Stick Drift Test

Beta

Find out whether your controller's sticks are drifting, how badly, and what to do about it. It takes about a minute.

Beta: I'm still calibrating the verdict bands against controllers on my bench, so treat borderline results as a guide rather than a final answer.

Plug in or pair your controller, then press any button.

USB or Bluetooth · Chrome, Edge or Firefox

No controller showing?

    How to check for stick drift

    1. Connect your controller. Connect it to a computer or Android phone by USB or Bluetooth, and open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
    2. Press any button. That lets your browser see the controller.
    3. Put the controller down. Leave it on a flat surface so the stick isn't touched.
    4. Follow the prompts. For each stick you'll push it in a direction and let it go, three times. Keep your hands off while each test runs.
    5. Read your verdict. Each stick gets one, with the range across the three tests.

    Why the test pushes the stick first

    A stick doesn't always come back to exactly the same place. Push it up and let go, and it may settle slightly differently from when you push it left. Testing once can make a stick look healthier, or worse, than it really is. Testing three times after different pushes gives the true picture, and the verdict uses the worst result, because in a game that's the resting point that causes creep.

    Dead zone test: how much drift is too much?

    Games use a dead zone: a small area around the centre where stick movement is ignored. Small offsets sit inside it, so you won't notice them. Once the stick rests outside the game's dead zone, things start moving on their own. That's why the verdict bands are:

    • Healthy: close to centre
    • Minor: small enough that many games hide it
    • Noticeable: you'll probably see it in menus and when aiming
    • Severe: you'll see it in most games
    How a dead zone hides small drift The outer circle is the stick's full travel. A shaded circle around the centre is the dead zone, which the game ignores. A resting point inside the dead zone is hidden; a resting point outside it is drift you'll see. Drift you'll see Dead zone (ignored by the game) Hidden Full travel

    For what the numbers mean in a game, stick drift percentages and dead zones explained goes through it.

    What causes stick drift?

    Most drift comes from wear inside the stick. Standard sticks measure position with small sensors that wear with use, and dirt can get in around the stick. A worn sensor reports a slightly wrong position, which shows up as drift. Separately, the springs that pull the stick back to centre can wear, so it doesn't centre consistently.

    The tester shows which kind you have: drift that settles in the same direction every time points to the sensor, and drift that changes with each push points to the centring.

    Same place every time

    Usually a worn sensor.

    Different place each push

    Usually the centring spring or dirt.

    What to do about it

    1. Try a dead zone setting in the game. It hides minor drift.
    2. Update and, on Xbox, recalibrate the controller in the Xbox Accessories app.
    3. Clean around the stick with short bursts of compressed air while rotating it.
    4. Replace the stick if the drift is noticeable and consistent, or severe. That's the proper fix.

    I replace drifting sticks on PS5 and Xbox controllers by post, with standard, Hall effect or TMR replacements. See controller repairs.

    Guides

    Already know it's drifting?

    I replace drifting sticks on PS5 and Xbox controllers by post, and test them with this tester before and after.

    PS5

    Xbox Series X & S

    Xbox One: standard and Hall effect

    See controller repairs

    Questions people ask

    How do I know if my controller has stick drift?
    Put it down without touching the sticks. If your character, camera or cursor moves on its own, or this test shows a Noticeable or Severe result, the stick is drifting.
    Is a little drift normal?
    Yes. No stick rests at exactly zero. Small offsets are normal, and games ignore them with a dead zone.
    Can stick drift fix itself?
    Not usually. Cleaning can help for a while if dirt is the cause, but wear tends to get worse.
    Why did my result change when I tested again?
    Sticks don't always settle in exactly the same place. That's why the test runs three times and shows the range. A stick that varies a lot isn't centring consistently.
    Does this test work for PS5 and Xbox?
    Yes, on a computer or Android phone. Console browsers can't access controllers.
    Can I use this as a PS5 controller dead zone test?
    Yes. It shows where each stick rests against a typical game's dead zone, so you can see whether drift is small enough for games to hide or big enough to show. Each game sets its own dead zone, so a borderline result may show in one game and not another.

    Paul Walsh runs The Repair Works and has been repairing electronics for over 25 years. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo.