A complete guide to testing how it works your gaming controllers with Gamepad Tester. Press buttons, move analog sticks, pull triggers, and test vibration motors in real time — directly in your browser, no downloads or sign-ups needed.
Follow these four steps to thoroughly test every input on your gamepad and catch any hardware issues before they affect your gameplay.
Connect your gaming controller to your device using USB or Bluetooth. The browser will detect it automatically once you press any button — this is a security requirement of the Gamepad API.
Press each button one at a time and watch the corresponding indicator light up red in the interface. Test every face button, shoulder button, trigger, and D-pad direction methodically.
Move each analog stick slowly through its full range and observe the live X/Y axis values. A healthy stick at rest should read close to 0.000. Any non-zero reading without touching it indicates drift.
Complete your test by checking vibration, reviewing the input log for missed presses, and using the deadzone calibration tool if you notice any minor drift that's affecting your experience.
Gamepad Tester works with any controller that your operating system recognises. Here are the most commonly tested controller families.
Full compatibility with all Xbox controller generations via USB and Bluetooth. XInput support ensures all buttons, triggers, and rumble motors are fully accessible in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
Complete support for Sony PlayStation controllers with full button mapping, analog trigger detection, and haptic feedback testing. DualSense and DualShock 4 work best on Chrome and Edge.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and Joy-Con pairs are recognised as standard gamepads over USB or Bluetooth. Button mapping follows the standard layout for consistent testing across all inputs.
Any HID-compliant USB gamepad or Bluetooth controller should be detectable, including popular third-party brands. Feature availability varies depending on what the controller reports to the browser.
Connect your controller via USB or Bluetooth to your computer or device
Press any button — the browser Gamepad API activates and identifies your controller
Press buttons, move sticks, and pull triggers — all inputs update live at 60 frames per second
Review the input log, check for drift, test vibration, and identify any failing components
If your controller isn't appearing or inputs aren't registering correctly, work through these fixes in order.
Controllers connected before the page loads may not be detected. Reload the page, connect your controller, then press any button.
Ensure your USB cable is firmly seated, or that Bluetooth is properly paired in your OS settings before opening the tester. Try a different USB port or cable.
Chrome and Edge have the most complete Gamepad API implementation. Firefox works for most controllers, but vibration testing may not be available.
Some browsers ask for gamepad access permission. If you see a prompt, click Allow. If you previously denied it, reset permissions in your browser's site settings.
Low battery causes intermittent disconnections and input lag. Charge your controller fully or replace batteries, then reconnect and test again.
On Windows, open Device Manager and look for any controller entries with warning icons. Right-click and update the driver, or reinstall the manufacturer's software.
Compatible with all modern browsers. Best experience on Chrome 58+, Edge 79+, Firefox 55+, and Safari 16.4+. All input data is processed locally — nothing is sent to any server.