Gamepad Calibration

How to calibrate a controller on Windows 11 and 10

Windows 11 and 10 still include the joystick calibration wizard: press Win + R and type joy.cpl. It works for DirectInput devices such as Xbox 360 pads, generic USB gamepads, flight sticks and wheels, while Xbox One and Series controllers ignore it and need a deadzone instead.

Measure before calibrating

Run the measurement above first so you know the resting offset and whether the range is short. Windows' wizard does not show numbers, so this is the only way to check whether it improved anything.

How do I open the hidden calibration wizard?

  1. Press Win + R, type joy.cpl and press Enter. The Game Controllers window opens.
  2. Select your controller and click Properties.
  3. Open the Settings tab and click Calibrate.
  4. Follow the wizard: leave the sticks centered and click Next, then rotate each stick in full circles a few times, then center the triggers and any extra axes.
  5. Click Finish, then Apply. Return to this page and re-measure.

If joy.cpl does not open, use Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Devices, scroll to the controller, open More devices and printers settings, right-click the controller and choose Game controller settings.

Which controllers does Windows calibration affect?

The wizard calibrates DirectInput devices: Xbox 360 pads, generic USB gamepads, flight sticks, wheels and pedals. Xbox One and Xbox Series controllers use XInput and ignore it; DualSense and DualShock 4 are partially affected depending on the game. For those, apply a deadzone in Steam (Settings → Controller → Calibration & Advanced Settings) or in the game, or recalibrate DualShock 4 and DualSense over USB on this site's calibration page.

How do I reset a bad calibration?

In the same Settings tab click Reset to default. If the controller behaves oddly after calibration, this restores the driver defaults.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the game still drift after calibrating in Windows 11?

The game probably uses XInput or Steam Input, which bypass the DirectInput calibration. Set a deadzone in the game or in Steam.

Can I calibrate a controller over Bluetooth on Windows?

Yes, the wizard works on any connected device. USB is more stable during the rotation step.