It is a symptom where the controller keeps reporting that the stick is slightly tilted even though you are not touching it. In games, the character slowly starts walking or the camera turns by itself. It is usually caused by wear on the potentiometer inside the stick, or by dust and skin oil getting in. This tool collects values for 5 seconds with your hands off and turns the distance from center into a number.

At what drift value is a controller considered faulty?

This tool rates an untouched maximum offset below 0.05 as normal, 0.05 to 0.10 as a slight offset (the range hidden by the default deadzone of most games), 0.10 to 0.20 as suspected drift, and 0.20 or more as drift. An offset above 0.20 makes controls quite sluggish if hidden with a deadzone, so it is a sign to consider repair or replacement.

What deadzone percentage should I set?

Set it to at least the "recommended deadzone" from the drift test and the input will disappear when you are not touching the stick. For example, if the maximum offset is 0.08, the recommended value with margin is 0.11 (11%). If you want fine aiming in an FPS, use a value close to the recommendation, and raise it by a few percent only if the drift still bothers you.

Does it work with a PS5 DualSense or Switch Joy-Con?

Yes. In Chrome or Edge on a PC, connect a DualSense, DUALSHOCK 4, Switch Pro Controller, Joy-Con or Xbox controller over USB or Bluetooth and press a button to have it recognized. On a PC, the two Joy-Con appear as separate controllers, so pick the one you want to test. It also works on phones (Chrome on Android, Safari on iPhone) when connected over Bluetooth.

I connected the controller but it still says to press a button

For safety, the browser does not expose a controller until a button is pressed after the page is opened. If pressing a button changes nothing, check that you are using a USB cable that carries data (not charge-only) or that Bluetooth pairing is complete. The controller may also be hidden while an app like Steam is running, so quit it and try again.

What circularity (outer ring) error is normal?

It is the average deviation of the tilt amount from a circle of radius 1 when the stick is pushed fully and rotated, and under 10% is normal. Xbox controllers and some others may return values above 1 when tilted diagonally (a shape closer to a square), which is a characteristic of the output and not a fault. If only certain directions fall short of 0.9, stick wear or calibration drift is possible.

Can I fix drift myself?

On a Switch, you can recenter the stick under System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Calibrate Control Sticks. PS5 and PS4 consoles have no calibration setting, so hiding the drift with an in-game deadzone is the easy option. Rotating the stick widely or pressing it in repeatedly can move the dust inside and temporarily improve things. Opening the controller or using contact cleaner often voids the warranty, so check the warranty period and manufacturer repair first.

Controller Drift Checker | Test Stick Drift with Numbers & Find the Right Deadzone

Controller Drift Checker is a free tool that diagnoses stick drift, where the analog stick moves on its own, with numbers just by connecting a PS5 DualSense, Switch Pro Controller or Joy-Con, Xbox controller or similar over USB or Bluetooth. It measures for 5 seconds with your hands off and shows the maximum offset from center, its direction, and the deadzone to set in your game. You can also rotate the stick to see whether the outer edge forms a circle (circularity), check that rapid button presses are not registered twice, that the triggers output smoothly from 0 to 1, and that rumble works. No app installation is required.

WAITING

Connect a controller and press a button

A browser does not detect a controller just because it is connected (it only becomes visible when you press a button). Connect it with a USB cable or Bluetooth and press a button such as A or ×, and the model name will appear here.

If it does not respond over USB, check that the cable supports data and is not charge-only
If Steam is running, it may be using the controller so it is not visible here (quit it and try again)
Hold the PS button and Create button on a PS5 DualSense, or the sync button on top of a Switch Pro Controller, to enter Bluetooth pairing mode
On a phone (Android or iPhone), you can test the same way by connecting over Bluetooth

Stick drift test

Take your fingers off the stick, put the controller on a desk and measure for 5 seconds. If the value is off center even though you are not touching it, that is drift (the stick moving on its own).

Red dot = current position, pink line = movement trail
Dotted circles from the inside: 0.05 (green), 0.10 (yellow), 0.20 (red)

You can measure once a controller is recognized.

Put the controller on a desk and do not touch the stick (holding it can move the value from the weight of your fingers)
Pushing the stick fully once and releasing it before measuring also reveals drift where the stick does not return to center
Switch between the left and right sticks and measure each

ABOUT

About Controller Drift Checker | Test Stick Drift with Numbers & Find the Right Deadzone

Controller Drift Checker connects a game controller to the browser on your PC or phone and diagnoses stick drift, where the analog stick moves on its own, with numbers. Take your hands off the stick and measure for 5 seconds, and it reports the maximum offset from center and its direction, rates it as normal below 0.05, suspected drift at 0.1 or more, and drift at 0.2 or more, and shows the deadzone (%) to set in your game. In the outer-ring test where you push the stick fully and rotate it, it finds the circularity error (%) and the directions that fall short from the tilt amount in each direction. The button test checks for double inputs (chatter) on rapid presses and jumps in trigger values, and you can also run the rumble motors. It supports any gamepad the browser recognizes, including the PS5 DualSense, PS4 DUALSHOCK 4, Switch Pro Controller, Joy-Con and Xbox controllers.

How to use Controller Drift Checker | Test Stick Drift with Numbers & Find the Right Deadzone

1Connect the controller to your PC or phone with a USB cable or Bluetooth
2With this page open, press one button such as A or × so it is recognized (the model name is shown)
3In "Stick drift test", choose the left stick, put the controller down on a desk and press "Measure for 5 seconds with hands off"
4Check the verdict (normal, slight offset, suspected drift, drift) along with the offset direction and recommended deadzone. Measure the right stick the same way
5In the "Outer ring (circularity) test", push the stick fully and rotate it 3 to 4 times, then look at the outline shape and the directions that fall short
6In "Buttons, triggers and rumble", press buttons rapidly and check the double input count, the trigger verdict and rumble
7Use "Copy result" to save the numbers for a repair inquiry or for comparing on another day

Great for

You want to know whether a character or camera moving on its own in a game is caused by controller drift
You want to record the stick offset of a PS5 DualSense or Switch Joy-Con as numbers
You want to know what deadzone percentage in game settings will make the drift disappear
You want to inspect a used controller or one that just came back from repair
The stick seems weak in one direction or diagonally even when pushed fully
You want to check whether a single button press registers twice (chatter)
You want to check on a PC whether the controller is recognized and whether rumble works

Good to know

It uses the raw values (-1 to 1) returned by the browser's Gamepad API. Consoles and games apply manufacturer correction and in-game deadzones, so a small offset shown here may not be visible in a game.
The verdict thresholds are maximum offsets of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20. Many games default to a deadzone of around 0.1 to 0.2 (Unity's Input System uses 0.125, and the XInput recommended values are about 0.24 for the left stick and 0.27 for the right), so an offset below 0.05 is almost never noticeable in play.
The recommended deadzone is the measured maximum offset plus a 0.03 margin, rounded up to 0.01 (range 0.05 to 0.50). A larger value hides more drift, but it also makes small, fine stick movements stop registering.
A button double input is counted when it is pressed again within 45 ms of being released. The browser reads once per screen refresh (around 60 times per second), so double inputs shorter than that may be missed.
The rumble test works in Chrome and Edge. Firefox and Safari do not support rumble in the browser, so the buttons cannot be pressed.
Controller values are only read inside the browser and never sent to a server. Only the selected stick (left or right) and the deadzone setting are saved in this browser (localStorage).

Questions this tool answers

Use Controller Drift Checker | Test Stick Drift with Numbers & Find the Right Deadzone for searches like these:

I want to check whether my controller stick moving on its own is drift
How to check PS5 controller drift on a PC
I want to check numerically whether a Joy-Con is drifting
What deadzone percentage removes drift in games
I want to check whether controller buttons register twice
I want to test stick circularity (outer ring)
I want to check whether a gamepad is recognized on a PC and whether it rumbles

FAQ

What is stick drift?: It is a symptom where the controller keeps reporting that the stick is slightly tilted even though you are not touching it. In games, the character slowly starts walking or the camera turns by itself. It is usually caused by wear on the potentiometer inside the stick, or by dust and skin oil getting in. This tool collects values for 5 seconds with your hands off and turns the distance from center into a number.
At what drift value is a controller considered faulty?: This tool rates an untouched maximum offset below 0.05 as normal, 0.05 to 0.10 as a slight offset (the range hidden by the default deadzone of most games), 0.10 to 0.20 as suspected drift, and 0.20 or more as drift. An offset above 0.20 makes controls quite sluggish if hidden with a deadzone, so it is a sign to consider repair or replacement.
What deadzone percentage should I set?: Set it to at least the "recommended deadzone" from the drift test and the input will disappear when you are not touching the stick. For example, if the maximum offset is 0.08, the recommended value with margin is 0.11 (11%). If you want fine aiming in an FPS, use a value close to the recommendation, and raise it by a few percent only if the drift still bothers you.
Does it work with a PS5 DualSense or Switch Joy-Con?: Yes. In Chrome or Edge on a PC, connect a DualSense, DUALSHOCK 4, Switch Pro Controller, Joy-Con or Xbox controller over USB or Bluetooth and press a button to have it recognized. On a PC, the two Joy-Con appear as separate controllers, so pick the one you want to test. It also works on phones (Chrome on Android, Safari on iPhone) when connected over Bluetooth.
I connected the controller but it still says to press a button: For safety, the browser does not expose a controller until a button is pressed after the page is opened. If pressing a button changes nothing, check that you are using a USB cable that carries data (not charge-only) or that Bluetooth pairing is complete. The controller may also be hidden while an app like Steam is running, so quit it and try again.
What circularity (outer ring) error is normal?: It is the average deviation of the tilt amount from a circle of radius 1 when the stick is pushed fully and rotated, and under 10% is normal. Xbox controllers and some others may return values above 1 when tilted diagonally (a shape closer to a square), which is a characteristic of the output and not a fault. If only certain directions fall short of 0.9, stick wear or calibration drift is possible.
Can I fix drift myself?: On a Switch, you can recenter the stick under System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Calibrate Control Sticks. PS5 and PS4 consoles have no calibration setting, so hiding the drift with an in-game deadzone is the easy option. Rotating the stick widely or pressing it in repeatedly can move the dust inside and temporarily improve things. Opening the controller or using contact cleaner often voids the warranty, so check the warranty period and manufacturer repair first.

Special Thanks

SOLO GUILD | サービス作るAIエンジニア

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