How do I verify if my controller is working?

The best way to verify the controller is working is to pull up a joystick testing screen.

In Windows, press the Windows+R key combination. Type joy.cpl and press Enter. You should see Yawman Arrow in the list. Double click on it and then the Test tab. Move every single button and control, verifying each one moves to their full range. Please note the thumbstick may appear to have a slight bias in this screen, but it should not be an issue in the simulator.

If the controller is not behaving predictably or normally, go to Settings and then Reset to Default. Only perform the Windows joystick calibration if warranted (see Should I run Windows joystick calibration?). This should solve a number of common issues.

On macOS, we recommend using Joystick Show to pull up a similar test screen tool. macOS to our knowledge does not have OS-level calibration features.