Connection Stability Test | Check Your Controller Signal
Run a 30 second active stress window to catch disconnects, input dropouts, and polling jitter that other single point tests cannot surface. Thresholds scale automatically based on whether your controller is wired or wireless. Works with PS5, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and generic USB or Bluetooth controllers.
Move both sticks in continuous circles for the full 30 seconds. The test can only catch a dropout when there is input for it to drop, so idle time reduces how meaningful the result is.
Continuous stick movement for the full window gives the most meaningful result.
Connect
Plug in over USB or pair over Bluetooth, then press any button.
Start the test
Click start, the tool detects your connection type and begins the window.
Keep moving
Move both sticks in continuous circles for the full 30 seconds.
Watch activity
Check the activity ratio stays high, a low ratio weakens the result.
Read the verdict
Compare disconnects, dropouts, and jitter against the scaled thresholds below.
Three signals are scored independently with thresholds scaled by connection type. The overall verdict is the worst of the three. Activity ratio is informational only and does not affect the verdict.
| Signal | Healthy | Functional | Partial | Faulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnect events | 0 events | not applicable | 1 event | 2 or more |
| Dropouts, wired | 2 or fewer | 5 or fewer | 10 or fewer | Above 10 |
| Dropouts, Bluetooth | 5 or fewer | 10 or fewer | 20 or fewer | Above 20 |
| Jitter, wired | 1% or less | 3% or less | 5% or less | Above 5% |
| Jitter, Bluetooth | 2% or less | 5% or less | 10% or less | Above 10% |
Disconnect events count how many times the browser's disconnect signal fires during the window. Any disconnect during 30 seconds of continuous use is abnormal on either connection type, though a wired disconnect almost always points to a cable or port problem rather than the controller.
Input dropouts are gaps longer than 100 milliseconds between state changes while you are actively providing input. Wired connections should almost never produce these, so the threshold is much stricter than on Bluetooth, which shares a busy radio band and naturally produces occasional gaps even on healthy hardware.
Polling jitter looks at the spread of time between consecutive updates. The median interval sets the expected cadence, and any interval more than three times that median counts as an outlier. High jitter means input arrives in bursts and pauses instead of a steady stream, which can feel like intermittent lag even when your average latency looks fine.
Activity ratio is the share of the 30 second window where you were actually moving a stick. It does not affect the verdict directly, but a low ratio means dropouts had fewer chances to show up, so a clean result with low activity is weaker evidence than a clean result with high activity.
This test works with any controller your browser recognizes as a standard gamepad, wired, Bluetooth, or proprietary wireless, including these commonly tested models.
See full specifications for these and more on the Devices page.
Controller keeps disconnecting
The link drops repeatedly during play, on wired or wireless.
Read the fixBluetooth pairing fails
The controller will not complete pairing or times out during setup.
Read the fixCheck latency alongside stability
Jitter and dropouts often show up as inconsistent latency, worth checking together.
Run the Latency TestRun the full controller benchmark
Connection stability is one part of a complete health check. Run every diagnostic in sequence and get one overall score for your controller.
Run the benchmarkHow does a browser test my controller connection stability
The test polls your controller every frame for 30 seconds and tracks four things, disconnect events that fire when the link breaks, gaps over 100 milliseconds between state changes during active input, the percentage of polling intervals that exceed three times the median interval, and how much of the window you were actively providing input. Everything runs locally in your browser.
Why do I need to keep moving the sticks during the test
Dropouts can only be detected when there is input to drop. If the controller sits idle, the test sees no state changes, not because the connection is perfect, but because there is nothing for it to drop. Moving both sticks continuously for the full window gives the test the best chance to catch real gaps.
Why are the thresholds different for wired versus Bluetooth
A wired USB connection has a dedicated data path and should be close to perfect, so any dropouts usually mean a failing cable or port. Bluetooth shares a crowded radio band with other devices, so a small amount of jitter and the occasional dropout is normal even on a healthy controller. Holding both to the same standard would unfairly fail every Bluetooth controller.
My controller showed dropouts, does that mean it is broken
Not necessarily. A handful of dropouts over 30 seconds on Bluetooth is normal under typical conditions. On a wired connection, even one or two dropouts is worth investigating, most often a damaged cable or a flaky USB port rather than the controller itself.
What is polling jitter and why does it matter
Polling jitter is the variance in time between consecutive input events. A controller polling at a steady rate should produce evenly spaced updates. If updates arrive in bursts and gaps instead, jitter is high, which can feel like occasional input lag spikes even when average latency looks fine.
Can this test detect wireless interference directly
Not directly. It measures the symptoms of interference, dropouts, jitter, and disconnects, but cannot read radio signal strength or identify the source. Common causes on Bluetooth include other 2.4GHz devices nearby, USB 3.0 ports interfering with a receiver, or simple distance from the host.
Why does the test show my activity percentage
The result is only as meaningful as the input it was given. A healthy verdict reached with only 30 percent activity is weaker evidence than the same verdict reached with 95 percent activity, so the activity percentage is shown alongside the result rather than hidden.
My controller disconnected during the test, what should I do
On a wired connection, try a different cable and a direct motherboard USB port rather than a hub or front panel port. On Bluetooth, check the battery level, move closer to the host device, and rule out interference from other wireless devices nearby. See the Fix guide for the full process.
Can I test a PS5 DualSense controller's connection here
Yes. The DualSense can be tested over both USB and Bluetooth, and this tool adapts its thresholds based on which connection type it detects.
Can I test an Xbox controller's connection here
Yes. Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and Xbox Elite controllers can all be tested over USB, Bluetooth, or a proprietary wireless receiver.
Does this work with a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Yes, when the controller is connected and recognized as a standard gamepad by your browser.
Do I need to install anything to test connection stability
No. This tool runs entirely in your browser using the Gamepad API. There is nothing to download and no account to create.
How long does the connection stability test take
The active stress window runs for 30 seconds. Moving both sticks continuously during that window is what gives the test the best chance to catch real problems.
Does this work on mobile phones
Yes, on any mobile browser that supports the Gamepad API and a controller paired over Bluetooth or connected through a USB adapter.
Is my connection data stored anywhere
No. Every reading happens locally in your browser and is not sent to a server unless you choose to export a report yourself.