PS4 Controller Tester for the DualShock 4

Check a DualShock 4 for stick drift, sticky L2 and R2 triggers, dead buttons and weak rumble, with the PS4 layout on screen before you connect.

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Connect your DualShock 4, then press ✕

Plug it in with a micro-USB cable that carries data, or pair it over Bluetooth: hold Share and the PS button until the light bar double-flashes, then pick "Wireless Controller" in your device's Bluetooth settings. Browsers only reveal a controller after a button press. Nothing is sent anywhere.

DualShock 4 (PS4)

Not connected yet: the diagram shows the DualShock 4 layout and lights up as soon as it sends input.

Left stick–

Right stick–

Left trigger

Right trigger

All buttons and axes · 0 buttons pressed

Press every button once: each one gets a tick when it registers. Values show analog pressure from 0.00 to 1.00.

Health tests

1. Stick drift

Measures where each stick settles when nobody touches it, and checks for buttons or triggers that read as pressed. Pass: under 5% of full travel. Warning: 5–10%. Fail: 10% or more.

Not run yet.

2. Circularity

Rotate each stick slowly around its outer edge. Measures how far the edge strays from a perfect circle. Pass: up to 10% average error. Warning: up to 20%. Fail: above 20% or a direction that can't reach 75% of full travel.

Left

Right

Not run yet.

3. Vibration

Plays a rumble. The strong motor is the heavy, low rumble in the left grip; the weak motor is the finer buzz on the right.

Connect a controller to test vibration.

4. Input update rate

Estimates how often the browser receives new data from the controller while you move a stick.

DurationConnection

Not measured yet.

More tests for PlayStation controllers

Connect a DualSense, DualSense Edge or DualShock 4 directly for what the standard gamepad connection hides: motion sensors, touchpad, battery and the true report interval, plus adaptive triggers and lights on a DualSense. Your browser asks which device to allow, and the permission lasts until you close the tab. This page only reads the controller and sends effect commands (trigger effects, light bar, player lights), never calibration or firmware, and it resets them when you leave.

Decoded from published formats (the Linux hid-playstation driver and SDL); not yet tested on a real controller. Over Bluetooth, deep mode switches the controller to its full report format until it reconnects, and asks first: if another app or game stops seeing it, turn the controller off and on.

Not connected.

Motion sensors

Tilt and turn the controller: the model follows it, and the graphs show the gyroscope (turn rate, degrees per second) and the accelerometer (g) on each axis. Put it down flat and run the rest check to measure gyro drift.

Gyro – · Accel –

Touchpad

Draw on the touchpad with one or two fingers. Each finger gets its own colour and the ID the controller gives it; a dead strip shows up as a gap in the lines. Press the pad to test its click.

No touch yet.

Adaptive triggers (DualSense only)

Pick an effect, then press L2 or R2. Resistance pushes back from the start point; click is a section of resistance that gives way, like a trigger pull; vibration buzzes the trigger from the start point. The bars show where each trigger is.

EffectTriggersStart point 30%Strength 8

–

Light bar and player lights

Light bar colourPlayer lights

Battery

The level the controller reports, in 10% steps, and whether it is charging. It updates live, so plug in a cable to check the charging port.

–

Report interval

How often the controller sends a report, from the controller's own clock and from the time each report reached this page. This is the report interval, not end-to-end input lag: it leaves out the time a press takes inside the controller, in the game and on the screen.

Controller health report

Selling or buying a used controller? Run the four tests, press every button, then share the report link in your listing or message.

Connect a controller to start the report.

Connect your DualShock 4

USB: use a micro-USB cable that carries data, or Sony’s DualShock 4 USB wireless adapter. A charge-only cable is the most common reason nothing appears.

Bluetooth: hold the Share button, then press and hold the PS button until the light bar flashes (PlayStation). Pick “Wireless Controller” in your Bluetooth settings. A DualShock 4 paired to a PS4 reconnects to the console when you press PS, so switch the console off first.

Then press ✕. The diagram follows the DualShock 4: d-pad top left, both sticks low, Share and Options either side of the touchpad.

What to check on a used DualShock 4

The DualShock 4 is old enough that most used ones show some wear. Test these in order:

Sticks. Run the drift test with the controller on a table. Its potentiometer sticks wear like any other; under 5% offset is fine, 10% or more is noticeable in games.
L2 and R2. Squeeze each slowly: the bar should rise smoothly from 0% to 100% and fall back to 0% when released. A trigger that stays at a few percent, or doesn’t spring back, usually has a dislodged spring (iFixit).
Touchpad click and PS button. The touchpad click is button 17. Swipes aren’t in the standard gamepad connection: to trace fingers, use Connect for more tests (Chrome or Edge on a computer), which also shows the gyro, the accelerometer and the battery level. The touchpad test opens on it.
Charging port. If the controller only works at a certain cable angle, the micro-USB port or its small charging board is worn; iFixit covers replacing it.
Rumble. Play both motors at full strength; the left grip should rumble deeply and the right buzz lightly.

Fixing problems

Sony’s first step for a misbehaving DualShock 4 is a reset: press a paperclip into the small hole on the back for at least five seconds (PlayStation), then re-pair it. There is no stick calibration for PlayStation controllers, so if drift remains after a reset and a clean, the stick module needs replacing. Set the recommended deadzone in your games in the meantime. Selling it? Run all four tests and share the health report link in the listing.

How the browser numbers the DualShock 4’s buttons

Browsers describe a recognised controller with the W3C standard gamepad layout, which numbers buttons by position, not by the symbol printed on them. This is the map the tester uses for the DualShock 4 (PS4); the list under the diagram shows the same numbers live.

Button	Position	On the DualShock 4
0	Bottom face button	✕
1	Right face button	○
2	Left face button	□
3	Top face button	△
4	Left bumper	L1
5	Right bumper	R1
6	Left trigger	L2
7	Right trigger	R2
8	Back / select	Share
9	Start / menu	Options
10	Left stick press	L3
11	Right stick press	R3
12	D-pad up	↑
13	D-pad down	↓
14	D-pad left	←
15	D-pad right	→
16	Home / guide	PS
17	Touchpad / capture	Pad (the click only: swipes aren’t reported)

Frequently asked questions

Does rumble work on a DualShock 4 in the browser?

Yes, in Chrome and Edge over USB and Bluetooth: Chromium has its own DualShock 4 driver that drives both motors. Firefox has no controller vibration.

Why does my DualShock 4 not show up over USB?

Many micro-USB cables only charge. Use a cable that carries data, such as the one that came with a phone for file transfer, and press a button once it is plugged in.

L2 or R2 doesn't spring back. Can I fix it?

It is a common DualShock 4 fault: the small trigger spring pops out of place. iFixit has step-by-step guides to reseat or replace it, which means opening the controller.

Which DualShock 4 do I have?

The later model, CUH-ZCT2, has a thin light strip visible through the top of the touchpad. The original, CUH-ZCT1, only has the light bar at the back. The model number is printed on the back label.