Tool · Stick Drift Test
Is it drift
or is it you?
Plug in your controller, press a button, take your hands off. Eight seconds later you know how far each stick sits off center, the Rocket League deadzone that hides it, and whether that stick is worth keeping. Runs in your browser. Nothing leaves it.
01 / Live sticks
Waiting for a controller. Press any button on it.
- X
- —
- Y
- —
- Off center
- —
- X
- —
- Y
- —
- Off center
- —
This browser does not expose controllers to web pages. Try Chrome, Edge or Firefox on a computer, or use the manual Free Play test below.
02 / Verdict
Rocket League controller deadzone to try
How the test works
Your browser can read a controller through the Gamepad API: two numbers per stick, from -1 to 1 on each axis. A perfect stick at rest reads 0, 0. A real one never does, and the question is how far off it sits after you let go. The test runs in three beats:
- Flick (3 s). Roll both sticks around the edge and snap them. This catches sticks that only drift after being pushed, which is the drift you actually get mid-match.
- Let go (1 s). Not measured. Springs need a beat to return.
- Hands off (4 s). Every frame, we record how far each stick is from center. The furthest point is your resting drift.
The deadzone it suggests is that resting drift plus a 0.01 margin, rounded up to the next 0.01, never lower than 0.03. Rocket League has a single controller deadzone slider, so the worse stick sets the number. The bands match our controller deadzone guide:
| Suggested deadzone | Verdict | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0.03–0.05 | No meaningful drift | Set it and stop thinking about hardware. |
| 0.06–0.10 | Mild drift | Deadzone hides it. Clean and recalibrate before it grows. |
| Above 0.10 | Worn stick | Settings are not the fix. Repair or replace. |
No controller handy? The manual test
- Set controller deadzone to 0.10 in Rocket League and load Free Play.
- Let go of both sticks. Watch the car and the camera for ten seconds.
- Drop the deadzone by 0.01 and repeat. The first value where the car creeps or the camera wanders is one step too low.
- If the car creeps even at 0.10, you have your answer: the stick is worn.
FAQ
How do I test my controller for stick drift?
Plug the controller into a PC, Mac or Android phone, open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox and press any button. Run the test: flick both sticks around the edge, let go when told, and keep your hands off for four seconds. The test records how far each stick sits from center while nobody is touching it.
What deadzone should I use for stick drift in Rocket League?
The smallest value that clears your resting drift. This tool takes the furthest the stick wandered at rest, adds a 0.01 margin and rounds up to the next 0.01. Rocket League has one controller deadzone slider, so the worse of your two sticks sets the number. Confirm it in Free Play: if the car still creeps, go up 0.01.
How much stick drift is too much?
If the stick needs more than 0.10 deadzone to stay still, it is worn. You can still play on it, but you are giving up fine steering and air control on every touch to hide a hardware fault. Clean, recalibrate, repair or replace it.
Does this work on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch?
Not on the console itself: console browsers do not expose controllers to web pages. Connect the controller to a computer or Android phone by USB or Bluetooth and test it there. The stick hardware is the same wherever it is plugged in.
Is the reading exactly what Rocket League sees?
Close, not identical. The browser reads what your operating system and any remapping layer (Steam Input, DS4Windows and similar) hand it, and Rocket League applies its own input processing. Treat the number as a starting point and confirm it with the Free Play test in our deadzone guide.
Does the test store anything?
No. Stick readings never leave your browser. If you have accepted analytics cookies, Google Analytics records the page view and the verdict band (clean, mild or worn) when a test finishes.
Fix it properly
Read the guides
behind the verdict.
settingsRocket League Stick Drift: Test It, Hide It, or Replace It
Car creeping, camera wandering, flips going the wrong way? How to prove it's drift, the deadzone that hides it, and the line where settings stop saving the stick.
Read it→
settingsRocket League Controller Not Working? Fix It by Symptom
Not detected, double inputs, wrong buttons, car moving on its own. Find your symptom, run the one check that splits hardware from software, and fix it.
Read it→
settingsRocket League Controller Deadzone: Best Settings & Drift Fix
Start at 0.05 controller deadzone and 0.70 dodge deadzone, then tune for stick drift, accidental flips, and cleaner Rocket League control.
Read it→
settingsIs It Your Gear or Is It You? The Honest Checklist
Before you spend money to fix your rank: the specific tests that tell you whether your controller, monitor, or connection is actually costing you goals, or whether it's a decision you made 1.2 seconds earlier.
Read it→