How to use the joystick tester
- Connect every part of your setup. A HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick) usually shows up as two or three separate USB devices: stick, throttle and sometimes rudder pedals. The tester shows each one as its own card.
- Press a button on each device so the browser reveals it. Devices that have not had any input yet won't appear.
- Move every axis through its full range. This includes the stick X/Y, twist, throttle, rotary knobs, sliders and rudder. The shaded part of each bar shows the range covered so far, and a ✓ appears once an axis reaches both ends.
- Push each hat switch in all eight directions. Hats are detected automatically and shown as a compass.
- Press every button and flip every toggle. The grid ticks off each button the first time it registers and counts how many you have tested.
Reading the results
Axis bars
Every axis is reported as a value from −1 to +1. A healthy axis covers that whole range smoothly. An axis that stops short of one end, for example at 0.95, will feel like it never reaches full deflection in the simulator. The usual cause is old calibration data. Our guide to calibrating a joystick in Windows walks you through resetting it.
X/Y plot
The square plot shows the stick position with a short trail. Make slow circles: the trail should follow a clean shape without jumps. With your hand off the stick, the dot should sit still at the center. If it wanders, the stick may need a small deadzone. You can read more in deadzones explained.
Hat switches
Browsers report most hat switches as a single axis with eight fixed values plus a value for “centered”. The tester decodes that axis into directions. If a direction never lights up, the switch contact may be worn. If two neighbouring directions flicker, the hat may be registering diagonals too easily. Both are hardware issues that driver settings can only partly hide.
Axis order and names
Axis numbers in a browser don't always match the names in Windows (X, Y, Z, Rx, Ry, Rz, sliders). The order depends on the device and the browser, so the tester shows plain numbers. Move one control at a time to see which number belongs to it.
Limits of browser testing
- Some devices have more buttons or axes than a browser exposes. Very large button boxes or advanced sticks with many virtual buttons may show only part of their controls.
- Mode switches, LEDs, built-in curves and firmware settings can only be changed with the manufacturer's software (for example Thrustmaster T.A.R.G.E.T, Logitech's X56 software, VKBDevCfg or VPC Configurator).
- Force feedback sticks can't be tested for feedback, only for their inputs.
Frequently asked questions
My throttle doesn't show up, only the stick.
Each part of a HOTAS has to send an input before the browser lists it. Move the throttle or press one of its buttons. If it still doesn't appear, check that it is connected to the computer and not only to the stick, since some throttles plug into the stick base.
The rudder axis is on the throttle, not the pedals.
Some throttles have a rocker or paddles that act as a rudder axis. When separate rudder pedals are connected, they appear as their own device.
Can I use this to test a flight yoke?
Yes. Yokes, throttle quadrants and trim wheels are standard game controllers and are tested in the same way.
When does an axis get its ✓?
Only when it has reached both ends of its range (−1 and +1) at least once. Throttles and sliders often rest at one end, so just move them to the other end. If the ✓ never appears, the axis doesn't reach its full range.
