Free gamepad tester

Controller test: buttons, triggers and stick drift

Check every button and trigger and spot stick drift before a game, or before you buy a used controller.

Connect a controller by USB or Bluetooth, then press any button on it.

What is stick drift?

Stick drift is when a thumbstick reports movement when you aren't touching it, so your character or camera creeps on its own. Let go of both sticks and watch the numbers. Values that stay above about 0.1 in any direction suggest drift. Small values under 0.05 are normal and games ignore them.

Clean around the stick with compressed air while rotating it.
Update the controller firmware through the console or the maker's app.
Use a dead zone setting in games as a stopgap.

Controller test questions

How do I test my controller on PC?

Connect it by USB or Bluetooth, open this page, and press any button so the browser detects it. Then press every button and move both sticks.

How can I tell if my controller has stick drift?

Let go of the sticks. If the numbers don't return close to 0.00, and stay above about 0.1, the stick is drifting.

Why isn't my controller detected?

Press a button after the page loads, because browsers only show a controller after it is used. Try a different cable or re-pair it over Bluetooth.