Gamepad Test — Check Every Button, Stick and Trigger
This controller tester reads the browser's Gamepad API and draws the live state of your pad: which buttons are pressed, the exact position of both sticks and triggers, and the mapped button layout — enough to confirm a whole controller in a minute.
Quick answer: Plug in the controller, press any button to wake it up, then work around the pad pressing every button and rolling both sticks in slow circles. Everything that responds lights up with live values; a button or direction that never registers is the fault. Press a button to start, because browsers only expose a gamepad after the first input.
- Connect the pad, then press any button — browsers only report a gamepad after its first input.
- Wireless pads may need to be woken in another window first, then come back here.
- On Windows, check the controller shows up in the system's game controller settings.
| Compatible | Xbox (wired and wireless), PlayStation 4/5, Switch Pro, 8BitDo and standard HID pads |
|---|---|
| Shows | All buttons with pressure values, both sticks with dead-zone view, triggers, and layout mapping |
| Bluetooth pads | May need a button press in a different window before browsers list them |
| Not on iOS | iPhones and iPads do not expose the Gamepad API to Safari — use a desktop browser or Android |
How browsers see a controller
The Gamepad API exposes a snapshot of each connected device: an array of buttons with analog values, axes for sticks and triggers, and an id string. Browsers only start reporting after the user presses a button on the pad, which is why the first press is sometimes needed to wake it up — and why a pad that is connected but untouched looks invisible here.
Reading the values
Buttons read 0 (released) to 1 (fully pressed); on pads with analog triggers and face buttons you will see values in between as you press gently, which is useful for spotting a button that only registers when pressed hard. Stick axes run from -1 to 1 on each side; a resting stick should sit near 0.00 in both axes — anything else is the dead-zone or drift story covered in the drift test.
When to use this test
- A button on your controller stopped responding and you want to confirm it is the pad, not the game
- Stick drift is making your character walk on its own — the drift test on this site measures it
- You want to see the exact axis and button indices your pad reports for a project
- Checking a second-hand controller before buying or before the return window ends