Keyboard Tester / Controller tester
Controller tester and troubleshooting guide
Connect the controller, press a button on this page and press every button. If each one lights up here, the controller itself is working and the problem is in the game, its settings or the connection to it. If a button never lights up or a stick sits off-centre, use the fixes below.
No controller detected yet. Press any button on your controller: browsers only show a controller after a button press.
Connected controllers
| Index | Id reported by the browser | Mapping | Buttons | Axes | Timestamp |
|---|
Left stick
- x
- 0.000
- y
- 0.000
- Distance from centre
- 0.000
- Resting drift
- not measured
- Circularity
- rotate the stick
- Directions covered
- 0%
- Furthest reach
- –
- Deadzone
- –
Let go of the stick and press Measure resting drift.
Right stick
- x
- 0.000
- y
- 0.000
- Distance from centre
- 0.000
- Resting drift
- not measured
- Circularity
- rotate the stick
- Directions covered
- 0%
- Furthest reach
- –
- Deadzone
- –
Let go of the stick and press Measure resting drift.
Raw buttons and axes
| Input | Value | Level | State |
|---|
A quick way to decide: controller or game?
- Connect the controller with a cable if you can. Cables rule out pairing and battery problems.
- Press a button on the controller while this page is open until it appears.
- Press every button, pull both triggers fully and push each stick to its edge.
- If everything responds here, the hardware is fine. Check the game’s input settings, make sure only one controller or app is claiming it, and try another game.
- If something does not respond here, it responds nowhere. Go to the fix that matches below.
Buttons not responding
A single dead button is normally a worn rubber contact or dirt under the button. Press it firmly and at different angles. Tap the controller lightly to dislodge dust, and clean around the button with a dry cotton swab. A button that works only when pressed hard has worn contacts; it often keeps getting worse. A whole group dead at once, such as all four face buttons, points to a loose ribbon cable or a damaged board, and usually needs repair or replacement.
Stick drift
Drift is a stick that reports movement while you are not touching it. Leave the sticks alone and watch the resting drift in the tester above. Small values can be hidden with a bigger deadzone in the game. Larger ones usually come from dust, wear on the stick’s potentiometer or a deformed spring. Compressed air around the base, a little isopropyl alcohol on a swab and working the stick in circles sometimes helps for a while. See the full stick drift test.
Bluetooth pairing tips
- Put the controller in pairing mode first: most have a pairing or sync button that you hold until the light flashes quickly.
- Remove the controller from the computer’s Bluetooth device list before pairing it again; a stale entry is the most common reason a pair fails.
- Charge it. A low battery causes disconnects and a stuck light.
- Keep other Bluetooth devices, USB 3 hubs and metal objects away from the receiver.
- Connected to a phone or console earlier? Many controllers remember only one host and must be put back in pairing mode.
- If it keeps dropping, a USB cable gives a steadier test.
Does my browser support the Gamepad API?
| Browser | Controller test | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome, desktop | Supported | Vibration is most likely to be offered here. |
| Edge, desktop | Supported | Same engine as Chrome. |
| Firefox, desktop | Supported | Vibration support varies. |
| Safari, Mac | Supported | Needs a controller the system recognises. |
| Phones and tablets | Depends on the system | Pair the controller in system settings first. |
Every browser needs a secure page (HTTPS or localhost) and a button press before the controller is listed.
Questions people ask
How do I know if my controller is working?
Connect it, press a button while this page is open and press every button. Working buttons light up on the diagram, triggers fill and the sticks move their dots. If everything responds here, the controller is healthy and the problem is elsewhere.
Why is my controller connected but not working in a game?
If it works on this page, the game is the cause. Check the in-game input or controller settings, close other programs that grab controllers, and make sure the game supports your controller type. Some games want a particular input mode.
Why does my controller keep disconnecting over Bluetooth?
Common reasons are a low battery, interference from other wireless devices, a stale pairing entry, or a controller that is trying to reach a different device. Remove the pairing, charge it and pair again, or use a cable to confirm the controller is fine.
Can stick drift be fixed?
Sometimes. Cleaning dust from around the stick and working it in circles helps for a time. Wear inside the stick usually comes back, so a repair, replacement stick module or new controller is the lasting fix. Raising the deadzone in the game hides small drift.
Does this controller tester store my controller data?
No. Your controller is read inside your browser only. The page shows the id string the browser reports so you can tell controllers apart, but never sends it anywhere. The site only records that a controller was connected, with its button and axis count.