How to use the gamepad tester
- Connect the controller by USB or Bluetooth.
- Press any button. Browsers only show a controller after a button press, so a website can’t see controllers you haven’t touched.
- Press every button until the checklist is full. Each one gets a tick, and the drawing shows it while you hold it.
- Move both sticks in slow circles, then let go. The plots follow the sticks, and the resting offset appears once a stick is still.
- Run the circularity test for each stick.
- Squeeze both triggers all the way, three times.
- Try each vibration button and say whether you felt it.
- Press Copy report to keep the results for a warranty claim or a sale.
The whole check takes about 2 minutes. If you have two controllers connected, each gets its own tab. Keep this tab in front while you test: browsers stop reading controllers in background tabs.
How the controller tester works
This controller tester is an HTML5 gamepad tester built on the Gamepad API, which every major browser supports. The browser reads the controller about 60 times a second. It passes on each button’s state, pressed or not plus a value from 0 to 1, and each stick’s position from −1 to 1.
Most controllers use the browser’s “standard” mapping: button 0 is the bottom face button, and buttons 6 and 7 are the triggers. The tester then names the buttons for Xbox, PlayStation or Switch. Other controllers show plain numbers instead. Nothing is installed, so this controller test online works on any computer you’re allowed to use.
A web page can’t read everything. Battery level, the gyroscope, adaptive triggers, the light bar and the touchpad finger position aren’t available to websites, so this test can’t check them.
Two stick checks need more than a glance. The resting offset is the stick’s distance from center after it has stayed still for half a second. The circularity test records how far the stick reaches in 72 directions, 5° apart, while you rotate it. It then compares that outline with a perfect circle and reports the average difference.
Controller vibration test
The vibration buttons play effects on the strong motor (a low rumble), the weak motor (a high buzz), both, or a pulse. Chrome and Edge can also drive the Xbox impulse triggers. Firefox has no web vibration, and some Bluetooth connections ignore it. A browser can’t feel the rumble for you, so the test asks you to confirm each effect.
Understanding your results
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A button never lights up | A worn contact, or software that remaps it. | Close Steam, DS4Windows or reWASD and test again. Then clean or repair it. |
| Trigger max below 95% | The trigger doesn’t travel all the way. | Check for a trigger stop switch, then calibrate in Steam or Windows. |
| Resting offset of 5% or more | Stick drift: the stick doesn’t return to center. | Set a deadzone in your game, then clean or replace the stick. |
| Circularity error over 10% | The stick’s outer edge isn’t round. | Some unevenness is normal. Above 20%, check the stick for wear. |
| Trigger marked on/off only | A digital trigger with no in-between values. | Normal on some controllers, like the Switch Pro. |
| No vibration | Usually the browser or the connection, not the motors. | Try Chrome or Edge over USB. |
The stick plots show each stick’s position, a dashed ring for the deadzone and a fading trail. After the circularity test, an amber outline shows how far the stick reached in each direction. A perfect stick draws a circle on the edge.
Copy report puts every result in one block of text, with the date, browser and controller type. Paste it into a support chat, a warranty claim or a listing for a used controller.
Testing Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and other controllers
Xbox controllers
Chrome on Windows often names Xbox controllers “Xbox 360 Controller”, whatever the model. The Guide button may open the Xbox Game Bar instead of reaching the browser. To stop that, go to Settings › Gaming › Game Bar and turn off Allow your controller to open Game Bar. Chrome and Edge on Windows can also rumble the impulse triggers. To test an Xbox controller on PC, connect it by USB-C, the Xbox Wireless Adapter or Bluetooth.
PlayStation controllers (DualSense and DualShock 4)
The tester labels Cross, Circle, Square and Triangle, plus Create (Share on a DualShock 4), Options, the PS button and the touchpad click. Web pages can’t read the adaptive triggers, the gyro or the light bar, so a DualSense shows as a regular controller here. Rumble over Bluetooth depends on the browser and the system, so test over USB if it doesn’t work.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Labels follow the buttons’ positions: B is the bottom button and A is the right one, as printed on the controller. ZL and ZR are digital, so they jump straight from 0% to 100%, and the tester marks them as on/off triggers. Some browsers don’t use the standard mapping for this controller. The raw view then shows its buttons by number.
Joysticks and other controllers
Flight sticks, arcade sticks and racing wheels usually show as non-standard. Open the raw view to watch every axis and button number move. Each axis shows as a value from −1 to 1. If an axis sits away from 0 when you aren’t touching it, that’s drift on a joystick too. On Windows, the Game Controllers panel has a test page as well: press Windows + R, type joy.cpl and open your controller’s Properties.
Controller not detected?
- Press a button. The browser hides controllers until you press one.
- Use a data cable. Some USB cables only charge.
- Pair Bluetooth again. Remove the controller in your Bluetooth settings and pair it fresh.
- Close remapping tools. Steam, DS4Windows and reWASD can hide a controller, remap it or add a second copy.
- Try another browser or USB port. Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari all support controllers, but each handles some models differently.
If the controller works in games but not here, a remapping tool is the usual reason. If it works nowhere, the cable, the port or the controller’s own connector is at fault. On a phone or tablet, pair the controller by Bluetooth first, then open this page and press a button.
Which controller test do I need?
This gamepad tester checks buttons, triggers, sticks and rumble in one place. Some problems need a closer look or a different device test. Stick drift gets its own test, because measuring it well takes a longer, still recording. Pick the row that matches what’s going wrong:
| What happens | Test to use |
|---|---|
| A button doesn't respond or registers as another | Gamepad tester checklist (above) |
| Diagonals feel short or aiming feels uneven | Circularity test (above) |
| A trigger doesn't reach 100% | Trigger bars (above) |
| No rumble | Vibration test (above) |
| Keyboard keys drop in games | Keyboard Tester |
| Mouse buttons misbehave | Mouse Test |