What this controller tester checks
The tester reads your gamepad through the browser's Gamepad API, the same interface browser games use, so what you see here is exactly what a game would receive. It covers four things that usually go wrong on a worn controller.
- Buttons. Each of the 17 standard inputs lights up when pressed and stays outlined once it has been registered, so you can walk through the whole pad and spot a dead or double-registering button.
- Analog sticks. Two circular scopes show the current position of each stick and draw a trail of the last two seconds. A stick that rests off center, snaps back late or cannot reach the outer ring is visible immediately.
- Triggers. LT and RT are analog on most controllers. The bars show how smoothly pressure ramps from 0 to 100% and whether the trigger returns to zero when released.
- Vibration and polling rate. Fire the strong and weak rumble motors separately and watch how many input reports per second the controller sends.
How to use the gamepad tester
- Connect the controller with a cable or pair it over Bluetooth. On macOS and Linux the pad also needs to be awake, so press any button.
- Wait for the status dot to turn green and the controller name to appear.
- Press every button once. Rotate each stick along the outer edge, then release it and check it comes back to 0.00.
- Pull both triggers slowly to confirm the value climbs evenly.
- If the sticks do not sit at zero when released, run the dedicated stick drift test for a precise measurement.
Which controllers work
Any HID gamepad that the operating system recognises: Xbox Series, Xbox One and Xbox 360 pads, PlayStation DualSense and DualShock 4, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and Joy-Con (paired over Bluetooth), 8BitDo, Logitech, Hori, Razer, PowerA, GameSir and most generic USB pads. Mobile browsers on Android and iPadOS support the Gamepad API too, so you can test a controller on a phone or tablet.
The tester runs entirely on your device. Nothing is installed and no input data is sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
The controller is connected but nothing shows up. Why?
Browsers only expose a gamepad after the first button press for privacy reasons. Press any button. If it still does not appear, check that another app such as Steam or DS4Windows has not taken exclusive control of the device, and try a different USB port or cable.
Does the online tester work with PS5 and PS4 controllers on PC?
Yes. DualSense and DualShock 4 are recognised by Windows, macOS and Linux over USB and Bluetooth. The touchpad and gyroscope are not part of the standard Gamepad API, so they are not shown, but buttons, sticks, triggers and vibration are.
Why do the button numbers not match my controller labels?
The Gamepad API uses a standard layout with numbered buttons. The small label under each number shows the usual Xbox / PlayStation name for that position. A controller reported as 'raw' mapping may place inputs differently.
What polling rate should I expect?
Wired Xbox and DualSense pads usually report 125 to 250 Hz, Bluetooth around 60 to 125 Hz, and tournament-grade pads up to 1000 Hz. A rate far below that often means a bad cable, a congested Bluetooth link or a browser throttling background tabs.