Rany Battikh

Hall Effect N64 Analog Stick Kit by Retro-Bit

Posted on by Rany Battikh

Retro-bit has recently open pre-orders for a hall effect analog stick kit for OEM N64 controllers:  https://retrorgb.link/rbhalln64

Hall effect joysticks have been taking the modern controller world by storm for the past year. Many renowned 3rd party controller makers have jumped on the hall effect hype train, with the sole purpose of offering a robust alternative to the notorious drifting stick issue that has been plaguing quite a few modern controllers. That being said, older 1st party controllers with analog sticks from the 5th and 6th generation of consoles, almost never suffered from drifting as we know it today. They had their own set of problems, sure, but not joy-con like drifting.

Perhaps the best example of analog sticks that have aged poorly is the back-then revolutionary N64 thumb stick. With time and as a result of repeated wear and tear N64 thumb sticks can get loose and/or lose their responsiveness. Thanks to their electromagnetic friction-less nature, hall effect joysticks can serve as an ideal solution for circumventing N64 stick long-term reliability issues.

The new hall effect analog stick repair module by Retro-bit is a drop-in replacement that is styled after their Tribute64 Gamecube-like stick. Installing it into a N64 controller won’t take more than a few minutes and just requires a screwdriver. The kit is priced at $15 + shipping, and expected to ship in Q4 2023.

It is worth mentioning that many N64 stick replacement kits that have come out throughout the years couldn’t accurately replicate the original stick degrees of movement. And hall effect joysticks in particular, if not built right, could have a sizable external dead zone. I’m definitely not implying anything about Retro-bit‘s new analog stick kit, mainly because I haven’t tested it yet, but it’s best to keep one’s expectations in check.

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