# Custom joystick building anyone?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-joystick-building-anyone/493029>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [April 14, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-joystick-building-anyone/493029 "2009-04-14T03:29:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-joystick-building-anyone/493029/1 "2009-04-14T03:29:51Z")

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Anyone on here ever built one? I’m thinking about trying to put one together. Any tips or advice? Should an electrical engineer be able to handle this project? How do I get one to work with my 360?

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**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-joystick-building-anyone/493029/2 "2009-04-14T20:34:58Z")

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I dunno about joysticks, but I’m in the process of building a custom game controller[(like so)](http://www.n52te.com/) since the tiny selection on the market all displease me in one way or another. No electrical engineer is needed though, because of [this.](http://www.u-hid.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=4)

It has inputs for analogue joystick support, and there are various small joysticks you can find around the net for thumbpads. There are also cheaper boards available that have fewer bells and whistles. Best part is its already got all the software you need as well.

As for getting it on the 360… no idea. For PC its cake though.

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**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-joystick-building-anyone/493029/3 "2009-04-17T07:37:17Z")

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> [@Cubsfan](#):
>
> Anyone on here ever built one? I’m thinking about trying to put one together. Any tips or advice? Should an electrical engineer be able to handle this project? How do I get one to work with my 360?

Hi,

What you will need to do is buy a 360 controller that is hackable so you can use the PCB inside of it to connect it to your arcade stick controls. The cheapest common ground one is the mad catz arcade retro stick, if you can find them, about 20 or so (I got one for 11 at fry’s), or you can use a wired official pad, or a gamestop pad.

You don’t need to be an electronics wiz to do it, IMO unless you are modding a pre-made box, making the box is much harder than the electronics work. You will need to know how to solder though.

a great site for info is [slagcoin.com](http://slagcoin.com) (not my site).

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**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-joystick-building-anyone/493029/4 "2009-04-19T00:25:35Z")

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> [@CutterJohn](#):
>
> I dunno about joysticks, but I’m in the process of building a custom game controller[(like so)](http://www.n52te.com/) since the tiny selection on the market all displease me in one way or another. No electrical engineer is needed though, because of [this.](http://www.u-hid.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=4)
> 
> It has inputs for analogue joystick support, and there are various small joysticks you can find around the net for thumbpads. There are also cheaper boards available that have fewer bells and whistles. Best part is its already got all the software you need as well.
> 
> As for getting it on the 360… no idea. For PC its cake though.

[http://www.ergodex.com/mainpage.htm](http://www.ergodex.com/mainpage.htm)

dude this thing rules on a level I cannot even begin to explain.

to the OP I once made a custom joystick…for my Commodore 64. I imagine the best way would be the same, take apart a standard controller and use the electronics for the custom one.