Deadzone test.
Set a deadzone and see whether it hides your stick drift.
Works with PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch Pro, 8BitDo and most PC gamepads.
What is a deadzone?
A deadzone is the area around the stick centre that a game ignores. It hides the small offset almost every stick has at rest – and stick drift, as long as the drift stays inside it.
Radial, axial and anti-deadzone
- Radial – a circle: the stick only counts once its distance from the centre passes the value. It feels the same in every direction.
- Axial – each axis on its own: X and Y are zeroed separately. That makes a cross shape, and small diagonal moves snap to straight lines.
- Anti-deadzone – the opposite: an offset that makes the game react to the very first bit of stick travel, used to cancel a game’s built-in deadzone.
How to choose a value
Run the stick drift test and take its suggested deadzone: the peak resting offset plus 2 points, rounded up. Then check here that both dots stay inside the ring at rest. Above 25 % a deadzone swallows too much real movement – the stick needs cleaning or repair.
Where to set it
- In the game – many games have an inner-deadzone slider in their controller settings.
- Steam Input – a game’s controller layout has its own deadzone settings per stick, and the game may add its own on top.
- DualSense Edge – custom profiles have a deadzone per stick under Stick Sensitivity/Deadzone.
- Xbox Elite Series 2 – profiles change stick curves, but Microsoft’s guide lists no stick deadzone, so use the game’s.
Why too large a deadzone hurts aiming
Everything inside the deadzone is lost. Small aim corrections stop registering and fine aiming feels sluggish. Use the smallest value that keeps the dot inside the ring.
Deadzone FAQ
What deadzone should I use for stick drift?
The smallest one that hides your measured drift: the stick drift test suggests the peak offset plus 2 points. For minor drift (under 8 %) that is 10 % or less.
What is a good deadzone?
As small as possible without your character moving on its own. For a stick without drift (under 3 %) our formula gives 5 % or less.
Radial or axial – which is better?
Radial suits aiming and free movement because it treats every direction the same. Axial can hide drift on one axis, but it makes small diagonal moves snap to straight lines.
Does a deadzone fix stick drift?
No, it only hides it. Drift from wear usually gets worse, so retest now and then and see how to fix stick drift.
Why does the dot leave the ring when I don’t touch the stick?
Then the drift is larger than the deadzone and would show in games. Raise the value until the dot turns green, or use the suggested value.
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