How do I test a whole controller?
Press every button once and watch it light up and stay outlined. Pull each trigger slowly and confirm the bar moves evenly to 100% and back to 0. Rotate each stick around the outer ring and release it: the readout should return to 0.00 on both axes. Fire each rumble motor. Finally glance at the polling rate in the header; a wired pad should show at least 125 Hz.
If everything passes except the sticks resting off center, calibration is the right fix. If a button or trigger fails, calibration will not help and the controller needs a repair.
What do the stick values mean?
The two numbers under each scope are the X and Y position from -1 to 1. A healthy stick rests within ±0.02. Anything beyond ±0.05 at rest is drift and will be visible in games with small deadzones. A stick that cannot reach ±0.95 at the edge has lost range and will feel slow; the calibration tool's outer deadzone fixes that in the preview and your game's settings may offer the same.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my sticks look fine here but drift in one game?
That game probably uses a very small or zero deadzone. Measure the resting offset with the drift test and set the recommended value in that game's controller options.
Do I need to test the controller before calibrating?
It is the fastest way to confirm the problem is the stick and not something else. The calibration tool works without it.