Drift · 2026-03-02
What is stick drift?
Stick drift is the stick reporting movement while your thumb is off it. In a browser that shows up as X and Y sitting away from zero.
What to check first
A healthy stick in this tester rests under about 0.06 radius. Between 0.06 and 0.12 is borderline. Over 0.12 you will feel it in games that use a small deadzone. The sensor is usually a potentiometer: a wiper on a carbon track that wears.
- Rest the pad on a table. A thumb on the stick is not drift.
- Sample for 3 seconds on USB with remappers off.
- Compare left and right. One bad side is a module, not the whole pad.
Confirm the reading on the live tester before you buy parts or change firmware. The number on that page is what your browser actually receives.
A practical next step
Repeat the same test after each change and write the resting radius down. A fix that does not move that number did not fix the sensor. If the offset stays above about 0.12 with your hands off the sticks, plan a module replacement rather than another software pass. Model notes live in the controller library.
Frequently asked questions
Does this page change my controller?
No. GamepadTesters only reads the Gamepad API in your browser. Calibration writes, firmware updates, and stick swaps happen in the maker’s tool or at a repair bench.