Gamepad / Controller Tester
Connect a controller, press any button, and watch every input light up live — buttons, triggers, sticks, and vibration.
Connect a controller and press any button
Browsers hide idle gamepads until they receive input, so press any button or move a stick after plugging in or pairing.
All input is read locally through the browser’s Gamepad API. Nothing leaves your device.
How it works
- Plug in your controller via USB or pair it over Bluetooth, then press any button so the browser detects it.
- Press each button and pull the triggers to see them light up with their pressure values, and move both sticks to check the crosshair displays.
- Use the vibration test button to confirm rumble works, and switch tabs if you have more than one controller connected.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my controller not show up until I press a button?
- Browsers deliberately hide connected gamepads until you press a button or move a stick, as a privacy measure against fingerprinting. This is normal behavior in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. Once you press any input, the controller appears and stays visible for the rest of the session.
- Which controllers does this tester support?
- Any controller your operating system and browser recognize: Xbox, PlayStation DualShock and DualSense, Switch Pro, and most generic USB or Bluetooth gamepads. Controllers that follow the standard mapping show named buttons like A, B, LT, and RT; others show numbered buttons, but every input is still detected.
- Can I use this to check for stick drift?
- Yes, that is one of the most common uses. Let go of both sticks and watch the axis numbers: a healthy stick rests near 0.00 on both axes. If the dot sits noticeably off center or the values hover above roughly 0.05 to 0.10 without touching the stick, the analog module is drifting and may need cleaning or repair.
- Why does the vibration test not work on my controller?
- Rumble support depends on both the browser and the connection type. Chrome and Edge support the vibration API for most controllers, while Firefox and Safari have limited or no support. Some controllers also only expose rumble over USB, not Bluetooth, so try a cable if the button is unavailable.
- Is any controller data sent to a server?
- No. The tester reads your controller through the browser’s built-in Gamepad API and everything happens locally on your device. No inputs, controller IDs, or usage data are transmitted or stored, and the page keeps working if you go offline after loading it.
About this tool
This gamepad tester shows you the live state of every input on your controller directly in the browser. Each button appears as a labeled chip that lights up the moment you press it, with the exact pressure value shown for analog triggers so you can verify the full 0.00 to 1.00 range. Both analog sticks are drawn as a dot inside a crosshair, together with precise axis numbers, which makes it easy to spot drift, dead zones, or a stick that no longer reaches its edges. A vibration test button lets you confirm rumble on controllers and browsers that support it.
Everything runs through the Gamepad API built into modern browsers, polled every animation frame for smooth, latency-free feedback. Nothing is installed and nothing leaves your device: the page never contacts a server with your inputs, so you can test hardware on a work machine or offline without concern. When you connect or unplug a controller, the event is logged with a timestamp, which helps diagnose flaky cables and unstable Bluetooth pairings. If several controllers are connected at once, each gets its own tab so you can check them one at a time.
Typical uses include verifying a new or second-hand controller before a purchase window closes, diagnosing stick drift on an aging DualSense or Joy-Con, confirming that a generic USB pad is recognized before launching a game, and checking whether triggers register partial pulls correctly for racing games. It is also handy after cleaning or repairing a controller to confirm every input works again.
A few practical tips: test over USB first, since Bluetooth adds variables like pairing mode and battery level; release the sticks fully and watch for resting values above about 0.05, which indicate drift; and pull each trigger slowly to confirm the value climbs smoothly rather than jumping, which can reveal a worn potentiometer. If the controller never appears, press a button first — browsers hide idle gamepads until they receive real input.