A web page can't simply list the devices connected to your computer. For privacy reasons, browsers only reveal a game controller once you've used it on that page. That rule explains most “not detected” cases. The rest come down to the browser you use, the device's mode, or another program holding the controller. Work through the checks below in order; most people are done after the first three.
1. Press a button after the page has loaded
The Gamepad API only reports a controller after it sends an input while the page is open. Pressing a button before you open the tester doesn't count. Open the test page first, then press a face button or move a stick. Moving an axis slightly isn't always enough, so press a real button. Wheels often respond best to a paddle shifter or a button on the rim.
2. Make sure the page uses https
Current browsers only allow the Gamepad API on secure pages. If you saved a tester as a local file or opened it through plain http://, the controller won't appear. All YesWeTest tools run on https.
3. Try Chrome or Edge
Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera) have the broadest Gamepad API support, especially for wheels, flight sticks and controllers that don't use the standard layout. Firefox works well for most gamepads. Safari supports common controllers but often ignores wheels and joysticks. If a device doesn't show up in one browser, try another before you assume something is wrong with it.
4. Check that the operating system sees the device
A browser can only pass on what the operating system recognizes.
- Windows: press Win + R, type
joy.cpland press Enter. The “Game Controllers” window lists every controller Windows knows. Select it and open Properties to see whether its buttons respond. - macOS: open System Settings → General → Game Controllers (on recent macOS versions) or check System Information → USB to see whether the device is connected.
If the device isn't listed there, the problem is the connection or the driver, not the browser. See steps 6–8.
5. Close Steam and remapping tools
Steam Input, DS4Windows, reWASD and similar tools can take control of a controller and present a virtual one instead. Sometimes the browser then sees the virtual device, sometimes nothing at all. Fully exit these programs (not just minimize them), unplug the controller, plug it back in and press a button on the test page. Some racing and flight games also take exclusive control of a device while they're running.
6. Switch the device to PC mode
Many wheels, arcade sticks and some controllers have a mode switch or a mode set at startup (for example PS4/PS5, Xbox or PC). In a console mode, some devices don't present themselves as a standard controller to a computer. Check the manual for how to select PC mode. On some wheels this is a physical switch; on others you hold a button combination while plugging in.
7. Change the cable, port or Bluetooth pairing
- Plug the device directly into the computer instead of a hub or a monitor's USB port. Wheels in particular draw a lot of power during calibration.
- Use a data cable. Some cheap USB cables only carry power.
- For Bluetooth controllers, remove the pairing, pair again and wake the controller with a button press.
8. Install or reinstall the driver
Most gamepads work without extra software. Racing wheels and many HOTAS setups need the manufacturer's driver to show up correctly: for example Logitech G HUB, the Thrustmaster driver package, Fanatec's driver or app, or MOZA Pit House. After installing, restart the computer and check joy.cpl again. Our guide on racing wheels not detected on PC goes into wheel-specific details.
9. Reload, then restart the browser
A browser can occasionally lose track of a controller that was unplugged and reconnected. Reload the page and press a button. If that doesn't help, close every window of the browser and start it again.
Still not working?
If the device works in joy.cpl but not in any browser, it may report itself in a way browsers don't support. This is rare, but it happens with some very old or very specialised devices. It may also expose more buttons or axes than a browser handles. In that case, use the manufacturer's test tool or the Windows properties window. Please also let us know the exact device name, since we track devices that cause problems.
