How to Use DualShock Tools to Test and Calibrate a PlayStation Controller

Your PlayStation controller can look fine and still feel wrong when the sticks drift, sit off-center, or miss the outer edge of their range. DualShock Tools gives you a browser-based way to test and recalibrate supported PlayStation controllers from a PC or Mac. Start with testing, then write calibration data only after the live values show the problem clearly.

1. Confirm the tool and controller first

Use the community-built DualShock Calibration GUI at dualshock-tools.github.io. It is a WebHID browser tool, not a consumer installer or desktop download, and it is not affiliated with Sony or PlayStation.

DualShock Tools supports official DualShock 4, DualSense, DualSense Edge, and PS VR2 Sense controllers, though the available calibration features vary by model, and PS VR2 support is minimal and experimental. Use a PC or Mac desktop browser; phones and tablets are unsupported. Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Chromium browsers support the normal WebHID flow. Firefox requires a WebHID extension, and Firefox does not support WebHID on Linux.

Treat calibration as a controller-data fix, not a hardware repair. DualShock Tools cannot fix worn joystick parts; worn-stick drift needs hardware service or replacement.

2. Connect the controller in the browser

1. 1.Connect the controller to your PC or Mac with a USB cable. Current DualShock Tools rejects a Bluetooth connection and tells you to reconnect over USB, so use a wired connection for calibration.
2. 2.Open dualshock-tools.github.io.
3. 3.Select Connect.
4. 4.In the browser device chooser, select your controller.
5. 5.Select Pair or Connect.
6. 6.Open the Calibration tab.

That tab contains the test, live joystick readout, center calibration, range calibration, restore, and reboot controls, though which of them appear depends on your controller model.

3. Test the controller before changing data

Run Quick Test before calibration to check general controller functions: it walks the USB connector, buttons, triggers, haptics, lights, and audio, not stick center or range. Read stick position and range in Joystick Info below. Together they give you a clean baseline before you change any calibration data.

1. 1.Open Calibration.
2. 2.Select Quick Test.
3. 3.Run the listed tests.
4. 4.Review Test Summary.
5. 5.Select Close.

Next, use Joystick Info in the same tab. Watch LX, LY, RX, and RY while the sticks rest, then move each stick around the canvas. Select Normal, 10x zoom, or Check circularity depending on whether you need the regular view, a tighter center view, or an outer-range trace.

4. Recenter the sticks with quick calibration

Use quick center calibration when the live values show the stick resting off-center. It is the shortest center-calibration path in DualShock Tools, but the Calibrate stick center dropdown it uses appears only for DualSense and DualSense Edge. DualShock 4 and PS VR2 have no quick option and instead use a direct Calibrate stick center button that runs the four-step wizard in Step 5.

1. 1.Open Calibration.
2. 2.Open the Calibrate stick center dropdown.
3. 3.Choose Use quick calibration.
4. 4.Select Calibrate stick center.
5. 5.Wait while the modal shows Calibrating center and Recentering the controller sticks.
6. 6.Keep the browser window open and keep the controller connected.
7. 7.Check the result in Joystick Info.
8. 8.Select Save changes permanently when the result is correct.

5. Run four-step calibration when quick recentering is not enough

Four-step center calibration makes you set the stick center through four corner positions. On DualSense and DualSense Edge, open the Calibrate stick center dropdown and choose Use four-step calibration; on DualShock 4 and PS VR2, there is no dropdown, so select the Calibrate stick center button directly to launch the same four-step wizard. DualShock Tools warns that this calibration cannot be canceled once it starts, so finish every prompt before judging the result.

1. 1.Open Calibration.
2. 2.Open the Calibrate stick center dropdown.
3. 3.Choose Use four-step calibration.
4. 4.Select Calibrate stick center.
5. 5.Select Start.
6. 6.Move both sticks to the top-left corner, release them, then select Continue.
7. 7.Move both sticks to the top-right corner, release them, then select Continue.
8. 8.Move both sticks to the bottom-left corner, release them, then select Continue.
9. 9.Move both sticks to the bottom-right corner, release them, then select Continue.
10. 10.Check the result in Joystick Info.
11. 11.Select Save changes permanently when the result is correct.

6. Calibrate the stick range after the center is right

Range calibration is for the outer travel of the sticks. Do it after center calibration, because a bad center makes the range check harder to read.

1. 1.Open Calibration.
2. 2.Open the Calibrate stick range dropdown.
3. 3.Choose Use normal mode.
4. 4.Select Calibrate stick range.
5. 5.When Range calibration opens, rotate the sticks slowly at least two times in one direction.
6. 6.Rotate the sticks slowly at least two times in the other direction.
7. 7.Keep rotating when progress does not move.
8. 8.Select Done after it unlocks.
9. 9.Check the result with Check circularity.
10. 10.Select Save changes permanently when the result is correct.

The same menu also exposes Use expert mode. Public DualShock Tools text does not document extra expert-mode differences, so use Use normal mode for the standard range pass.

7. Fine-tune center and circularity only after normal calibration

Use Finetune stick calibration when the standard center and range passes leave a small visible error. This feature appears only for DualSense and DualSense Edge; DualShock 4 and PS VR2 do not show it. This is a manual adjustment surface, so make small changes and check the stick canvas before saving.

1. 1.Open Calibration.
2. 2.Select Finetune stick calibration.
3. 3.Choose Center with L1 to adjust the resting point.
4. 4.Move the stick to select it, release it, then use the D-pad or face buttons to move the center point.
5. 5.Choose Circularity with R1 to adjust the outer trace.
6. 6.Hold the stick straight up, down, left, and right while adjusting.
7. 7.Circle both ways until light-blue sectors appear in all four directions.
8. 8.Aim around 7-9% average circularity error.
9. 9.Select Done.
10. 10.Select Save changes permanently.

8. Save restore reboot and remove access cleanly

Do not leave a good calibration as an unsaved browser-session change. Once the live values look right, write or roll back the controller state from the controls in Calibration.

• Select Save changes permanently to write a calibration result you want to keep. On DualSense Edge this is an experimental step: the stick modules cannot be calibrated by software alone, and saving a custom calibration requires a hardware modification that temporarily disables write protection on each module. If you have not done that mod, treat an Edge calibration as temporary only.
• Select Restore calibration, then choose an entry from Calibration History when history is present. Restore is available only for DualSense and DualSense Edge, and the history is stored locally in the same browser, so use the same computer and browser, and note that clearing site data or using Incognito removes it.
• Select Reboot controller to power-cycle the controller through DualShock Tools. Unsaved changes are lost when you reboot with pending changes.

To remove Chrome HID access later, select View site information beside the address, then remove the HID device permission. You can also open More, select Settings, choose Privacy and security, open Site Settings, select Additional permissions, then choose HID devices.

On Linux, use a native .deb or .rpm Chrome or Brave build instead of Snap or Flatpak. Create /etc/udev/rules.d/99-sony-controllers.rules, add the DualSense and DualShock 4 hidraw rules from the DualShock Tools Linux instructions, run sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger, unplug the controller, refresh the page with F5, then reconnect.

9. Skip outdated calibration advice for PlayStation pads

Sony's PlayStation Accessories app for Windows updates firmware for DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers. It also supports DualSense Edge profile customization for stick sensitivity and deadzone. It does not provide analog-stick calibration for a standard DualSense or DualShock 4.

On PS5, DualSense Edge owners can tune stick sensitivity and deadzone through Settings, Accessories, DualSense Edge Wireless Controller, Custom Profiles, and Stick Sensitivity/Deadzone. Use Playtest to view sensitivity while moving the stick, then adjust Sensitivity Curve, Curve adjustment, and deadzone. On Windows, the same DualSense Edge profile tuning lives in PlayStation Accessories under Stick Sensitivity/Deadzone and Test Your Controller.

PS5 general controller settings and PS4 DUALSHOCK 4 controller settings cover vibration, controller speaker volume, light brightness, communication method, and device software surfaces. Sony's reset-button steps for DualShock 4 and DualSense are troubleshooting resets, not stick calibration.

Do not use the archived Jays2Kings DS4Windows releases as a current calibration path. Do not teach the old Steam Big Picture calibration route as a verified DualShock or DualSense fix either; Valve's current support page with those exact steps is for the 2015 Steam Controller. For current PlayStation controller calibration, use DualShock Tools for the browser-based calibration workflow, and use the current DS4Windows fork only as a third-party Windows software-layer test, profile, calibration, or deadzone workaround.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does DualShock Tools work on a phone or tablet?

No. The research lists PC or Mac desktop browsers only. Phones and tablets are unsupported.

Should I use USB or Bluetooth with DualShock Tools?

Use a USB cable. Current DualShock Tools rejects a Bluetooth-connected controller and asks you to reconnect over USB. Wire the controller to your PC or Mac, then select it in the browser device chooser and choose Connect.

What should I do before saving a calibration permanently?

Run Quick Test, check Joystick Info, and review the stick movement with Normal, 10x zoom, or Check circularity. Save only after the values and canvas look correct.

Can PlayStation Accessories calibrate a regular DualSense stick?

No. PlayStation Accessories supports firmware updates for DualSense and DualSense Edge, plus DualSense Edge stick sensitivity and deadzone profiles. It does not expose factory stick calibration for a standard DualSense.