Does my controller have stick drift?
Connect your controller, press a button, let go of both sticks and press start. In 3 seconds you get the resting offset of each stick and a plain verdict.
Connect a controller by USB or Bluetooth, then press any button on it.
Left stick
X 0.000
Y 0.000
Right stick
X 0.000
Y 0.000
Left trigger0.00
Right trigger0.00
Buttons Press each one. A green outline means it worked.
Let go of both sticks and put the controller down. The test records each stick for 3 seconds at rest and reports how far it sits from the center.
Push each stick to its edge and rotate it slowly, two or three full turns. The trace shows the shape of the outer edge. A perfect circle scores 0%.
Left stick
Average error rotate the stick
Right stick
Average error rotate the stick
Hold the controller and press a button below. You should feel the motor you picked for one second.
Press start, then keep moving a stick in fast circles for 2 seconds. The test counts how often your browser receives a new reading.
- Click on this page once, then press a face button such as A or Cross. Browsers hide controllers until a button is pressed.
- Over USB, use a cable that carries data. Many charging cables do not.
- Close Steam, DS4Windows or other remapping apps, then reload.
- Still nothing? See controller not detected.
Runs in your browser. No inputs or device names leave your device.
How to read your drift result
The number is how far a stick sits from its center when nobody touches it, on a scale where 1.0 is the stick pushed all the way to its edge. A brand new stick usually rests within a few hundredths of the center.
| Resting offset | Verdict | What you notice in games |
|---|---|---|
| Under 0.05 | No drift | Nothing. Any game's deadzone swallows it. |
| 0.05 to 0.10 | Mild drift | Usually nothing, unless you set a very small deadzone for aiming. |
| Above 0.10 | Drift | The camera creeps, your character walks slowly, or menus scroll on their own. |
The tester shows the largest offset during the test and the average. A large gap between them means the reading jumps around, which points to dirt or a worn sensor rather than a stick that simply rests off center.
What causes stick drift?
Each stick sits on two small sensors, one for left and right, one for up and down. In most controllers these are potentiometers: a contact slides over a resistive track. Over thousands of hours the track wears and collects dust, and the sensor reports a position that is slightly off. The game then reads that as you pushing the stick.
Some newer and third party controllers use Hall effect or TMR sticks, which measure a magnet without touching it. They wear far more slowly, but they can still read off center if they are badly calibrated.
How to run a fair drift test
- Flick each stick to its edge a few times and let it snap back, so it settles where it really rests.
- Put the controller on a table and take your hands off it.
- Press Start drift test with the mouse or keyboard, not the controller.
- Run it three times. Drift that shows up in all three runs is real.
If the result changes a lot between runs, the stick is probably dirty. Try compressed air around its base, then test again. The full list of fixes is in how to fix stick drift.
Drift test versus the full gamepad tester
This page opens on the drift tab. The other tabs are the same as on the gamepad tester: a live view of every button and stick, circularity, vibration and polling rate. If drift turns out fine but a game still moves on its own, check the live view for a button or trigger that never returns to zero.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test for stick drift?
What drift value is bad?
Why does my stick only drift sometimes?
Can I fix stick drift without opening the controller?
Should I return a controller with stick drift?
Does drift show on both sticks?
What next?
Looking for something else? See our other free tools.