Controller Vibration Test

A guided controller vibration test that fires each rumble motor on its own — left, right, strong and weak — so you can confirm, by feel, that they all still work. Connect a controller below, press any button so the browser sees it, then run the steps. There's no fake "motor PASS" here: only you can feel a buzz, so only you confirm it.

  1. 1Connect via USB or Bluetooth
  2. 2Buzz each motor in turn
  3. 3Confirm by feel — Yes / No
Connect your controller (USB or Bluetooth), then press any button. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.

Checking for vibration support…

  1. 1 Left (strong) motor only
    Did you feel it? — not tested yet
  2. 2 Right (weak) motor only
    Did you feel it? — not tested yet
  3. 3 Both motors, full strength
    Did you feel it? — not tested yet
  4. 4 Both motors, gentle
    Did you feel it? — not tested yet
Run the steps above to build your checklist.

What this test can & can't do

  • ✓ Can do: trigger each motor separately so you can confirm, by feel, that the left, right, strong, and weak rumble all fire.
  • ✗ Can't measure strength: the browser only lets us start an effect — it never reports how hard the motor actually buzzed. So there's no automated "motor OK / FAIL"; only you can confirm what you felt.
  • ✗ macOS / Safari / Firefox: the command can silently do nothing there — it "succeeds" but no rumble happens. We never fake a pass: if you feel nothing, mark "No". Test on Windows Chrome/Edge for a real result.

The basics

What a controller vibration test actually checks

A controller vibration test confirms that the rumble motors inside your gamepad still fire when a game tells them to. When a controller stops shaking during explosions, engine revs or hits, it's usually one of two things: a motor has failed, or a wire / solder joint to it has come loose. This controller vibration tester sends a standard browser rumble command — the same basic dual-rumble a game uses — so you can tell the difference between "the game has rumble turned off" and "this controller's motor is dead," and whether it's the left/strong motor, the right/weak motor, or both that have stopped responding.

Almost every modern gamepad uses two rumble motors, and they don't do the same job. One is a larger, heavier motor that produces a deep, low-frequency shake — the standard Gamepad API calls it the strong motor, and it usually sits in the left grip. The other is a smaller, lighter motor that produces a faster, higher-frequency buzz — the weak motor, usually on the right. Games mix the two to make rumble feel detailed rather than a single flat vibration. That's why a good test triggers them separately: a controller can have one healthy motor and one dead one, and a single "buzz everything" button would hide that. Testing each motor on its own is the whole point of the guided test above.

Step by step

How to run the guided controller vibration test

The test walks you through four short steps. After each one you simply answer whether you felt the buzz — that's how the checklist gets built.

  1. Connect and wake the controller. Plug in a USB cable or pair over Bluetooth, then press any button. The browser only "sees" a gamepad after it receives an input, so a button press is what makes the test buttons light up.
  2. Left (strong) motor. Press the first step button. Only the deep, low motor should fire — you'll feel a heavy shake, usually weighted to the left grip. Felt it? Tap Yes. Nothing? Tap No.
  3. Right (weak) motor. The second step fires only the lighter, faster motor — a higher-pitched buzz, usually on the right. Confirm it the same way.
  4. Both motors, full then gentle. The last two steps drive both motors together — once at full strength, once gently — so you can check that they combine cleanly and that a low-intensity rumble (the kind games use for subtle feedback) still comes through.

When every step is confirmed, the checklist says so. If any step gets a "No," it stays on the list, named, so you know exactly which motor didn't respond — without the tool ever pretending to grade a buzz it can't feel.

The difference

Why a guided test beats a single "buzz" button

Most online tools give you one button that rattles both motors at once. That tells you almost nothing useful. If you feel something, you can't say whether both motors fired or just one. If you feel nothing, you can't tell a dead controller from a browser that silently ignored the command. The guided controller vibration test on this page isolates each motor and asks you to confirm it, so a half-broken controller — one good motor, one dead — shows up clearly instead of passing on a technicality. It's slower by a few seconds, and far more honest.

By controller

Vibration on different controllers

The browser sends a single, standard "dual-rumble" command. How richly each controller responds to it varies, and some of the fancier hardware features simply aren't reachable from a normal web page.

Honesty

What this controller vibration test can and can't tell you

Being straight about the limits is more useful than a green checkmark, so here's exactly where the line is:

Troubleshooting

Controller vibration test not working? Quick fixes

The buttons are greyed out
The browser hasn't detected a controller yet, or it doesn't expose the vibration API. Press a button on the gamepad first. If the buttons stay disabled, switch to Chrome or Edge — Safari and Firefox often don't provide vibration at all.
You're on a Mac and feel nothing
This is expected. macOS commonly accepts the rumble command but never drives the motor. Re-run the test on Windows to get a real answer.
Bluetooth connected, but no rumble
Some controllers only rumble over a USB cable in the browser, even when buttons and sticks work fine wirelessly. Plug in a data cable and try again before blaming the motor.
One motor works, the other doesn't
That's a real, common failure — and exactly what the per-step test is built to surface. A controller with one dead motor is often worth repairing, especially a premium pad.
Nothing happens in any browser
Try a different USB port or cable, restart the browser, and confirm the controller rumbles on its native console. If it's silent everywhere, the motor or its connection has likely failed.

More tests

More controller tests

FAQ

Controller vibration test FAQ

The short answers. The guided tool above and the sections on this page cover the rest.

Is this controller vibration test free?

Yes. The full guided test is free, with no sign-up and no download. It runs entirely in your browser.

How do I test if my controller vibration works?

Connect the controller, press any button so the browser detects it, then press each step button to fire one motor at a time. Answer "Yes" or "No" after each buzz. The tool builds a checklist from what you felt.

Why is there no automatic pass or fail?

Because a browser can only start a rumble effect — it can't measure how hard the motor actually buzzed. Any automated "motor OK" grade would be guessing. Your own "felt it / didn't" is the only honest signal, so that's what the test uses.

Why doesn't my controller vibrate on a Mac?

On macOS, and in Safari and Firefox, the browser often accepts the vibration command but never drives the motor — it does nothing, silently. It's a platform limitation, not a broken controller. Test on Chrome or Edge on Windows for a reliable result.

Can I run an Xbox controller vibration test in the browser?

Yes. An Xbox Series or Xbox One controller responds to the standard dual-rumble command, so both main motors fire in the guided test. The Xbox One trigger-rumble motors aren't reachable through the standard web command, so they aren't part of this test.

Does the PS5 DualSense work with this vibration tester?

The DualSense's two main rumble motors fire, so you can confirm basic vibration. The high-definition haptics and adaptive triggers can't be reached from a standard web page, so this test checks that rumble is alive — not those advanced features.

My controller rumbles in games but not here — why?

Usually the browser or connection. Some controllers only rumble over USB in the browser even when wireless input works, and Safari / Firefox may not support vibration at all. Plug in a cable and use Chrome or Edge before concluding anything.

One motor buzzes and the other doesn't. Is that drift?

No — drift is a stick problem, not a rumble one. A single dead motor is a vibration fault. The per-step test names which motor didn't respond so you can decide whether to repair or replace.

Does my controller data get uploaded?

No. The whole controller vibration test runs locally using the Gamepad API. Nothing about your controller leaves your device.

How often should I test controller vibration?

Whenever rumble starts to feel weak or one-sided, and as a quick check after a controller has had heavy use or a knock. Catching a fading motor early makes the repair-or-replace call easier.

Check the rest of your pad.

Rumble is one part. The comprehensive controller tester checks every button, stick, trigger and bumper — and the stick drift test gives a decimal-exact drift verdict.

Open the full controller tester