Trigger Pressure Test — analog trigger range checker
A trigger pressure test measures how accurately your controller’s analog triggers report pull strength across their full travel. Our free browser-based tester reads LT/L2 and RT/R2 values via the Gamepad API at full refresh rate, then evaluates resting drift, maximum reach, travel smoothness, dead spots, and recovery. Works with Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and any standard USB or Bluetooth gamepad with analog triggers.
How the trigger pressure test works
Connect your controller
Plug in via USB or pair over Bluetooth. Press any button to wake the controller — browsers hide gamepad input until a button press for privacy.
Phase 1 — Resting baseline (2 seconds)
Release both triggers completely. The test averages the value reported during this window. A healthy resting value is below 0.020; anything higher indicates sensor drift or a stuck trigger.
Phase 2 — Travel sweep (8 seconds)
Slowly pull each trigger to its mechanical stop, then release. The test records the entire sample stream to evaluate maximum reach, the worst gap between adjacent samples (smoothness), and any plateaus that indicate dead spots in the sensor range.
Phase 3 — Recovery check (2 seconds)
After release, the test measures how long each trigger takes to return below 0.020. Sticky recovery indicates spring fatigue or sensor hysteresis — a precursor to full failure.
Read your verdict
Each trigger gets its own verdict based on the worst of its four metrics. The composite verdict is the worst of the two. Detailed per-trigger cards show the sparkline, dead-spot ranges, and specific failure reasons.
What the numbers mean
Each trigger is evaluated on four metrics. The worst metric determines the trigger’s verdict; the worst of the two triggers determines the overall verdict.
| Metric | Verdict | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Resting value | Sensor at rest | Healthy ≤ 0.020 · Mildly worn 0.020–0.050 · Degraded 0.050–0.100 · Failed > 0.100 |
| Maximum reach | Full pull value | Healthy ≥ 0.990 · Mildly worn 0.950–0.990 · Degraded 0.900–0.950 · Failed < 0.900 |
| Travel smoothness | Worst sample-to-sample gap | Healthy ≤ 0.030 · Mildly worn 0.030–0.070 · Degraded 0.070–0.150 · Failed > 0.150 |
| Recovery | Time to return below 0.020 | Healthy ≤ 200ms · Mildly worn ≤ 500ms · Degraded ≤ 1000ms · Failed > 1000ms or stuck |
Compatible devices
The trigger pressure test works with any controller whose analog triggers are exposed at button indices 6 and 7. Verified models:
Common repair guides
Related diagnostics
Trigger Pressure questions
A trigger pressure test verifies that your controller’s analog triggers report values accurately across their full travel range. It checks four things: that the triggers report zero at rest, reach near 1.0 when fully pulled, travel smoothly between those endpoints without jumps or dead spots, and return cleanly to zero after release. Any failure across these four metrics indicates wear or damage.
A healthy controller reports an analog trigger value of 0.020 or lower when at rest. Values between 0.020 and 0.050 indicate mild sensor drift or a spring that has lost tension. Values above 0.100 are usually caused by debris in the trigger mechanism or a failing potentiometer and produce phantom input in games — the trigger registers a slight pull even when untouched.
Maximum reach below 0.990 usually means physical wear on the trigger’s mechanical stop or sensor degradation. The most common cause is dust or debris preventing the trigger from fully depressing. If cleaning doesn’t restore full reach, the trigger module needs replacement. This issue is critical for racing games and shooters where partial throttle or trigger response affects gameplay.
A dead spot is a range of trigger travel where the reported value doesn’t change despite physical movement. Our test flags any plateau of three or more consecutive samples within 0.005 of each other (excluding the rest and max positions). Dead spots are a hallmark of failing potentiometer-based triggers — the carbon strip inside has worn unevenly. Hall effect triggers are immune to this failure mode.
Slow recovery — anything over 200ms to return below 0.020 — indicates spring fatigue, debris in the mechanism, or sensor hysteresis. Hysteresis is a property of worn potentiometers where the reported value lags the physical position. Sticky recovery is a precursor to full trigger failure and warrants either cleaning, a spring replacement, or a Hall effect upgrade.
Partially. Our test measures the analog range of the triggers regardless of whether adaptive resistance is active. If your DualSense has active resistance loaded by a game profile, your maximum reach may legitimately fall short — test with the controller in default state. For dedicated adaptive trigger function tests (resistance feedback, weapon-mode haptics), use our separate Adaptive Trigger Test.
Hall effect triggers use magnetic sensors instead of physical carbon strips, which eliminates the wear that causes trigger drift, dead spots, and reduced maximum reach. Several aftermarket pads ship with Hall effect triggers as a default, and replacement modules exist for most major controllers. The tradeoff is higher cost — Hall effect modules typically run $15–30 versus $5–10 for potentiometer replacements.
No. Joy-Cons use digital shoulder buttons (ZL/ZR) rather than analog triggers — they report only 0.0 or 1.0 with no intermediate values. Use our Button Test for Joy-Con shoulder buttons. The trigger pressure test only applies to controllers with true analog triggers, which includes the Switch Pro Controller but not the standard Joy-Con.
How we measure trigger pressure
Built on the Gamepad API specification. Four-metric verdict model validated against repair-shop trigger diagnostics. Methodology published by GPADLAB Engineering.
Run the full Controller Health Score
This test is one of six diagnostics in the composite score. See how your controller stacks up overall.
Run the Benchmark