How to check controller stick drift

1. Establish a working controller connection

1. Connect the controller using its supported USB or wireless mode. A USB cable must support data, not only charging.
2. Open the Gamepad Test, press a button and keep the tab active. Check that the displayed device name matches the controller you intend to test.
3. Move each stick slowly in a circle, release it and put the controller on a stable surface.

If no device appears, investigate connection and browser support first. A controller that the browser cannot detect has not failed a drift test. Do not disconnect another device merely to make an unsupported controller appear.

2. Observe the resting axes without inventing a pass mark

Watch the stick display and numeric axes while leaving the controller untouched. Compare the resting position after approaching the center from several directions. Note whether the offset is stable, intermittent or changing.

The browser Gamepad API represents axes as values from −1 to 1. These are browser-delivered control positions, not a measurement of mechanical wear. There is no universal browser value at which every controller should be declared faulty.

Official guidance: MDN: Gamepad axis values

3. Compare the same stick inside the game

1. Open the game where you noticed unwanted movement and check its controller/deadzone settings.
2. Compare the symptom using your current settings first. Record the original setting before adjusting anything.
3. If the game offers a deadzone control, change it in small steps and test whether unwanted movement stops without making aiming unnecessarily unresponsive.

A deadzone ignores a range of small inputs around the resting position. It can change what a game responds to; it does not repair the controller. The game, driver or controller profile can also apply processing that this page does not reproduce.

Official guidance: MDN: axis thresholds in gamepad controls

4. Use model-specific troubleshooting when the symptom persists

Compare another game and, if possible, another connection or computer. A problem that follows the controller through these comparisons is more useful evidence than a single screenshot of a nonzero number.

Use firmware and reset instructions for the exact model. For example, Sony provides a dedicated DualSense troubleshooting sequence; it should not be applied to unrelated controllers. Do not open the controller or apply liquids as a generic fix. If unwanted movement persists, contact the maker with the model and the comparisons you performed.

Official guidance: PlayStation: DualSense troubleshooting

Common questions