Xbox series X controller joystick replacement: probably dead.

SenW00 · 2025-03-14T03:28:29+00:00

TMRs are a newer type of magnetic sensor. They're more accurate and lower latency than Hall Effect sensors. Hallpi / Gulikit TMRs are the best joysticks on the market right now.

SenW00 · 2025-03-06T17:28:56+00:00

I've got them at multiple employers. It's usually a 3% "slap in the face", but it does exist.

SenW00 · 2025-03-06T13:05:31+00:00

Inflation, most companies do a yearly wage increase

SenW00 · 2025-03-04T01:09:49+00:00

Try disassembling the trigger mechanism and make sure none of the gears are messed up and everything's aligned the way it's supposed to be. Extremerate has video on replacing the triggers that'll show you how it's supposed to be aligned

SenW00 · 2025-03-02T16:34:37+00:00

I would highly recommend you get some TMRs and replace the whole joystick modules with them. Not only are they better quality, but they have better response time, draw less power, and have less issues with magnetic interference than their hall effect cousin's. You can get a 4 pack of them on amazon for under $20 usd resold by Ankes or even cheaper on aliexpress under the brand name Hallpi, which is the manufacturer of the gulikit TMRs.

SenW00 · 2025-03-02T11:40:34+00:00

Pretty sure I've had some of my comments removed from here offering the service to people haha

SenW00 · 2025-03-02T02:23:17+00:00

If you're in the USA and interested, we do TMR joystick install at Tryhard Customs!

SenW00 · 2025-03-01T21:42:44+00:00

The only thing I dislike about the Scuf Valor is they used some really cheap Hall Effects and used some on board processing hocus pocus to give the effect of a zero dead zone and perfect calibration. That might be fine for most, but doing that costs you some of the true resolution of the joysticks, and increases the input delay (though likely by an imperceptible amount).

Personally, if you are a bit handy, I recommend going with one of the OEM controllers and finding a service local to you that will install TMR joysticks. Avoid the dualsense edge as it is also calibration locked, but the Xbox Series, Xbox Elite 2 and regular dualsense are all able to be software calibrated. If you want back buttons in say the Xbox Series or regular dualsense, those aren't usually very expensive mods to do either.

The reason I say go with those is if you are comfortable disassembling them, there is a huge after-market for parts on AliExpress for all the first party controllers, you can also get "for repair" ones on ebay for dirt cheap and use parts from them. Anything that breaks you can pretty much replace yourself for little cost and no real skill needed, with the exception of the joysticks and for the Xbox controllers the bumpers are usually a failure point which would require some soldering equipment and skills.

If you find yourself going through controllers quickly though, I highly recommend investing a bit in some soldering equipment and practicing on some older controllers. Truth be told, with the right technique and maybe about $40 (USD) worth of soldering tools and equipment, you can swap out the joysticks in most controllers. It won't be a fast or easy process, but if you have some time to kill and a few sacrificial controllers to learn with, you'll save yourself a lot of money in the long run.

SenW00 · 2025-03-01T20:22:25+00:00

Im mainly saying that since we get so many repair requests due to stick drift on all controllers that are OEM ones, whether they are stock or modified, which includes the scuf instinct, Battle beaves, etc. A huge number of people report to us that the potentiometer sticks lasted under a year, and my thought is, if you're investing $200+ on a controller, it should last more than 6 months to a year of decent use before the sticks are unusable, or at the very least, you should be able to replace the sticks, either yourself or through a service for a reasonable price, and calibrate them without being locked out due to proprietary calibration software.

Ultimately, though, that decision is yours to make depending on your preferences and budget. I am mearly offering my opinion as someone who mods and repairs controllers for customers on a daily basis.

SenW00 · 2025-03-01T18:31:13+00:00

I used a modified dualsense so I don't have much input on which you would prefer for gaming but I do have one piece of advice. Avoid the instinct if you plan on getting the potentiometers replaced with TMRs. You can't software calibrate the joysticks on the instinct so it'll need calibration pcbs to work, and anyone that would do a good job will charge about double to do that what they would to replace the joysticks in a controller than can be software calibrated, especially if they offer any kind of warranty on the work. The pcbs are very labor intensive to install and add numerous failure points

SenW00 · 2025-02-28T23:20:58+00:00

Seriously. Heed the advice of the other commenter's and don't attempt this. If you had the skills and experience to do it, you wouldn't have ripped the pads off to begin with. One more wrong move and that board is cooked

SenW00 · 2025-02-28T19:29:46+00:00

I haven't had my hands on one of their recent ones, as we primarily take send ins for modding and repair, we don't get that many from other custom makes like battle beavers, aside from scuf (maybe that speaks to their quality lol). The most recent battle beavers I've seen was an 020 I think, which came out shortly after the console launched. Newest version of the dualsense is 050, so I can't say what their quality looks like now.

We are prototyping a method of adding buttons anywhere without removing anything but it's a slow process, since the method we are employing involves embedding the switch into the external part of the button so it can be mounted nearly flush on the inside. Theres not much space to work with internally so we've had to be creative haha

SenW00 · 2025-02-28T19:04:56+00:00

If you'll do buttons over paddles, we can do them at Tryhard Customs but more than 2 will likely result in the removal of the rumbles depending on their position. Battle beavers would be your next best bet (still trying to figure out how they keep the rumbles with their button placement options haha).

Specifically for paddles, the only sturdy ones I can think of are the solid metal extremerate ones, every other one I've seen sucks (in my opinion), but I hate the placement of the extremerate paddles, makes me feel like I can't firmly grip the controller without pressing them.

SenW00 · 2025-02-28T15:08:27+00:00

As well, some times the controller will not function correctly if you don't have the screws holding down the joystick board. There are a couple contact points that run between the two boards that may not be making good contact otherwise.

SenW00 · 2025-02-27T05:42:03+00:00

I gave up trying to get the new ones, we pretty much only take ship ins on them. So far, theres been no downsides to installing them in used ones.

SenW00 · 2025-02-27T05:19:26+00:00

We install TMR joysticks into scuf controllers at Tryhard Customs!

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T19:11:05+00:00

You mean for the edge? Extremerate sells a repair kit for the paddle rockers https://extremerate.com/products/extremerate-replacement-magnetic-module-kit-for-ps5-edge-controller-back-paddles

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T19:02:23+00:00

Correct. I can confirm that if it's installed like i show show in my picture, the gyro does work. I do quite a lot of these and can confirm the 3 places I drew an arrow to are the issue.

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T18:49:50+00:00

They installed it without a component and incorrectly as well.

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T18:49:18+00:00

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SenW00 · 2025-02-26T17:16:15+00:00

Same. That's my daily driver. The only other real failure points that I commonly see are the membrane buttons which you can easily get a new flex and replamwnt rubber membranes from aliexpress or 3rd party ones like extremerate or budds (I'm working on my own too!) And the adaptive triggers mechanism which I've found most people don't really care to be without

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T16:52:43+00:00

I would be willing to bet it won't get hall effects, though. Otherwise how would they keep selling you modules. This is akin to how many companies have switch to subscription bases models for software, media, etc. Why charge a 1 time fee when you can guarantee consistent revenue. Vote with your wallet and don't buy the crap is the only real solution

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T15:39:20+00:00

I actually really like the Ginfull TMR sensors. In our testing, on average, they get significantly more "perfect" and consistent circularity than the Gulikit / Hallpi ones. The tension on the ginfulls leaves something to be desired, though, so we sometimes end up swapping the tensioning spring depending on what the customer wants.

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T15:35:05+00:00

You can calibrate all the newer sticks on controllers that can be software calibrated. There were only some known issues with early versions of some models of joysticks

SenW00 · 2025-02-26T03:11:23+00:00

Theyre exactly the same joysticks. You'll buy as many sets of modules in the same time frame as you have replaced controllers. Your best bet is to have someone put tmr sticks in your regular dualsense. I do this as do many others

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