Vibration needs Chrome or Edge on a computer, ideally over USB. Safari and Firefox rarely expose rumble, so a silent pad there proves nothing. Everything runs locally in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Connect by USB where possible. Rumble is exposed most reliably over a cable in Chrome or Edge. Press any button so the page can see the pad.
Press Vibration test. The tester asks the pad for a short burst on both motors, the heavy one and the light one. Hold the pad loosely so you can feel each side.
Check the message. The line under the buttons says whether the request was accepted, refused by the browser or not supported for this pad. Only an accepted request with no movement points at the pad.
Test the rest of the pad. While it is connected, press every button and run the drift test, since a pad with a dead motor often has other wear.
Request accepted, pad moved. Both motors work. If a game is silent, check the vibration setting in the game and in the console accessibility menu.
Request accepted, nothing moved. A motor, its cable or the connector on the board has failed, or the pad was in a low power mode. Try a different cable and a fresh battery first.
Only one side moved. One motor has failed. They are replaced individually.
Browser refused or not supported. The browser, not the pad. Try Chrome or Edge with a USB cable before assuming a fault.
Trigger rumble on Xbox pads. Browsers only drive the two main motors. Trigger motors can only be checked on the console.
Each motor spins a small weight on a shaft. Drops, liquid and years of use wear the bearing or break the thin wire that feeds it, and a pad that has been opened before often has a motor connector left loose. Replacing a motor is a short bench job, and we check the sticks, triggers and battery at the same time. See the controller repair prices for every pad we fix.
Rumble motors, sticks, triggers and ports replaced on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo pads. Kings Cross 24/7 or post it in with a free DPD label.
Chrome only exposes DualSense rumble reliably over USB. Plug it in and try again before assuming the motors are gone.
The Pro Controller and Joy-Con use HD rumble, which browsers cannot drive. Test those on the console under Controllers and Sensors.
Then the motors are fine. Check the game settings, the console accessibility menu and, on PlayStation, the vibration intensity setting.
A motor that barely moves is worn or has a loose weight. Replacing it restores full strength.
No. Everything happens in your browser.
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