🎮 Connect your controller, press any button, and watch every input light up.
Test the buttons, sticks, triggers and vibration on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro and most other controllers, and check your sticks for drift. Plug the controller in or pair it by Bluetooth, then press any button so the browser can see it.
Stick Drift Test
Let go of both sticks and don't touch the controller. Press the button and the test records your sticks for 5 seconds. A healthy stick rests very close to zero.
Vibration Test
Gamepad Quick Reference: Controller Basics, Drift and Button Layouts
Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch or PC, these are the answers gamers look up most when setting up, testing or troubleshooting a controller.
Setup, Stick Drift and Deadzones: Common Controller Questions
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| How do I test a gamepad online? | Connect the controller by USB or Bluetooth, press any button so the browser detects it, then press every button, squeeze both triggers and move both sticks. |
| Why isn't my controller detected? | Browsers only show a controller after you press a button on it. Try a USB cable, close other apps that use the controller, refresh the page, and use Chrome or Edge. |
| What is stick drift? | Stick drift is when a thumbstick reports movement while you aren't touching it, so your character or camera creeps on its own. It is usually caused by wear or dust. |
| How much stick drift is normal? | As a rough guide, an offset below 0.05 is normal, 0.05 to 0.10 is slight, and above 0.10 is usually noticeable in games. |
| What is a deadzone? | A deadzone is a small area around the centre of a stick that the game ignores, so tiny offsets don't cause any movement. |
| What do stick values mean? | Each stick axis runs from -1 to 1, with 0 at the centre. X is left and right, and Y is up and down. |
| Are triggers just on and off? | No. Triggers report any value from 0 to 1 (0% to 100%) depending on how far you press them. |
| Can I test controller vibration in a browser? | Often, yes. Support depends on your browser and how the controller is connected, and Chrome or Edge with a wired or Bluetooth controller is the most likely to work. |
Xbox vs PlayStation vs Switch Pro Button Names
The same physical button has a different name on each controller. This table matches them by position. The tester above uses the Xbox-style names by default and can switch to PlayStation labels.
| Button position | Xbox | PlayStation | Switch Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom face button | A | Cross (✕) | B |
| Right face button | B | Circle (○) | A |
| Left face button | X | Square (□) | Y |
| Top face button | Y | Triangle (△) | X |
| Left / right bumper | LB / RB | L1 / R1 | L / R |
| Left / right trigger | LT / RT | L2 / R2 | ZL / ZR |
| Stick clicks | LS / RS | L3 / R3 | LS / RS |
| Back / Start | View / Menu | Create (Share) / Options | − / + |
| Home button | Xbox button | PS button | Home |
What Is a Gamepad Tester?
A gamepad tester is a free online tool that shows exactly what your controller is sending to your computer. Connect a controller, press any button, and every button, stick and trigger lights up on screen in real time. It's a quick way to find a dead button, check how far a trigger travels, test vibration, and see whether your sticks drift when you let go. It works with Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro and most other controllers, right in your browser.
How to Test Your Controller
- Connect your controller. Plug it in with a USB cable or pair it by Bluetooth.
- Press any button. Browsers keep controllers hidden until you press something, so the page can't see yours until then.
- Press every button and move both sticks. Inputs light up as you use them, and buttons you've tested stay marked in green.
- Squeeze the triggers. The triggers fill up and show a value from 0 to 1, so you can check they register smoothly.
- Run the drift test and vibration test further down the page if you want to check those too.
Use the Xbox or PlayStation switch to show the button names you're used to. The test itself is the same either way.
What the Tester Shows
- Buttons. Face buttons, bumpers, triggers, the D-pad, stick clicks and the menu buttons light up when pressed, and stay marked once tested.
- Sticks. A moving dot shows each stick's position, with exact X and Y values from -1 to 1.
- Triggers. Analog triggers report how far they're pressed, from 0 to 1.
- Controller details. The name your browser sees, the mapping type, and the number of buttons and axes.
If your controller reports a mapping other than "standard", the tester shows raw axis values too, because buttons may not appear in the usual places.
Stick Drift Test and Deadzones
Stick drift is when a stick reports movement while you aren't touching it, which makes your character or camera creep on its own. To test for it, let go of both sticks and run the 5 second drift test. The tester records the largest reading from each stick while it rests and rates it.
- Under about 0.05 is a healthy stick.
- Between about 0.05 and 0.10 is slight drift that a small deadzone usually hides.
- Above about 0.10 is noticeable drift.
These ranges are rough guides rather than official limits. The tester also suggests a deadzone, which is the area near the center where a game ignores stick input. Many games let you raise it in their controller settings, which is often the quickest fix. If drift is large, cleaning around the stick, recalibrating, or a repair or replacement under warranty may be needed. The deadzone slider draws a ring on each stick so you can see how much of the center a given deadzone covers.
Vibration Test
Press Test vibration and the tester asks your controller to rumble for a moment. Vibration support depends on your browser and how the controller is connected. It tends to work best in Chrome or Edge, and some controllers only rumble over a wired connection. If nothing happens, that doesn't always mean the motors are broken.
Supported Controllers
The tester uses your browser's built-in gamepad support, so it works with most controllers your computer can recognise, including Xbox controllers, PlayStation DualShock 4 and DualSense, Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, and many third-party and arcade pads. Standard-mapped controllers show every input in the right place. Others still show their raw values.
If Your Controller Isn't Detected
- Press a button. The browser only exposes a controller after it sees an input.
- Try another cable or USB port. Some cables only charge and don't carry data.
- Close other programs. Apps such as Steam can take control of a controller, so try closing them or turning off their controller support while you test.
- Check Bluetooth pairing. Remove the controller from your Bluetooth list and pair it again.
- Try Chrome or Edge. They have the most complete gamepad support.
- Reload the page after connecting the controller and press a button again.
FAQ
Connect your controller by USB or Bluetooth, open the gamepad tester, and press any button. The controller appears on screen, and each button, stick and trigger lights up as you use it.
Browsers only show a controller after you press a button. If it still doesn't appear, try another USB port or cable, close apps that may be taking over the controller, re-pair it by Bluetooth, or switch to Chrome or Edge.
Stick drift is when a thumbstick reports movement while you aren't touching it, making your character or camera move by itself. It's usually caused by wear or dirt around the stick.
Use the smallest deadzone that stops the drift. Run the drift test and use the suggested deadzone as a starting point, then adjust in your game's settings. A larger deadzone makes tiny stick movements stop registering.
Yes, in most cases. PlayStation DualShock 4 and DualSense, Xbox controllers and Switch Pro controllers usually work when connected by USB or Bluetooth. Results can vary by browser and operating system.
No. Everything is read and shown in your browser while the page is open, and nothing is saved or sent to a server.