Xbox Controller Test
Connect your Xbox controller, press every button, then set it down: one test checks the buttons, sticks and triggers.
- Connect
- Press Every Button
- Set It Down
- Result
- USB Plug it in with a USB-C cable (micro-USB on an Xbox One controller).
- Bluetooth Turn it on, hold the pair button on top until the Xbox button flashes fast, then pair it in your Bluetooth settings.
- Older controllers A wireless Xbox 360 controller needs the Xbox 360 wireless receiver. An Xbox One controller from before 2016 has no Bluetooth: use a cable or the Xbox Wireless Adapter.
Getting ready…
Testing a Different Controller?
How It Works
Your browser reads an Xbox controller the same way browser games do. Every button reports whether it is pressed, LT and RT report how far they are pulled from 0 to 1, and each stick reports its position on two axes from −1 to 1.
The page draws an Xbox controller: A, B, X and Y, LB and RB, LT and RT, View and Menu, the D-pad, both stick clicks, the Xbox button and, on a Series controller, Share. Each button lights while held and stays marked once registered, so the ones left dark are the ones still to try.
Finish test then records the controller for 5 seconds while it sits untouched. From that one window it finds buttons that register on their own, measures each stick’s resting position (its average offset is its drift), and checks that LT and RT settle at zero.
Where the browser reports the controller’s USB ids, the result names the model: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Elite or Xbox 360. Chrome and Edge on Windows usually report every Xbox controller as an Xbox 360 one, so there it names none. Nothing is installed, and no reading leaves this page.
Share is drawn and counted only where the browser reports it, and many do not. The headset jack is not something browsers can see. Rumble is tested separately: the controller vibration test runs each motor in turn, and in Chrome and Edge on Windows the trigger motors too.
Interpreting Your Result
A stick resting below 0.08 from center passes: every stick has a little sensor noise. Between 0.08 and 0.20 is slight drift that many games ignore. Above 0.20 your character or camera will creep on its own.
Drift found? The stick drift test measures it on its own so you can retest after cleaning, and the controller deadzone test finds the lowest in-game deadzone that hides it.
LT or RT not settling means the trigger rests above 0.03 or jitters with nobody on it. A trigger resting above zero usually has dirt under it or a tired return spring: press it firmly a few dozen times and test again. Xbox One and Series triggers sense their position with a magnet, so jitter there points to a loose magnet or a board fault rather than wear.
Trigger travel is shown as a figure, not graded, since a light pull is not a fault. An Elite controller’s trigger stops shorten travel on purpose. To check that each trigger reaches full travel, use the controller trigger test.
A stuck button stayed down with nobody touching it. Sticky residue from a spill is the usual cause. A phantom press fired on its own, which usually means a worn contact or a damaged board.
The Xbox button staying dark is normal on a PC: Xbox Game Bar and Steam usually take it before a web page can see it, so it is not counted.
Testing a DualSense or DualShock 4 instead? The PS5 controller test is drawn for it. For a Switch or any other controller, use the gamepad tester.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I test my Xbox controller on PC?
Connect it with a USB cable, or pair it over Bluetooth: turn it on with the Xbox button, hold the pair button on top until the Xbox button flashes fast, then choose it in your Bluetooth settings. Open this page and press any button: the page cannot see a controller until one is pressed.
Why does my Xbox Series controller show up as an Xbox 360 controller?
Chrome and Edge on Windows usually read Xbox controllers through XInput, which reports every one as an Xbox 360 controller, whatever the model. The buttons, sticks and triggers are in the same places, so the test is the same. Chrome and Firefox on a Mac or on Linux usually report the exact model; Safari does not. A PlayStation controller shows up as an Xbox 360 one too while DS4Windows is running.
Why is my Xbox controller not connecting to my PC?
Over USB, try another cable: many only charge and carry no data. Over Bluetooth, update the controller in the Xbox Accessories app, then remove it from your Bluetooth settings and pair it again. The original Xbox One controller, from before 2016, has no Bluetooth at all: use a cable or the Xbox Wireless Adapter. A wireless Xbox 360 controller sends no data over its charging cable, so it needs the Xbox 360 wireless receiver.
Does it work with the Xbox Elite Series 2?
Yes, for every button a standard Xbox controller has, plus its sticks and triggers. The paddles send whichever button they are mapped to in the Xbox Accessories app, so pressing one lights that button. A paddle mapped to nothing lights nothing.
How do I fix Xbox controller stick drift?
Blow compressed air around the base of the stick while moving it in circles, then test again. If the drift stays, the stick sensor is worn: a controller under warranty can go back to Microsoft, otherwise the stick module can be replaced. Until then, a higher in-game deadzone hides it.
Why does it say my controller is not an Xbox controller?
The browser reports it as a PlayStation or Nintendo controller. It is still tested, drawn and named as the controller it reports. Most third-party PC controllers report as Xbox ones, so they are tested as Xbox controllers without a notice.