Switch Pro Controller Test: Buttons and Drift
Test a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller on your PC or Mac: every button, ZL and ZR, stick drift and rumble, with the A and B swap explained. 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- B
- A
- Y
- X
- L
- R
- ZL
- ZR
- −
- +
- LS
- RS
- ↑
- ↓
- ←
- →
- Home
- Cap
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 a Switch Pro Controller
- Connect your Pro Controller with a USB-C cable, or pair it over Bluetooth with the Sync button (the steps are below). Click this page, then press A or any other button.
- Press every button once: A, B, X and Y, L and R, ZL and ZR, − and +, the D-pad, both sticks (push them in), Home and Capture.
- Move both sticks around the edge in slow circles. ZL and ZR are on or off, so one press each is enough.
- Put the controller on a table and press Test stick drift. Don't touch it for 7 seconds.
- Try the rumble buttons, then press Copy report to keep the results.
Where A, B, X and Y end up
On a Nintendo controller, A is on the right and B at the bottom. On an Xbox controller it's the other way round: A at the bottom, B on the right. X and Y are swapped the same way. Browsers number the face buttons by position, not by the letter printed on them:
| Number | Position | Switch Pro label | Xbox label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Bottom | B | A |
| 1 | Right | A | B |
| 2 | Left | Y | X |
| 3 | Top | X | Y |
So when a web game that shows Xbox prompts asks for A, press the button at the bottom, your B. The drawing above follows positions too: press A and the right-hand button lights up. Some systems swap the buttons back to match their letters. If pressing A lights up the bottom button on the drawing, your system is doing that, and games on it will see the same.
Pro Controller buttons in the browser
| Number | Pro Controller | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | B, A, Y, X | Bottom, right, left and top |
| 4, 5 | L, R | The shoulder buttons |
| 6, 7 | ZL, ZR | Digital: 0 or 1, nothing in between |
| 8, 9 | Minus (−), Plus (+) | Above the D-pad and the face buttons |
| 10, 11 | Left and right stick press | Push the sticks in |
| 12–15 | D-pad up, down, left, right | Four separate buttons |
| 16 | Home | The round button with a house |
| 17 | Capture | The square button; only some browsers report it |
The left stick is axes 0 (left and right) and 1 (up and down), and the right stick is axes 2 and 3. Pushing a stick up gives -1 and pulling it down gives 1.
Connect a Pro Controller to a computer
With a USB-C cable
Plug the controller in with a USB-C cable that carries data; some cables only charge. A cable is the quickest way to rule out Bluetooth problems, and it charges the controller while you test.
Over Bluetooth on Windows 11
- Hold the small Sync button on the top edge of the controller, next to the USB-C port, until the player lights run back and forth.
- Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Add device → Bluetooth and choose Pro Controller.
- When Windows says it's connected, click this page and press a button.
Over Bluetooth on a Mac
- Hold the Sync button until the player lights run back and forth.
- Open System Settings → Bluetooth and click Connect next to Pro Controller.
- Click this page and press a button.
To use the controller with your Switch again, connect it to the Switch dock with a USB-C cable, or open Controllers → Change Grip/Order on the Switch and press the Sync button.
What a browser can and can't check on a Pro Controller
- ZL and ZR. They're buttons, not analog triggers, so their curves jump straight from 0 to 1. The test expects that and says so.
- Capture. Some browsers report it as button 17 and others leave it out.
- HD Rumble. Chrome, Edge and Safari 16.4 or later on a Mac can send a simple rumble to controllers that accept it; Firefox can't. The detailed HD Rumble effects Switch games use aren't available to web pages.
- Motion controls and the amiibo (NFC) reader. A browser's controller support doesn't include them, so they can't be tested here.
- Player lights. On a computer they may keep flashing, because nothing gives the controller a player number. That's harmless.
- Steam. When Steam is open it can take over the Pro Controller and change what other apps, browsers included, see.
What the results mean for a Pro Controller
A button works if it lights up while you press it and goes dark when you let go. Press the D-pad in each direction separately: a direction that needs a hard press, or triggers its neighbor, is worn.
The drift test calls a stick normal when it rests less than 0.03 from center, slight drift from 0.03 to 0.08 and severe drift above that, and suggests a dead zone for your games. If a stick drifts, calibrate it on a Switch first: System Settings → Controllers and Sensors → Calibrate Control Sticks. Then run the drift test here again to see whether it helped. How to fix controller stick drift covers what to try after that.
ZL and ZR should read 1 while you hold them and 0 when you let go. The drift test also checks that both read 0 at rest; a ZL or ZR stuck at 1 means the button is jammed.
Switch Pro Controller not working on your computer?
Your Pro 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, check that your computer sees it.
Windows 11
- Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices and check that Pro Controller shows as connected. If it's listed but not connected, remove it and pair it again.
- On a cable, try a USB-C cable that carries data, and a port on the computer itself rather than a hub.
macOS
- Open System Settings → Bluetooth and check that Pro Controller shows as connected.
- If it won't connect, click the info button next to it, choose Forget This Device, and pair it again.
If Steam is open, quit it, then reconnect the controller and press a button on this page.
Buttons are swapped or wrong
- Remember that A and B, and X and Y, sit in different places than on an Xbox controller. The drawing shows which position lit up.
- Quit Steam, reconnect the controller and test again. Steam's support for the Pro Controller can change what other apps see.
- If the mapping line says Not standard, try Chrome or Edge, which recognize the Pro Controller's layout.
It keeps disconnecting over Bluetooth
- Charge it with the USB-C cable. A low battery causes dropouts before the controller switches off.
- Move closer to the computer and away from other wireless gear, such as Wi-Fi routers and USB 3 hubs.
- Remove the controller from your Bluetooth settings and pair it again.
- If it stays connected on a cable, the wireless link is the problem, not the buttons or sticks.
A stick drifts
- Calibrate it on a Switch: System Settings → Controllers and Sensors → Calibrate Control Sticks.
- Run the drift test here again and compare the numbers.
- If it still drifts, set the suggested dead zone in your game or in Steam, or read the stick drift guide for cleaning and repair.
Common questions
Why are A and B swapped on the Switch Pro Controller?
Nintendo puts A on the right and B at the bottom, the opposite of an Xbox controller. Browsers number buttons by position, so your B button is button 0 and A is button 1, and games that show Xbox prompts call your B button A.
How do I connect a Switch Pro Controller to a PC or Mac?
Use a USB-C cable that carries data, or pair it over Bluetooth: hold the small Sync button on the top edge until the player lights run back and forth, then choose Pro Controller in your computer's Bluetooth settings. Then press any button on this page.
Why are ZL and ZR only on or off?
The Switch Pro Controller's ZL and ZR are digital buttons, not analog triggers, so they read 0 or 1 with nothing in between. That's normal and not a fault.
Why doesn't the Capture button show up?
Some browsers report Capture as button 17 and others don't pass it on at all. If it doesn't light up here, try Chrome or Edge, or check it on a Switch, where it takes a screenshot.
How do I calibrate the Switch Pro Controller's sticks?
On a Nintendo Switch, open System Settings → Controllers and Sensors → Calibrate Control Sticks and follow the steps. Then run the drift test here again to see whether the sticks rest closer to center.
Does Steam change how the Switch Pro Controller works?
It can. Steam takes over the controller for its own button settings, which can change what other apps, browsers included, see. If buttons look wrong while Steam is open, quit Steam, reconnect the controller and test again.
Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo. Plug and Check is not affiliated with Nintendo.
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