Gamepad Test / Controller Test: Check stick drift

A gamepad test, often called a controller test, shows you in your browser what your controller sends to your computer. Connect the controller via USB or Bluetooth, open this Gamepad Tester, and press a button. You'll see live which buttons are pressed, how far the triggers are pulled (0 to 100 %), and where the sticks are. The tester also measures stick drift and recommends a deadzone, checks vibration where your browser supports it, and shows the update rate. It runs in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox on a computer. It's free, requires no sign-up or download, and keeps all measurements in your browser—nothing is uploaded.

No. This Controller Test runs entirely in your browser; you do not need to download or install anything. Windows has a Game Controllers window (command: joy.cpl) that displays buttons and axes, and Steam shows stick positions in its controller settings. The Gamepad Tester adds a numerical stick drift test, a deadzone recommendation, a vibration test, and the update rate.

For privacy reasons, the browser does not detect a controller until you press a button. Press a button while this tab is in the foreground. If that does not help, check the cable and Bluetooth connection, close other tabs and programs using the controller, and quit Steam or disable Steam Input for the controller, as Steam may redirect it. The page must also be opened over HTTPS, which it is here.

Stick drift means a stick does not return to the center when released. In a game, the camera may turn on its own or your character may move without input. In the tester, the stick's dot sits off-center or jitters. The drift test measures the position of both sticks for three seconds, collecting around 180 readings at 60 frames per second. It calculates the average offset, the deviation for 95% of readings and the largest deviation. Because the rating uses the 95% threshold, a brief stick twitch has little effect. If you move a stick during the measurement, the test stops and shows a notice.

The tester rates the deviation across 95 % of measurements in four levels: below 3 % is no drift, 3 to under 8 % is slight drift, 8 to under 15 % is noticeable drift, and 15 % or more is severe drift. It recommends a deadzone equal to that deviation plus 1 percentage point, rounded up to a whole percent, with a minimum of 5 %. For a stick that stays within 4.7 % of center in 95 % of measurements, that gives 6 %. A larger deadzone makes precise aiming less responsive. The deadzone in the tester is only a visual guide; set the actual deadzone in your game, Steam, or your controller's software.

If your browser supports controller vibration, you can test the strong motor (left) and weak motor (right) separately or together in the Vibration Test section. Each test lasts one second. If your browser supports trigger vibration, such as for Xbox controllers in Chrome and Edge, a separate button appears. If your browser does not support vibration, the tester shows a notice. Try Chrome or Edge and a USB cable: vibration does not always work over Bluetooth in the browser.

The update rate, yes; input lag, no. For five seconds, the tester counts how often the browser receives a new controller state and shows updates per second, the interval between updates, and jitter. A controller providing the browser with 125 updates per second delivers a new state every 8 ms. That's the rate reported by the browser, not the controller's hardware rate. A browser can't measure the delay until an input appears on screen.

First, clean around the stick: Blow out the area with compressed air and apply a little isopropyl alcohol around the stick with a cotton swab, moving the stick in circles several times. Then calibrate the controller in Steam or the manufacturer's software—the browser cannot save calibration settings to the controller—and run the stick drift test again. If the drift is still noticeable, a higher in-game deadzone can help temporarily. The only permanent fix is to replace the stick module. Check whether your controller is still under warranty first.