How to tell if your controller has drift
The three signs that give it away, why you sometimes cannot see it even though it is there, and the two-minute test that settles it with a number.
Guides on controller stick drift
Everything you need to diagnose stick wear: what is normal, how to measure it, what to look at on each controller and what to do when the result comes out bad.
Diagnosis
How we measure drift: thresholds and method
The exact thresholds the tool applies, the formula behind each metric and what can distort a measurement.
By console
Test a PS5 controller (DualSense)
What can be read from a DualSense over a cable, its typical faults, and why it supports calibration from the browser.
Test a PS4 controller (DualShock 4)
The controller with the most accumulated drift, purely from age. What to look at and when repairing is worth it.
Test an Xbox controller
Why direct reading is not available on Windows, why it does not matter, and the typical faults of these controllers.
Fixing drift
DualSense calibration online
Rewrite the stick centre and range of a DualSense from the browser, over USB, without opening it. What it changes, when it works and when it does not.
How to fix PS5 stick drift without opening it
The fixes ordered by cost, what the reset button really does, and when calibration is only a patch.
Controller dead zone test
What the game hides behind the dead zone: a 10x zoom on the resting position and the smallest dead zone that masks your deviation.
Warranty and repair
Claiming warranty on a controller with drift
Two years across the EU and three in Spain, who you actually claim from, and a ready-to-copy template with the measured figures.