# ControllerTest — measurement methods and limits Canonical page: https://controllertestonline.com/ Language: English Last updated: 2026-10-08 The tester reads the browser Gamepad API. Results describe input exposed by the browser and the local operating system, driver and connection. They do not certify hardware health, repair success, raw USB electrical polling or end-to-end button-to-photon latency. The health score is a diagnostic summary, not a manufacturer certificate. ## General questions ### Why does the page say press any button to connect? Browsers usually hide gamepads until the user physically interacts with the controller. Press any controller button after connecting the device. ### What does the controller health score mean? It is a practical browser diagnostic summary based on visible input, drift, trigger range, circularity, polling stability and vibration capability. Use it as triage, then open the related specialized test for any weak area. ### Can this controller test fix stick drift? No. It measures drift and recommends a deadzone for games. Severe drift usually requires cleaning, stick module replacement or warranty service. ### How is controller polling rate measured? The tool estimates update rate from Gamepad timestamps and visible input changes. It is a browser-layer estimate, not a USB analyzer reading. ### Does it support PS5 adaptive triggers? The standard browser Gamepad API can read trigger travel when exposed, but it does not provide normal control over DualSense adaptive trigger resistance. ### Is my controller data uploaded? No. The test runs locally in the browser. Reports, CSV, JSON and share cards are generated on your device. ### Should I use the homepage or a specialized test page? Start with the homepage for a full controller health check. Use the drift, deadzone, polling, circularity or vibration page when you need a deeper explanation of one specific result. ### Which browsers work best for controller testing? Chrome and Edge usually expose the broadest Gamepad API behavior on Windows. Firefox also works for input testing, while vibration and mappings can vary by controller and operating system. ## Stick Drift Test Online Page: https://controllertestonline.com/stick-drift-test/ Source last updated: 2026-07-22 Keep your hands off both analog sticks and run an 8-second rest sample. The drift test reports left and right center offset, drift severity, sample confidence and a recommended game deadzone. The tool measures analog stick distance from the center while the controller is idle. A small offset is normal. A large or unstable offset means the game may receive movement even when you are not touching the stick. ControllerTest does not repair drift. It gives a repeatable browser-based reading and a deadzone suggestion that can help you decide whether to adjust settings, clean the stick, or replace the module. ### Can this stick drift test fix my controller? No. It measures center offset and suggests a practical game deadzone. Physical drift usually needs cleaning, calibration software, warranty service or stick replacement. ### What is a good stick drift value? Under 0.04 is usually minimal center noise. Values from 0.04 to 0.08 are borderline, and 0.08 or higher is likely to be visible in some games. ### Should I touch the sticks during the drift sample? No. Keep both sticks untouched for the full sample. Any movement during the sample makes the result look worse than the controller's true idle behavior. ### How is the recommended deadzone calculated? The tool looks at the largest left or right stick offset seen during the sample, adds a 0.02 safety margin, and keeps the suggestion inside a practical 0.04 to 0.30 range. ### Which stick matters more? It depends on the game. Right-stick drift usually affects camera or aim, while left-stick drift can move a character or menu selection without input. ### Why is a small drift value normal? Analog sticks rarely rest at a perfect zero. A tiny offset or jitter is normal and is exactly why most games include a deadzone setting. ### Why does my game feel different from the browser reading? Games can apply their own deadzone, sensitivity curve, platform calibration or Steam Input profile. Use the browser result as a raw condition check, then tune the game separately. ### Do Hall Effect or TMR sticks completely prevent drift? They reduce common wear paths by using magnetic sensing, but centering springs, firmware calibration, dirt, adapters and mapping layers can still affect the idle reading. ## Controller Deadzone Test Page: https://controllertestonline.com/deadzone-test/ Source last updated: 2026-07-22 Run an 8-second rest sample to calculate a practical game deadzone. Use the recommendation, safety margin and threshold circle to hide stick center noise without masking real movement. A good deadzone is slightly larger than the controller's idle stick offset. Too low and drift causes unwanted movement. Too high and aim or steering feels sluggish near center. Run the stick drift sample first. ControllerTest adds a small safety margin to the largest observed center offset and reports that as a practical starting point for game settings. ### What deadzone should I use? Start slightly above the largest idle stick offset reported by the sample. Then test in game and lower it until unwanted movement just stops. ### Is a zero deadzone better? Only if the stick centers extremely well. A zero deadzone often exposes normal analog noise as camera or movement drift. ### Does deadzone repair stick drift? No. Deadzone hides small unwanted input in software. It does not clean, recalibrate or replace the physical stick module. ### Why does a high deadzone feel bad? A high deadzone ignores more movement near center, so small aiming, steering or menu inputs may feel delayed or less precise. ### Should left and right sticks use different deadzones? Use separate values when a game supports them and one stick measures worse than the other. Right-stick camera control often needs a tighter setting than left-stick movement. ### Why does my game not match the browser recommendation? Games use different slider scales, response curves, platform calibration and sometimes separate inner and outer deadzones. Treat the browser value as a starting point. ### What is inner versus outer deadzone? Inner deadzone ignores movement near center. Outer deadzone controls when the game treats the stick as fully tilted. This page focuses on inner deadzone. ### When should I repair instead of raising deadzone? If the recommended value is repeatedly above 20%, or the controller still moves after a high setting, inspect calibration, cleaning, warranty service or stick replacement. ## Controller Circularity Test Page: https://controllertestonline.com/circularity-test/ Source last updated: 2026-06-25 Choose a stick, start the circularity pass and rotate smoothly around the full outer gate. The tool visualizes trace shape, coverage, circularity error, sample count and whether the stick reaches full range evenly. Circularity testing focuses on the stick's outer travel. A controller can pass a center drift check but still have flat spots, weak diagonals or limited range near the physical gate. ControllerTest reads browser-visible Gamepad API axes during a timed rotation. Use the result to compare left and right sticks, tune outer-deadzone style settings and decide whether cleaning, calibration or repair is worth checking. ### What is controller circularity? Controller circularity describes how evenly an analog stick reaches the outer gate in every direction while you rotate it around the edge. ### What is a good circularity error? In the current test, under 7% error with over 85% coverage is treated as a pass. Under 13% error with over 75% coverage is borderline. ### Why does my trace look square or diamond-shaped? A square or diamond trace can come from snapping between directions, limited diagonal travel, remapping software, calibration issues or worn stick hardware. ### Why is my coverage low? Low coverage usually means the stick did not reach the outer edge, the wrong stick was selected, the movement was incomplete, or the browser mapping is limiting the axis range. ### Is circularity the same as stick drift? No. Stick drift measures center offset while the stick is untouched. Circularity measures outer travel while you intentionally rotate the stick at full range. ### Can deadzone fix poor circularity? Inner deadzone can hide center noise, but it does not repair poor outer-gate travel. Some games offer outer deadzone or response curves that can compensate for mild range issues. ### Should I test both sticks? Yes. Left and right sticks wear differently, and the stick used for camera aim, steering or aiming may need a cleaner trace than the movement stick. ### Why do browser results differ from games? Browsers read mapped Gamepad API axes. Games may use native drivers, their own calibration, response curves, deadzones and platform-specific controller profiles. ## Controller Polling Rate Test Page: https://controllertestonline.com/controller-polling-rate-test/ Source last updated: 2026-06-25 Move a stick for 8 to 10 seconds to estimate browser-visible gamepad Hz, input interval, jitter, sample count and stability. Use the same browser and PC to compare USB, Bluetooth and 2.4G controller modes. ControllerTest samples the browser Gamepad API and converts visible timestamp or input-change deltas into average Hz, peak Hz, interval, jitter and stability. The result is a browser-layer estimate, not a raw USB analyzer capture. Browser scheduling, display refresh, drivers, Bluetooth stacks and USB power management can all change the number you see. ### Is this controller polling rate test accurate? It is accurate for browser-visible updates, not for raw USB electrical polling. Use it to compare setups on the same computer and browser, not as a lab certificate. ### Why should I rotate a stick during the test? Many controllers are event-driven and report less often when nothing changes. Continuous stick movement keeps input changing so the browser can observe update frequency. ### Is 125 Hz Bluetooth normal? Yes. Many Bluetooth HID paths show around 125 Hz or variable readings in browsers. USB or a quality 2.4G receiver often reports higher and more stable values. ### Why does my 1000 Hz or 8000 Hz controller show a lower browser result? The page measures browser-visible Gamepad API updates, not the raw USB bus. High-Hz controllers can appear lower when the browser, driver, operating system, USB hub or power profile does not expose every hardware report to JavaScript. ### Are the benchmark rows live community submissions? Not yet. The table uses source-linked reference values from real controller models and reviews. Treat them as sanity ranges until a verified submission system is added. ### Can a web page measure real input lag? A web page can estimate update interval and browser-visible stability. It cannot measure the full chain from button press to game engine response to display output. ### Do I need 1000 Hz for games? Not always. A stable 250 Hz reading can already feel responsive for many games. Competitive shooters and fighting games may benefit from higher and more consistent update rates. ## Controller Latency Test Page: https://controllertestonline.com/controller-latency-test/ Source last updated: 2026-06-25 Use browser-visible polling and input updates to compare controller latency symptoms across USB, Bluetooth and 2.4G setups on the same system. A web page cannot measure end-to-end display latency like a hardware rig. It can still show update stability, dropped input patterns and polling differences between connection modes. For useful comparisons, test the same controller in the same browser, close heavy apps and repeat the sample after switching between USB, Bluetooth and adapters. ## Controller Vibration Test Page: https://controllertestonline.com/vibration-test/ Source last updated: 2026-09-23 Connect a controller, press any button, then run a short vibration test. Check weak and strong rumble and learn what the result means. Vibration depends on browser, operating system, controller model, connection mode and driver behavior. A controller can rumble in native games while still not exposing a compatible haptic actuator to the browser. ControllerTest checks browser-exposed haptic capability and sends short pulses through the Gamepad API path when available. It does not measure physical motor force, vibration latency or DualSense adaptive trigger resistance. ### How do I test my controller vibration online? Connect the controller by USB, press a physical button, then click Run quick vibration test above. If the browser accepts the short pulse, confirm whether you feel it. If you do not, compare another browser, connection mode and a game before assuming a hardware fault. ### Why does vibration show unsupported? The browser may not expose a compatible haptic actuator for this controller, OS, driver or connection mode. The controller can still rumble in native games. ### Does unsupported mean my controller motor is broken? No. Unsupported means this browser path cannot access a compatible haptic actuator. Compare USB, another browser, vendor software and a native game before assuming hardware failure. ### Why does my game vibrate but this page does not? Games can use native driver, console or platform APIs that expose rumble differently from the browser Gamepad API. ### Which browser works best for controller vibration? Chrome and Edge are usually the best first baseline for browser gamepad haptics, but support still depends on the controller, operating system and connection mode. ### Can this test DualSense adaptive triggers? No. The standard browser Gamepad API can read many inputs but does not provide normal control over DualSense adaptive trigger resistance. ### Can this measure real vibration strength? No. The page sends browser-exposed pulse values and lets you feel the result. It cannot measure physical motor force, vibration frequency or haptic latency. ### Will a short vibration test damage the controller? Normal short pulses should not damage a controller. Avoid long full-power loops if you are diagnosing an already faulty device. ### Why do weak and strong motors feel different? Many controllers use separate low-frequency and high-frequency rumble channels. One feels heavier, while the other feels sharper or lighter. ## PS Controller Calibration Guide Page: https://controllertestonline.com/ps-controller-calibration/ Source last updated: 2026-06-25 Use browser diagnostics to check whether a PlayStation controller shows drift, trigger range issues or deadzone symptoms before changing game settings. ControllerTest cannot write firmware settings or recalibrate a PlayStation controller. It can show browser-visible stick center, axis movement, trigger travel and vibration capability. Use those readings to decide whether to adjust in-game deadzone, try USB, clean the stick, run platform tools or seek repair. ## Interpreting reference data Controller reference tables on the HTML pages include source links and context. Manufacturer specifications and review figures are references, not measurements collected from the user's controller. Verify model, firmware, connection and platform against the linked source. For changing product specifications, use current manufacturer documentation. ## API references - [MDN Gamepad API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Gamepad_API) - [MDN vibrationActuator](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Gamepad/vibrationActuator) ## Related guides - [tools.md](https://controllertestonline.com/tools.md) - [compatibility.md](https://controllertestonline.com/compatibility.md) - [pricing.md](https://controllertestonline.com/pricing.md) - [privacy.md](https://controllertestonline.com/privacy.md) - [Document index](https://controllertestonline.com/llms.txt) - [Complete guide](https://controllertestonline.com/llms-full.txt)