Controller Stick Drift Test
Let go of both thumbsticks, run the check, and see whether either stick wanders off centre on its own. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Connect a controller and press any button
Plug in (or pair) an Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro, or generic USB/Bluetooth gamepad, then press any button so your browser can see it. Some browsers only reveal a controller after the first input.
Let go of both sticks completely, then start the check. We'll measure the resting position for a few seconds.
Left stick
Right stick
Live axis readout
| Axis | Mapping | Value |
|---|
How the stick drift test works
Stick drift is an analog stick reporting movement while you aren't touching it. This test measures that directly: take your thumbs off both sticks, press Start drift check, and the page samples every animation frame for three seconds, averaging each stick's resting X and Y. If the averaged resting position sits further than 0.08 from dead centre, the stick is flagged DRIFT; inside that radius it passes. The exact offset is printed next to the verdict so you can compare a stick against itself over time, or against its partner on the same controller.
Averaging over three seconds matters, because a single frame can catch electrical noise that isn't real drift. A stick that reads 0.004 one frame and 0.002 the next is healthy. A stick that consistently rests at 0.15 on the X axis will pull your aim left or right in every game that doesn't apply a generous deadzone. The live axis readout underneath shows the raw values your browser receives for every axis the controller exposes, which is also the quickest way to spot a stick that only drifts once it warms up or after you flick it hard.
Nothing you do here is uploaded. The page uses the standard Gamepad API your browser already ships, all analysis happens locally, and no controller data leaves your device.
The thresholds and the method are the same whatever you plug in, but the failure modes are not, so there is a page per controller with the numbers a healthy example of that pad reports and what the manufacturer will do about a worn one: the Xbox controller test, the PS5 controller test, the PS4 controller test and the Switch Pro controller test.
Got a DRIFT verdict? Read how to fix controller stick drift, or check whether a larger deadzone would hide it.
