Joystick linearity and precision test
Push one stick from center to the edge in about six seconds. We score how evenly the value grows, how fine its steps are and how much your hand shakes.
Recording starts when the stick leaves center and stops when it returns.
Sweep
Scores
Linearity
Largest deviation
Tremor
Monotonic travel
Step resolution
Distinct values
Duration
Samples
Sample rate
How to run this test
- Choose which stick and which direction you want to test.
- Press Start sweep, then push the stick from center to the edge in about six seconds.
- Let go at the end. The sweep stops on its own after the stick returns.
- Repeat in another direction to compare.
How to read the result
- Linearity
- How closely the reported value follows a straight ramp over time, from 0 to 100. Scores above 95 mean the output grows evenly. Lower scores point to a sticky spot, a jump or a curve built into the controller firmware.
- Tremor
- Small reversals while you push, mostly from your own hand. Use it to compare runs, not controllers.
- Step resolution and distinct values
- The smallest change the browser saw and how many unique positions you passed through. Coarse steps make tiny aim adjustments jump instead of glide.
- Monotonic travel
- The share of samples that moved in the direction you were pushing. A value well below 100 percent while moving steadily suggests a noisy sensor.
Questions about this test
- Why test linearity at all?
- Drift tests look at a stick at rest and circularity looks at the edge. Linearity looks at everything in between, which is where aiming happens.
- Why is my result different every run?
- Your thumb is part of the measurement. Run three sweeps at a steady pace and compare the best one, or use a slow, even push.
- Some controllers have a curve. Is that a fault?
- No. Some controllers and modes shape the response on purpose. A smooth curve gives a lower linearity score but no jumps; jumps and flat zones are the real problem.