling rate?
Not always. The test counts how often your browser receives new readings, which is what web games get. Browsers read controllers on their own schedule, and some systems send nothing while the controller is still, so a controller can report faster than the number shown.
PlayStation, PS5, PS4, DualSense and DualShock are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Xbox is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo. Plug and Check is not affiliated with Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo.
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