This joystick tester shows every input a flight stick, HOTAS, throttle quadrant or arcade stick sends to your computer. The square view follows the stick's X and Y position with a trail, the bars show twist and throttle travel, each hat switch lights the direction you push, and the lists below show every button and axis with its raw value. It works with USB joysticks from Thrustmaster, Logitech, VKB, Virpil, Winwing and others in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS. Use it to find dead buttons, axes that stop short or jump, a stick that will not center, and controls that are mapped to the wrong axis.
How to test a joystick online
- Plug the joystick into a USB port on the computer itself and press any button on it. If Windows shows an error instead, start with usb device not recognized.
- Move the stick to every corner and around its edge. The dot should reach each side of the square.
- Twist the stick and move the throttle through its full range. Watch the bars move smoothly.
- Push each hat switch in all eight directions.
- Press every button. Each one turns green once it works.
- If a bar follows the wrong control, open Axis setup and press Detect next to it.
- Open Center drift, let go of the stick and press Start.
- Press Copy results for a report you can send to support.
What the results mean
| Readout | What it shows | Normal result |
|---|---|---|
| Stick X and Y | Position from -1 to 1 on each axis | Reaches -1 and 1 on both axes, 0.00 to 0.03 when centered |
| Twist | Rudder rotation from -1 to 1 | Smooth both ways, back near 0 when released |
| Throttle | Travel from 0 to 100% | Every step between, with no jumps |
| Hat switches | Eight directions plus center | Each direction lights cleanly, center when released |
| Axes found | Axes that moved during the test | Every axis your joystick has |
| Center drift | Offset when you let go | Under 0.05 |
Browsers report a hat switch as one axis that holds a value for each direction, so the axis list labels it as a hat instead of a number.
An axis stops short or jumps
If a bar never reaches its end, calibrate the joystick: press Windows key + R, type joy.cpl, select it, then Properties > Settings > Calibrate and follow the wizard. If you use the maker's own software, such as the tools from Thrustmaster, Logitech or VKB, calibrate there instead, because it can apply its own calibration on top. If the value jumps when you move slowly, the potentiometer is dirty or worn. A drop of electronics contact cleaner worked into the sensor through its opening often helps on older sticks. For some models, Hall effect sensor kits replace the potentiometers for good.
The stick will not center
Let go of the stick and run Center drift. Under 0.05 is fine. Higher readings mean a weak centering spring or a worn sensor. Flight games have a deadzone setting in their controls: set it just above the measured offset. The stick drift tester explains deadzones in detail. Joysticks with Hall effect sensors, such as the Thrustmaster T.16000M, are built to avoid this kind of wear.
Throttle or twist works backwards
Some joysticks report the throttle as -1 at full power, others as 1. That is not a fault. In Axis setup, press Invert to flip the bar here, and in the game, invert that axis in the control settings. If the game shows the twist moving the wrong way, invert the rudder axis in the game.
A hat switch reads the wrong direction
A hat that sticks in one direction or jumps between two has a worn contact. Push it straight in each direction and watch the hat view: the right arrow should light alone. If two directions light together when you push straight, the hat cap is loose or the small switch board is worn. Some games read a hat as four buttons; check its binding in the game.
Testing a gamepad stick or a racing wheel
For the thumbsticks on a PS5, Xbox or Switch controller, use the gamepad tester online and the controller drift test, which compare both sticks and suggest a deadzone. Racing wheels and pedals have their own page, the steering wheel test pc, with the wheel angle in degrees and a bar for each pedal.
What this joystick test cannot check
- Force feedback. Browsers cannot drive force feedback motors, so test them with the maker's software.
- Profiles stored in software. Maker tools can remap buttons before Windows sees them, so the page shows the result.
- Mode switches and LEDs on HOTAS units that only change the maker's software profile.
- Very large button counts. The page lists every button and axis your browser reports, which can be fewer than a joystick with many modes has.
Joystick tester questions
How do I test a joystick on Windows?
Plug it in, open this page and press a button on the stick. Windows also has a basic test: press Windows key + R, type joy.cpl, choose the joystick and press Properties. This page adds the center drift test, travel checks and a copyable report.
Why is my throttle shown on the wrong bar?
Joysticks do not tell the browser which axis is the throttle, so the page guesses. Open Axis setup, press Detect next to Throttle and move only the throttle from one end to the other. The page remembers your choice for that joystick.
Can I test a HOTAS with a separate stick and throttle?
Yes. Each USB device appears as its own numbered controller. In Axis setup you can pick axes from either device, so X and Y can come from the stick and the throttle from the throttle unit.
Why does my joystick drift?
Most joysticks measure position with potentiometers that wear and collect dust, so the center reading moves. Run Center drift with your hand off the stick. Calibrate it with joy.cpl, clean it, or set a deadzone in the game. Sticks with Hall effect sensors drift far less.
Does this work with an arcade stick?
Yes. Most arcade sticks report their lever as a d-pad or a hat switch and their buttons as normal buttons, so the lever shows in the hat view or the button grid. In Xbox mode they appear as a standard gamepad, which the gamepad tester shows with a controller drawing.