Stick Drift Test
A stick drift tester and controller deadzone test. Connect your controller, press any button, then put it down and run the 10-second rest test. The page measures how far each analog stick sits off centre and how much it wanders, compares that with the deadzones games use, and suggests a deadzone that hides it. For drift that only appears now and then, the idle watch logs every movement while the controller sits untouched.
1. Test
Press any button on your controller.
Browsers keep controllers hidden until a button is pressed, for privacy. If nothing happens: try a data cable (not charge-only), close apps that grab the controller (Steam Big Picture, emulators), and click this page first.
- Reported name
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- Layout
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- Size
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- Buttons received
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- Left trigger
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- Right trigger
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Press every button, pull both triggers all the way, and click both sticks. For a stricter check, the guided check asks for each button by name and flags any that come out swapped.
Rest test: a 3-second countdown, then 10 seconds with the controller put down and the sticks untouched.
Keep this tab visible while measuring: browsers stop reading controllers in hidden tabs.
Idle watch (drift that comes and goes)
Checks how far each stick reaches in every direction.
A web page can only send the vibration; you confirm whether it worked. Supported in Chrome, Edge and Safari on Mac; not in Firefox or on iPhone/iPad. Trigger rumble only works in Chrome/Edge on Windows with Xbox controllers.
Advanced
Raw values as your browser reports them:
2. Result
Is it the controller or the computer?
Save the JSON here, test again on another computer, browser or with a cable instead of Bluetooth, then load the first file. If the same problem shows up on both, it follows the controller.
In this browser
About the Stick Drift Test
How to use it
- Connect the controller, click this page and press any button on it. The Stick drift tab is already open.
- Put the controller on a table without touching the sticks and press Start rest test.
- Read the result for each stick. If games drift only now and then, start the idle watch and leave the controller alone for a few minutes.
- Save the result, and test again after cleaning or on another computer to compare.
What this page focuses on
- Rest test: describes whether the stick rests off centre, wanders, or both, and explains the result against common game deadzones (2% to 20%).
- Suggests a deadzone you can set in games that allow it.
- Idle watch: leave the controller for a few minutes and every movement over the threshold is logged with its time and size.
- Warns when values sit at exactly zero, meaning a deadzone was applied before the browser that can hide small drift.
Reading your result
- Stays at centre: The stick rests almost exactly at centre. No game should see drift from it.
- Rests off centre, steadily: It settles a little away from centre. Games with a deadzone bigger than the offset ignore it; smaller ones may drift.
- Wanders: The reading moves around while untouched. If it wanders past your game's deadzone, you see drift.
- Larger than a 20% deadzone: Most games will act on it. Try the suggested deadzone, repeat on a cable, and use your controller's official calibration if it has one.
- Idle watch movements: Each logged movement is a moment the untouched stick moved past the threshold. A few over several minutes means drift that comes and goes.
Why does my controller drift in one game but not another?
Each game ignores small stick movement inside its own deadzone. A stick resting 6% off centre drifts in a game with a 5% deadzone and not in one with 10%.
Can stick drift be fixed?
Sometimes. Official recalibration (Xbox Accessories app, Nintendo's stick calibration, DualSense Edge settings) can help with a small offset. Worn sticks need a repair or a replacement, often under warranty. This test shows what the stick reports; it can't see what's wrong inside.
The test shows no drift but I still see it in games. Why?
Drift can come and go, so run the idle watch for a few minutes. Also check for software such as Steam Input that applies its own deadzone before the browser sees the stick.
What a browser cannot test
Browsers only see a controller after a button press, and only what the system reports. Some software (Steam Input, DS4Windows) applies its own deadzone first, which can hide small drift. Gyro, touchpad position, light bar, adaptive triggers and battery are not available through the standard controller interface. The Home / Guide / PS button is often taken by the system. No web page can measure controller latency or polling rate.
Privacy
The test runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you press is uploaded, and nothing is saved after you close or refresh the page. Saved files are created on your device and only go where you send them.