Phone Controller Drift Test - Backbone, Kishi, GameSir
Check a Backbone One, Razer Kishi or GameSir for stick drift on the phone it grips. Free in the browser on iPhone or Android, with a verdict per stick.
Clamp your phone into the controller and open this page on that same phone. Then let go of the sticks. You don’t need a PC or an app, and there’s nothing to pair. The dots above show where each stick rests, and where the browser allows it, the check names the stick that drifts.
Backbone One, Razer Kishi and GameSir on iPhone
Backbone, Razer and GameSir all sell iPhone versions of their clip-on controllers. If your App Store games respond to yours, Safari can read it too. You get both checks: Measure drift for a three second hands-off run, and Check recenter for drift that only shows up after a hard push.
On Android, Chrome guesses the layout
Chrome on Android reads any controller that Android lists as a joystick, so the dots start moving after your first button press. Chrome keeps its own list of models it maps to the standard layout, mostly PlayStation, Xbox, Switch Pro and Stadia pads. We found no clip-on brand on it in Chrome’s code, though we haven’t run every model. For a controller off the list, Chrome still lays out the sticks and triggers the standard way, guessing from the axes the controller reports. The page trusts that guess, so you get Measure drift and Check recenter, with a note that the layout is Chrome’s guess.
The left stick always comes from the axes Android uses for a main stick, so its result holds on any model. The right stick and triggers depend on the guess. If the right stick sits out at the rim while your thumbs are off, the guess put another control there, so judge that stick by feel in a game instead.
What to do when a stick drifts
Run the check two or three times before you blame the stick, because a single jolt reads TWITCH and proves nothing. A stick that reads DRIFT on every run is worn or dirty. Look for a stick calibration in the maker’s app, then set the game’s dead zone to the number under that stick. The stick drift fix guide covers cleaning. If the drift survives all of that, the maker’s support is the next stop while the warranty runs, and a screenshot of the DRIFT result is your proof.
How to use
- Seat the phone and open this page. Clamp the phone into the controller and open this page on it, in Safari on iPhone or Chrome on Android. Press A or another face button so the browser picks up the controller.
- Take your thumbs off. Hold the phone by the grips with both thumbs clear of the sticks. Each stick shows as a dot, and a healthy one settles inside the dashed ring.
- Measure drift. Press Measure drift and leave the sticks alone for three seconds. Each stick gets OK, TWITCH or DRIFT when the timer runs out. No button? Your browser reports no layout for the controller, so read the dots instead.
Why test this
A clip-on controller drifts the same way a console pad does. The camera creeps or a menu scrolls by itself while your thumbs rest on the grips. The usual cause is a worn or dusty analog stick, and a controller that rides around in a bag or pocket picks up plenty of dust. Testing it is the awkward part. Most drift testers are written for a PC or a console pad, and this controller is built to hold a phone. So this one runs on the phone itself, with the controller seated the way you play. A stick that rests well past the line is a hardware problem. If both come back clean, look at the game's sensitivity and dead zone instead. Buying used? Run it before you hand over the money.
What the results mean
You get a dot inside a circle for each stick, and the dashed ring sits at 10 percent of its travel. Let go and the dot should settle inside that ring, with the X and Y numbers close to zero. Don't worry about a small leftover number. Sticks never come to rest at exactly zero. With the verdict buttons showing, Measure drift watches both sticks and both triggers for three seconds. OK means the stick never left the ring. TWITCH means it poked out for a moment. DRIFT means it sat outside for most of the run, and the verdict adds which way it leans and the dead zone that hides it. Check recenter asks for 16 pushes, all eight directions on each stick, and reads STUCK if a stick stops outside the line after a push. Without the buttons there's no verdict, so read the dots yourself. A dot that keeps resting past the ring is drift. One that only jumps out while you shift your grip is your thumb.
FAQ
- Can I test drift on the phone the controller is clipped to?
- Yes, that's what this page is for. Seat the phone in the controller and open the page in Safari on iPhone or Chrome on Android. The controller shows up once you press a face button.
- Why does the page still say Connect a controller?
- The browser waits for input before it shows a controller at all. Press A or another face button, not just a stick. If nothing appears, reload the page and press a button again.
- Does Chrome on Android give a verdict?
- Yes. Chrome reports the standard layout only for models on its own list, and clip-on controllers don't seem to be on it. For the rest, Chrome still places the sticks and triggers the standard way by its best guess, so you get Measure drift and Check recenter with a note. The left stick is always read right. If the right stick sits out at the rim while you aren't touching it, the guess is off for your model, so go by the left stick's result.
- Do I get a verdict on iPhone?
- Yes, if iOS treats it as a game controller. Safari passes it on the standard layout, which is what Measure drift and Check recenter need. iOS reports a stick near center as dead center before Safari sees it, and Apple doesn't say how wide that zone is, so the smallest drift can read as zero. The test shows a note about it.
- Can I track my controller's drift over time?
- Yes. This browser keeps every finished drift run, dated and filed under the controller name above the sticks. Start with three runs to see how much your readings move with nothing changed. Clean the stick, then run it again. You only get a change when the new reading falls outside that spread by more than the spread's own width.
- What should I do about a drifting Backbone, Kishi or GameSir?
- One TWITCH proves nothing, so measure a few times. If DRIFT keeps coming back, calibrate the stick in the maker's app if it has that option, and raise the game's dead zone to the number under the stick. Still drifting under warranty? Send the DRIFT result to the maker's support. How to fix stick drift
- Is the phone controller drift test free?
- Yes. It runs in your phone's browser, and you don't need an account or the controller maker's app.
How we measure
This page uses the same tool as the Controller Drift Test. We explain the method once, on that page: the Controller Drift Test method
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