PS5 Controller Test: Check Your DualSense Buttons and Sticks

How to test your PS5 controller

1. Connect the DualSense to your computer by cable or Bluetooth, as described below.
2. Press any button. Browsers only reveal a controller after a button press, so the tool shows "None detected" until you do.
3. Press every button, push both sticks around and squeeze L2 and R2. Each button lights up while held and counts as tested.
4. Follow the "N / 17 buttons tested" counter. Reset clears it for the next controller.
5. Run the drift check, the circularity test and the vibration buttons if you want to test beyond buttons.

This page starts with the PlayStation skin, and the skin buttons switch it if you need to. If you are testing an Xbox pad, use the Xbox controller test instead.

How to connect a DualSense to a PC

• USB-C cable: plug the controller into the computer. Use a cable that carries data; some charge-only cables do not work.
• Bluetooth: with the controller off, hold the Create button and the PS button together until the light bar starts flashing. Then open your computer's Bluetooth settings, add a new device and select "Wireless Controller".

After connecting, press a button on this page so the browser registers the controller. A PS4 DualShock 4 works the same way: connect it by cable, or hold the Share and PS buttons until the light bar flashes to pair it over Bluetooth. Its Share button is called Create on the PS5 controller, and its touchpad click is read as the same button.

What each PS5 button is called in the test

• Face buttons: Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle
• Shoulder buttons and triggers: L1, R1, L2, R2
• Center buttons: Create (left), Options (right), PS button and the touchpad click
• Stick clicks: L3 and R3, pressed by pushing each stick straight down
• D-pad: up, down, left, right

The PS button can be taken by the operating system or Steam before the page sees it, so it may not light up on some setups. The microphone mute button is not part of the standard layout and may not appear.

L2 and R2 analog triggers

L2 and R2 are analog, so the test shows each as a percentage bar from 0% to 100%. Press slowly: the bar should rise evenly and fall back to 0% on release. A bar that stalls, jumps, or does not reach 100% suggests a worn trigger.

What a browser cannot test on a DualSense

• Adaptive triggers: the resistance and force feedback in L2 and R2 are controlled by games over a special protocol that browsers do not expose.
• Haptic feedback detail: the fine haptics of the DualSense cannot be played or judged from a web page.
• Touchpad surface: only the click is tested. Finger position and multi-touch are not available.
• Motion sensors, microphone and light bar: these cannot be read or controlled from the tool.

Basic rumble may work. If your browser and connection report it, the Vibration section shows Weak, Strong and Both motors buttons. Chrome and Edge are the most likely to support this. If not, the tool shows a message instead. Treat a missing rumble result as inconclusive, and check vibration in a game or on the console before blaming the hardware.

Stick drift and circularity

Stick drift means a stick reports movement while you are not touching it. Press Start drift check, let go of both sticks and wait 5 seconds; the tool gives a verdict for each stick. The deadzone slider shows how much of the stick range a game might ignore, and the circularity buttons trace a full rotation so you can see flat spots. The stick drift test page explains how to read the results. If you are using a different kind of pad, try the general controller test.

If your PS5 controller is not working

• Not detected: press a button after the page loads, try another USB port or cable, and close apps such as Steam or DS4Windows that may be using the controller.
• Charge it: a low battery can cause disconnects and odd input. Charge it by cable for a while.
• Reset it: turn the controller off, find the small hole on the back next to the L2 button, press it with a pin or paper clip for a few seconds, then pair again.
• Re-pair: remove "Wireless Controller" from your Bluetooth devices and add it again.
• Update firmware: update the controller from a PS5 console, or with the PlayStation Accessories app on PC.
• Button works here but not in a game: close remapping tools and check the in-game controller settings.