Controller vibration not working? How to test and fix it

Why your controller doesn't vibrate

If your controller doesn't vibrate in a game, there are three places the problem can be: the game, the software between the game and the controller, or the motors themselves. On PC the first two are by far the most common. Games often have vibration switched off in their options, Steam Input can take over the controller and change what reaches it, and some connections pass button presses through but not rumble.

The quickest way to tell them apart is to take the game out of the picture. The controller vibration test sends rumble straight to the controller from the browser. If both motors work there, the controller is fine and the problem is a setting. If a motor stays silent, keep reading.

body motors on most controllers: heavy left, light right

2

strength range a page can set for each motor

0–1.0

longest single effect the test plays; Chrome rejects longer

5 s

How to test controller rumble in your browser

Use Chrome or Edge on a desktop computer. Firefox can see controllers but gives web pages no way to make them vibrate.

1. Connect the controller by USB or Bluetooth and open the controller vibration test.
2. Press any button on the controller. Browsers hide controllers from a page until a button is pressed.
3. Check the Rumble tile. Yes means the browser can drive this controller's motors. No means it can't, which is a browser limit, not a fault.
4. Press Heavy (left) motor, then Light (right) motor, and feel which grip vibrates each time.
5. Press Both motors, then try Pulse pattern to check the motors start and stop cleanly.
6. Move the Heavy motor and Light motor sliders from low to high and press Play at each step. A healthy motor gets stronger smoothly as you raise it.

The test can only confirm the effect was sent. You have to feel or hear the vibration yourself to know a motor works.

Which browsers support gamepad vibration?

Rumble from a web page works in Chrome, Edge and Opera. Safari on Mac lists support from version 16.4, but not on iPhone or iPad. Firefox doesn't support it, so the test will show the controller but report that vibration isn't supported.

Even in Chrome, some controllers don't expose their motors to the browser. Many generic and third-party pads report no rumble at all, and support can change between USB and Bluetooth. If the page says vibration isn't supported here, that tells you about the browser and connection, not about the motors. Try the other connection type before drawing any conclusion.

If the controller doesn't appear at all, check the basics in the gamepad test first: it shows whether the browser can see the controller and its buttons.

Heavy motor vs light motor

Most controllers have two body motors. The heavy motor sits in the left grip and gives a deep, low-frequency rumble. The light motor sits in the right grip and gives a faster, higher buzz. Games mix the two, so a controller with one dead motor often still vibrates, just weakly or with the wrong feel.

That's why testing each motor on its own matters. If the heavy preset gives nothing but the light one works, you've found the fault. Xbox One and Xbox Series controllers also have small motors in the triggers. On controllers that report them, the test's Body + triggers option and the Left trigger and Right trigger sliders let you check those too.

Why doesn't my PS5 or Xbox controller vibrate on PC?

If the motors work in the browser but not in a game, work through these:

• Game settings. Look for a vibration or rumble option in the game's controller settings. It's often off by default on PC, or turns off when the game thinks you're using a keyboard.
• Steam Input. When you launch a game through Steam, Steam can translate your controller into a different one. Rumble usually passes through, but per-game Steam Input settings can break it. Open the game's controller settings in Steam and try turning Steam Input on or off for that game, then test again.
• Other remapping tools. Programs that make a PlayStation controller appear as an Xbox controller sit between the game and the controller. Close them, or check their rumble option.
• Bluetooth vs USB. Try the other connection. Some setups pass buttons and sticks over Bluetooth but not rumble, and a USB cable rules out pairing issues. Use a data cable, not a charge-only one.
• Battery. A low battery can weaken or stop rumble on wireless controllers. Charge it and test again.

The DualSense also has haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which are separate from basic rumble. Many PC games only use them over a USB connection, and browsers can't drive them at all, so a missing haptic effect over Bluetooth isn't a sign of a fault.

Check the controller's own vibration setting

Some controllers and consoles have their own vibration switch that carries over. On PS5, vibration intensity is set under Accessories in the console's Settings. On Xbox, the Xbox Accessories app on Windows or console can change vibration for a controller profile. If you've used the controller on a console, check it isn't set to off or very low.

Updating the controller's firmware is worth doing too. Use the Xbox Accessories app for Xbox controllers, or the PS5's Accessories settings for a DualSense.

When it's a hardware fault

A motor is probably faulty if all of these are true: the Rumble tile says Yes, the controller is charged, and one motor gives no vibration at any strength over both USB and Bluetooth. A motor that only starts at high strength, rattles, or grinds is also on its way out.

A dropped controller can knock a motor's weight loose or break a solder joint. Under warranty, contact the manufacturer. Out of warranty, a repair shop can replace a rumble motor cheaply compared with the controller, and while it's open they can check the sticks. If your sticks are also misbehaving, our stick drift guide covers that, and the stick circularity guide explains what the numbers mean.

Next, check the rest of the controller

Once rumble works, test everything else before you put the controller back in use. Check every button and trigger in the PS5 controller test or the Xbox controller test, then trace both sticks in the stick circularity test. After any repair, run the controller vibration test once more to confirm both motors respond.