Wrong buttons on the overlay
The controller is detected, but the overlay does not match your hands. Almost every case comes down to how the controller is presented to the browser, and each one has a direct fix.
The short version
- Open the gamepad tester first: if it shows non-standard mapping, the browser does not recognize the layout of your controller.
- Remapping apps such as Steam Input or DS4Windows cause most mismatches. Turn them off to test.
- Controllers with several modes, such as 8BitDo, work best in their X-input mode on PC.
How do I see what the browser receives?
Open the gamepad tester and press each button. It shows the mapping the browser uses. With standard mapping, every controller is numbered the same way and the overlay lines up. With non-standard mapping, the browser could not match your controller to the common layout, and some buttons land in the wrong place. The numbering itself is explained in How are buttons numbered?
Why does the overlay light the wrong button?
- A remapping app is active. Steam Input and DS4Windows can present your PlayStation controller as an Xbox one, and a custom Steam layout moves buttons around. Close the app, or turn off Steam Input for that controller, then test again.
- A Nintendo layout. On Switch controllers, A and B, X and Y are physically swapped compared with Xbox. The overlay follows the position of the button, not the letter printed on it.
- A generic controller. Cheap or unbranded pads often report a non-standard mapping. If the tester confirms it, switch the controller to an X-input mode if it has one, or use a controller the browser recognizes.
Why is a trigger stuck at half or not moving?
- Stuck at half, or both triggers on one value: the controller is read through an older driver mode that merges L2 and R2 into a single axis. Use a USB cable or the official wireless connection, and turn off remapping apps.
- Jumping straight to 100%: the trigger is read as a simple button instead of an analog value. It is typical of non-standard mapping or of pads without analog triggers.
- Never reaching 100%: check the maximum dead zone in your link settings, see Link settings, and test the trigger in the gamepad tester.
Why does the D-pad not light up?
Some controllers report the D-pad as a single direction value instead of four buttons. The browser then sees it as an axis, and the overlay has no button to light. This almost always comes with non-standard mapping: the fixes are the same as for swapped buttons, starting with the connection mode and remapping apps.
What about Switch Pro and 8BitDo controllers?
- Switch Pro: connect it by USB or Bluetooth directly, with Steam closed. Steam can take over the controller and change what the browser receives.
- 8BitDo and other multi-mode controllers: they start in a mode chosen at power-on, such as X-input, D-input, Switch or macOS. On a PC, use X-input: it gives the standard mapping. The button combination for each mode is in the controller's manual.
Which setups cause which mismatch?
| Setup | What you see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| DualSense with Steam open and Steam Input on | Buttons move, or the pad behaves like an Xbox controller | In Steam, Settings, Controller, turn off Steam Input for PlayStation controllers, or close Steam |
| DualShock 4 with DS4Windows | Two controllers at once: the real one and a virtual Xbox one | Hide the real one with HidHide, or close DS4Windows |
| Unbranded USB controller | The tester shows non-standard mapping | Switch it to X-input if it has a mode switch |
| 8BitDo in D-input or Switch mode | D-pad does nothing, buttons shifted | Restart it in X-input mode |
What if two controllers are connected?
The overlay may pick a different controller from the one in your hands. That includes virtual controllers created by Steam or DS4Windows, which look like real ones to the browser. Unplug or turn off every controller you are not using, then press a button on yours.
Still wrong?
Write to us from the support page with your controller model, how it is connected, and what the gamepad tester shows for the button that looks wrong. If the controller is not detected at all, see Controller not detected instead.
The gamepad tester shows the mapping and every input in seconds.
Open the gamepad tester