How We Test Controllers
Our methods, test hardware and the limits of browser-based controller testing.
Every number on GamepadTesters.net comes straight from your browser. This page explains how our tools read a controller, how we check them and where their limits are.
Who builds and checks the tools
The site is run by the GamepadTesters Editorial Team, a small group of developers and long-time controller repairers. We write every guide ourselves and test each tool before it goes live.
How a browser reads a controller
Tools use three web standards: the W3C Gamepad API for buttons and axes, WebHID for PlayStation extras such as the touchpad, gyro and battery, and Web MIDI for music devices.
The Gamepad API gives buttons as values from 0 to 1 and axes from −1 to 1. We show them to four decimals, before any smoothing, so you see exactly what a game would receive.
Our test bench
- Controllers: DualSense, DualSense Edge, DualShock 4, Xbox Series and Xbox One pads, Switch Pro, Joy-Con and generic X-input pads.
- Browsers: current Chrome, Edge and Firefox on Windows, plus Safari on macOS and iPadOS where the API allows.
- Connections: USB, Bluetooth and, where supported, 2.4 GHz adapters.
We also run automated tests with a simulated controller. They check every tool against standard and raw mappings, including the button order Firefox uses for the DualSense.
How we set thresholds
Verdicts such as "Healthy" or "Noticeable drift" use conservative limits. For example, a stick resting below 0.03 counts as normal noise, and above 0.15 as severe drift.
These limits come from repeated measurements on new and worn pads. They are guides, not guarantees, because games apply their own deadzones.
What we cannot measure
- Firmware versions and factory calibration data.
- Adaptive-trigger resistance and DualSense speaker output.
- The controller's own latency separately from your system and display.
Privacy
Input is processed in your tab and never uploaded. Tools that send output, such as rumble or light-bar colour, only send temporary commands and never write to firmware.
Corrections
If a reading looks wrong for your controller, tell us with your browser, system and controller model. We fix confirmed issues and note the change on the affected page.