How to Test a PS5 Controller on PC

Connect the DualSense

PlayStation supports the DualSense on Windows 10 (64 bit) and Windows 11, by USB Type-C cable or Bluetooth.

• USB: plug a USB Type-C cable into the controller and the PC. Use one that carries data, not a charge-only cable.
• Bluetooth: make sure the player indicator is off. Hold the Create button, then press and hold the PS button until the light bar blinks. Turn on Bluetooth on the PC, add a Bluetooth device, and pick the controller.

PlayStation says pairing is done when the light bar blinks and the player indicator lights up. For a test, USB is the simpler choice. On PC, haptic feedback needs a USB connection, and so does the headset jack.

Test Every Button and Stick in Your Browser

1. Open the controller test and press any button. Browsers show a controller only after a button press or stick movement while the page is open.
2. Press Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle, L1, R1, Create, Options, the PS button, and each direction on the D-pad. Press both sticks in for L3 and R3. Each one lights up, and the counter climbs.
3. Squeeze L2 and R2 slowly. Each percentage should rise smoothly from 0% to 100% and fall back to 0% when you let go.
4. Push each stick to its edges, then let go. It should settle within about 0.05 of 0.00 on both axes.
5. Press Weak Motor, Strong Motor, or Both Motors to check vibration. It works in Chrome, Edge, and Safari, not in Firefox. If nothing happens over Bluetooth, try a USB cable.

The test labels the buttons for a PlayStation controller when it recognizes one. Nothing you press leaves your browser.

Web pages can't read the touchpad surface, the motion sensors, or the adaptive triggers. Check those in a game that supports them.

Check a Resting Stick for Drift

A stick that reads off center while you aren't touching it is drifting. Browsers read each stick axis as a number from −1.0 to 1.0, so a resting stick should read close to 0.

For a measured result, put the controller flat on a table and run the stick drift test. It reports how far each resting stick strays, as a percentage of its full range, and suggests a deadzone.

If the Controller Doesn't Show Up

1. Press a button with the page open and its tab in front. The page can't see the controller before that.
2. Try a different USB-C cable. Many cables only charge and carry no data.
3. Close Steam or other apps that take over controllers, then reload the controller test.
4. For Bluetooth, turn the controller off, then pair it again with Create and the PS button held down.

Update or Reset the Controller

1. Update the firmware. Install the PlayStation Accessories app on Windows 10 (64 bit) or Windows 11 and connect the controller. When a new version is available, Update appears.
2. Keep the PC on and the controller connected until the update ends. PlayStation says to update one controller at a time.
3. Reset it. Find the small hole next to the Sony logo on the back. Press and hold the reset button inside with a pin for at least 5 seconds.

PlayStation's reset steps then connect the controller to a PS5 by its USB cable and press the PS button. On a PC, connect it by USB or pair it again over Bluetooth.

Then run the controller test again. If a button or stick still fails, PlayStation sends button, stick, and vibration faults to its PlayStation Repairs service.