Will Xbox Cloud Gaming see your controller?

How to use the tester

1. Connect the controller by USB or Bluetooth, then open this page in the browser you play in.
2. Press any button. The status turns green when the browser reports the controller.
3. Read the Xbox Cloud Gaming checks. "Standard layout" is what you want for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
4. Press every button and move both sticks. In Raw data, each button index turns green once it registers; roll the sticks in full circles to check their range.
5. Let go of the sticks and run the drift test to see how far they rest from centre.

What "standard layout" means

Browsers translate controllers into one shared button order called the standard gamepad mapping. Xbox Cloud Gaming relies on that order: button 0 is A, button 1 is B, and so on. When your browser reports mapping: "standard", the buttons should arrive where the game expects them.

If the layout is not standard, the browser couldn't recognise the controller, and buttons may be missing or swapped in games. Try a USB cable instead of Bluetooth, switch the controller to its XInput or Xbox mode if it has one, update its firmware, or close programs that capture controllers, such as Steam Input, DS4Windows or reWASD.

Controller not detected?

• Press a button. Chrome and Edge don't list a controller until they receive input after the page loads.
• Check that the browser is supported. Xbox Cloud Gaming supports Chrome, Edge and Safari. It doesn't officially support Firefox.
• Close other controller software. Steam, DS4Windows and reWASD can hide the real controller or add a duplicate.
• Reconnect. Unplug or re-pair, then refresh this page and press a button.

For a full walkthrough, read Gamepad not detected in Chrome? Start here.

Stick drift and deadzones

A stick "drifts" when it reports movement while you aren't touching it, so your character creeps or the camera slowly turns. The drift test measures the largest resting offset of each stick, from 0 (perfectly centred) to 1 (fully pushed).

• Under 5%: normal. Most games ignore it.
• 5–15%: mild drift. A deadzone slightly above the measured value hides it.
• Over 15%: severe. Reconnect the controller first. If it persists, the stick may need calibration or repair.

A deadzone makes the game ignore small movements near the centre. Set it just above your measured drift. Too large a deadzone makes aiming feel sluggish. Cloud Keys lets you set a deadzone for each stick on Xbox Cloud Gaming. Its gamepad guide shows where.

Tips for common controllers

• Xbox Wireless Controller: the officially supported controller for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Update its firmware with the Xbox Accessories app if buttons behave oddly.
• PlayStation DualSense or DualShock 4: usually reported with a standard layout in Chrome and Edge. Games show Xbox button prompts, so Cross acts as A and Circle as B.
• 8BitDo and other third-party pads: use the XInput (Xbox) mode for the most reliable layout.
• Nintendo Switch Pro Controller: A/B and X/Y sit in swapped positions. Remap them if the Xbox layout feels backwards.

Privacy

The tester reads your controller through the browser and keeps everything on this page. No controller data, identifiers or results are sent anywhere.

Questions