Testing a controller on Windows 11 and Windows 10
Connect the pad and press a button. Windows recognises Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro and most generic pads without extra drivers. Steam, DS4Windows and reWASD can remap your controller into a virtual Xbox pad; if you see Xbox 360 Controller while a different pad is plugged in, one of those tools is active, which is fine but means you are testing the virtual device.
The built-in Windows tool still exists: press Win + R, type joy.cpl, select the controller and open Properties. It shows button states and a crude axis cross. This online page shows the same values with three decimals plus a trail, triggers as separate bars and a polling-rate counter, which joy.cpl does not have.
macOS and Linux
macOS 11 and later supports Xbox, PlayStation and Switch Pro controllers natively over Bluetooth and USB. Open this page in Safari, Chrome or Firefox and press a button. On Linux, controllers are exposed through the kernel's hid and joydev drivers; browsers read them directly. For Steam Deck in desktop mode, the built-in controls appear as a single gamepad with both sticks, trackpads excluded.
Flight sticks, wheels and arcade sticks
Joysticks like Thrustmaster T.16000M, Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, steering wheels and fight sticks are also exposed through the Gamepad API, usually as a raw mapping with more axes than a gamepad. The axes list under the button grid shows every axis the device reports, including throttle, twist and pedals, so you can confirm each one moves across its full range.
Frequently asked questions
Windows 11 removed the calibration tool. How do I calibrate a joystick now?
The tool is still there but hidden: open joy.cpl, choose the device, Properties, Settings tab, Calibrate. The calibration guide on our partner site walks through it with screenshots-level detail.
My generic USB gamepad shows 'raw' mapping and the sticks are on the wrong axes.
That is normal for pads without a standard descriptor. The tester still shows every axis; use the axes list to see which axis number moves when you move each stick.
Does the test work on Steam Deck?
Yes, in desktop mode open the page in the Deck's browser. In gaming mode Steam Input turns the controls into keyboard and mouse for the browser, so switch to desktop mode first.