Xbox · PlayStation · Switch · PC controllers

Is your controller drifting?

Plug in or pair your controller and this measures how far each stick moves on its own. You get a number for each stick, a plain answer, and how to fix it. Nothing is installed and nothing leaves your device.

Connect your controller, then press any button

USB or Bluetooth both work. On a phone or tablet, pair the controller in Bluetooth settings first. Your browser only shows the controller after you press a button.

What stick drift is

Stick drift is when a thumbstick reports movement while you aren't touching it, so your character walks, the camera pans, or menus scroll by themselves. It usually comes from wear inside the stick, where the sensor that reads its position no longer reads true center.

How the test works

  1. Hands off. For three seconds the test records where each stick sits when nobody touches it. A healthy stick sits at or very near center.
  2. Flick and let go. Push each stick to the edge and release it a few times. Drift often shows up as a stick that doesn't come back to center after it's moved, so the test measures where it settles.
  3. Your number. Each stick's drift is the furthest it sat from center in either test, as a percentage of its full range.
DriftOur verdictWhat it usually means
Under 5%CleanNormal resting noise. Games ignore it.
5–12%BorderlineGames with a small dead zone may notice. Recalibrate first.
12% or moreDriftingMost players will see movement they didn't ask for.

These bands are ours, set to be useful rather than official. Every game sets its own dead zone, the small area around center it ignores, so the same stick can drift in one game and not another.

How to fix drift

Nintendo Switch: on the console, go to System Settings, then Controllers and Sensors, then Calibrate Control Sticks. Fully tilt the stick in one direction, hold it for a few seconds, and follow the prompts. On Switch 2 the menu is called Controllers & Accessories.

PlayStation (DualSense): turn off the PS5 and unplug the controller, then hold the reset button in the small hole on the back for at least 5 seconds with a pin. Reconnect with a USB cable and press the PS button. If that doesn't fix it, Sony's repair page lists stick issues.

Xbox: the Xbox Accessories app on console or PC has a stick recalibration tool for the Xbox Wireless Controller and Elite Series 2. Update the controller first. Microsoft notes that recalibration can't fix drift caused by normal wear.

When recalibrating doesn't help, the stick module itself is worn. The fix is a repair under warranty, a replacement stick module, or a new controller.

Privacy

The test runs entirely in your browser. Stick readings are never sent anywhere. See privacy for ads and cookies.