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Free Gamepad Tester — Check Buttons & Stick Drift Online

Test buttons and sticks; detect controller stick drift.

No controller detected

B A X Y Y B A X LB RB LT RT SEL STA L3 R3
Left Stick: X: 0.00 Y: 0.00
Right Stick: X: 0.00 Y: 0.00
Left Trigger: 0.00
Right Trigger: 0.00

How it works

How to use the gamepad tester

Connect your gamepad via USB or Bluetooth, then press any button. The on-screen controller will light up showing exactly which buttons are pressed. Move the analog sticks and watch the crosshairs on the left and right stick indicators — they should return to center when released. If a crosshair sits clearly off-center while untouched, that is stick drift.

This tool polls your controller state at 60 frames per second using the browser's Gamepad API, giving you a precise real-time view of every button and axis. It works with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch Pro, and most standard HID gamepads.

Reading your results

Stick drift

If either crosshair is visibly away from center when you are not touching the stick, you have drift. A very slight offset (under 0.05 on the axis readout) is normal dead-zone tolerance. Values above 0.1 at rest indicate wear and will cause unintended movement in games. Many games apply their own dead zone, which masks minor drift.

Trigger bleed

Analog triggers should read 0.00 when untouched. A small offset (0.05–0.15) is common on older controllers. Values above 0.3 suggest physical wear or debris in the trigger mechanism.

Button not responding

If a button does not light up when pressed, the button contact may be worn or the conductive pad beneath it may be dirty. This is repairable on most controllers with a basic disassembly and cleaning.

Why the browser test is accurate

The Gamepad API reads the same raw button and axis states that your operating system and games see. There is no driver-level processing or smoothing in between. A controller that shows problems in this test will behave identically in every game and application. The main limitation is that older or non-standard controllers may not implement the HID protocol correctly and simply won't appear in the browser.

Related tools

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the browser detect my gamepad? expand_more
Your browser uses the W3C Gamepad API to read controller state directly from the operating system. No drivers or plugins are needed — plug in or pair your controller wirelessly, press a button, and the tool will detect it immediately.
What is stick drift? expand_more
Stick drift is when an analog thumbstick registers movement when you are not touching it. Over time the internal potentiometer (the sensor that tracks stick position) wears out or collects dust. The crosshairs in this test show your stick neutral position; if the crosshair is clearly off-center while untouched, your controller has drift.
Are all gamepads supported? expand_more
Most modern controllers work: Xbox One/Series, PlayStation DualShock 4/DualSense, Nintendo Switch Pro, and standard USB HID gamepads. Some older or third-party controllers may not be detected by the browser. Apple and Sony controllers work over Bluetooth as well as USB.
Why does my trigger show a value when untouched? expand_more
Analog triggers (LT/RT for Xbox, L2/R2 for PlayStation) report a value from 0 (unpressed) to 1 (fully pressed). Some controllers have a resting offset as high as 0.1 or 0.2, which is normal. If the value sits above 0.3 at rest, the trigger may need calibration or cleaning.
Can I test rumble / vibration? expand_more
The Gamepad API does not currently expose haptic actuators in all browsers, so this test cannot trigger rumble. Some browsers with the Gamepad Haptics API extension support it, but support is inconsistent across platforms.