Drift-Proofing First-Party Gamepads: Gulikit TMR Stick Review + Tutorial

[@Nerrel]

9:20 The #0 and #1 sizes were based on the Phillips drivers I was cheating with, if you have JIS tools you should start with #00 instead. 10:51 Ignore the "my right" graphic in this shot, the clip was supposed to be flipped relative to what you're seeing. Lift from the THX2 ALLGAMEFANS side. Also, THX 2 all game fans.

[@mix3k818]

I wonder what your thoughts are on the state of AAA games. It looks like the really bad stuff is finally flopping lately.

[@inazuka5672]

could you tell me what song is playing at 5:10? It seems like Tom Jobim's waves and Zelda remix (🙂🔪 not asking)

[@CosmicTornado1]

You also mentioned that people should use “an old toothbrush” to clean up the flux residue. I have never soldered before, but I’ve heard that if you ever use a toothbrush during this process it needs to be a clean, new one. An old toothbrush could be misconstrued to be one that’s had toothpaste on it before, and that could damage the board (from my understanding). Maybe I’m the idiot here, but that was just a concern I had

[@armaxxx]

What about the "you bad boy" at 11:48? should I ignore that one too?

[@detoi4371]

Hey, did you get the updated Switch Pro revision, or are these dual-purpose for Dualsense and Switch Pro? The combo SKU is borked on switch.

[@realkingofantarctica]

They used to call me the "Drift King" back on the assembly line.

[@MaximumRK]

RTGame and Nerrel actually uploaded the same exact second for their most recent vids, funnily enough

[@rawtoast1112]

I love RT he's so funny

[@JerryDX]

​@@MaximumRKIt wasn't?? There's a gap of at least 30 minutes.

[@GIR177]

GAS GAS GAS

[@YZYGWD]

Donkey kong?

[@KennethConnally-np9it]

Nerrel could describe grain shipping regulations for 20 minutes and it would be hilarious and worth watching 3 times

[@SurgicalSituation]

I was just about to comment this. I don't know why but this guys content is so damn rewatchable, even though he talks monotone and his content is dull geek stuff.

[@ShakerGER]

Yeah I am sad about the text to speech in the assembly; I am glad I don't need the guide. :)

[@pphead9960]

I was just thinking about that. If he was my teacher I’d probably get an A

[@MathewWithOne_T]

@@ShakerGER it was still hilarious though

[@TheGreyJayLP]

​@MathewWithOne_T for real, I didn't think I'd watch the tutorial today lmao

[@Cinnacal]

So happy that Nerrel stopped using that text-to-speech voice from all his other videos and started using his real one instead

[@Herrikias]

He really came alive during the breakdown tutorial. He's finally getting comfortable with narration, and I can't wait for him to liven up future videos!

[@cliffturbo2146]

How can you tell?

[@ZeroCiero]

Game reviewer, tingle rater, controller fixer. Nerrel is a real renaissance man

[@OnTheArchipelago]

Well said

[@CornFarmer64]

Nerrel for president

[@dirrdevil]

I am your 69th like. Just saying. 😉

[@FeiYenKnDna]

I'm sorry to hear you have Long Covid. But thank you for talking about it. Not a lot of people do so thanks for that. It can be awful. I hope it gets better for you.

[@crazynaut223]

"If this still doesn't work, then god damn it man" I love hearing Nerrel on the other side of the TTS

[@bryal7811]

I think Nerrel personally connected with that last AI voice, so much so that I can't tell them apart anymore.

[@Slipdash]

I love how you gave them all different personalities lmao

[@Maguarkwo671]

This planned obselence NEEDS to be made ILLEGAL in EVERY country. It is absolutely disgusting that the customer needs to go out of their way to fix these issues. Not everybody has the skill or knowledge to install hall sticks.

[@dangdudedan8756]

good luck

[@friendofp.24]

I'd imagine it's difficult to objectively prove a company is intentionally making products to fail. But we all know they are.

[@chemergency]

I'm honestly planning to just quit gaming altogether and focus on my 30+ year backlog of retro games for the rest of my life once this generation is over or once FFVII Remake Part 3 or Half-Life 3 comes out and I've played it. Video games blow ass now and aren't going to be worth keeping up with for much longer.

[@poleve5409]

​@@chemergencybro maybe you just play bad games

[@poleve5409]

​@@chemergencywe're getting a new mario and luigi game

[@seraaron]

This is so much work for something that should have been fixed from stock. I've tried replacing the sticks on a drifty PS5 controller and even with my proper soldering station, hot air, etc, I still couldn't get one of the sticks to work properly. It was so easy to muck something up, like accidentally removing a microscopic resistor

[@ibrahimtamimi7561]

bro im tellin u rn dont even try to work on sony controllers they r hell

[@icyjiub2228]

That sucks that you couldn't get them to work, I sound like an asshole here, but I soldered some less expensive Hall effects in my Dualsense, as the first soldering project in several years and was able to calibrate them to great effect.

[@jorge69696]

Maybe you skipped the calibration part.

[@shrekrecker]

ps4 controllers are pretty easy​@@ibrahimtamimi7561

[@GerstnerBoi]

This happened to me too. My pro controller had drift for months, bought replacement part and attempted to fix it. While it worked to an extent it came with its own problems.

[@andreighinescu4946]

the "That Tears of The Kingdom was not very good" small print was very clever

[@Name_cannot_be_blank]

i love when he does stuff like that

[@Icarus975]

@@Name_cannot_be_blankwhat part of the video is it shown

[@Antigen__]

​@@Icarus9758:36

[@spacewhalemilk]

And accurate. TOTK exacerbated BOTW's flaws, while removing what made it good. (IMO)

[@HOTD108_]

​@@spacewhalemilkSuch as?

[@DeceivingStareYTP]

Nerrel's random edits / memes that pop up remind me how classical music composers would add loud af orchestral hits to jolt the audience awake

[@CyberKnightProbably]

We live in the timeline where the LEADING game companies now put out hardware that speed runs their lifespan on usage.

[@Bluesine_R]

Yeah, it’s disgusting

[@CorruptedDogg]

And consumers just keep buying new controllers as replacements instead of holding these companies accountable.

[@eighteen-naked-cowboys]

@@CorruptedDoggOh fuck off this isn't the consumers fault. What do you expect? people stop using their $500 console because the controllers keep breaking?

[@poleve5409]

​@@CorruptedDoggwhat are you even supposed to do then?

[@Awesome_Nova]

​@poleve5409 By not buying their products, I guess. But as an individual, you don't have enough power to a corporation's policies, and trying to convince millions of individuals who consume products via operant conditioning to independently stop comsuming is a waste of time. More effective tools are organized, targeted boycotts, legal action, and regulations, but those require a lot more effort to do than one individual can do

[@GexLifeQuotes]

"I’m drifting more than a Mario kart at Nintendo Headquarters. This must be the switch port." -Gex

[@CowLiver]

+2

[@DeceivingStareYTP]

Gex quotes are Family Guy cutaway gags without the cutaway

[@mr.snulch]

The production quality of Nerrel's videos is top notch every time. I'm not even particularly interested in hardware or electronics but now I am.

[@Toro563]

Two nerrel videos in one month, we are eating good

[@DeusVult838]

It’s a Nerrel buffet at this point

[@leoncca]

You narrate very well, the text to speech accusation is very dumb

[@animeking1357]

"Fuckin drift, how does it work? And I don't wanna talk to a Nintendo employee, y'all are lyin and getting me pissed." - Insane Clown Posse probably

[@MathewWithOne_T]

I really enjoyed all the celebrity cameos in the 2nd half, I recognized at least 0 of them. Our little Nerrel has made it big! I'm expecting this amout of production value from every video henceforth

[@nikkeli3942]

Another video to my "Nerrel videos to fall asleep to" playlist

[@gangganggang2219]

Can you please share this playlist

[@gamemaster955]

I second that please 😊

[@yeagmatic]

Holy shit. Ive been looking so long for the perfect controller and I think this is it at 7:30 - D-pad in the Playstation position (for fighting games and platformers) - Tactile d-pad (it even looks similar to the one on the Vita) -TMR* sticks (for racing games) - Gyro (for shooters) On top of all that it has a bunch of other things I dont need but are still cool, like bluetooth, hall-effect/micro switch triggers, back buttons, etc I think I can finally put my Dualshock 4 to rest. Thanks, Nerrel.

[@NegitoroIsBestShip]

@@yeagmatic Heya, I’ve bought a GameSir controller myself, a cheaper 35$ model. It’s absolutely perfect, used it for about 10 months now and the sticks and buttons are flawless. I’ll only be buying their hardware for my pc gaming in the future for sure.

[@c0ldshock927]

I was watching the video on the side and your comment made me go back and check It's so hard to come by third party controllers with the PlayStation layout, might pick up one of these too

[@Pan_Z]

Will want to check out the triggers too, especially if you're interested in racing games.

[@Philanrapist]

@@NegitoroIsBestShipby any chance could you speak to the quality of gyro on Gamesir controllers?

[@alexherrero9594]

I’m sorry to hear you have long covid 😔 I hope you recover soon

[@This-Was-Sparta]

Damn, well wishes recovering from the long covid. I've seen/heard what it does to people, absolutely hellish.

[@nonWhites_have_to_go_back]

Not really, it’s just annoying. No need to be a dramatic about a flu

[@wwyattMC]

The Violent J magnet joke at the beginning caught me so off guard. You're the GOAT Nerrel.

[@Davaroni]

Listening to people go in depth about really specific technical things is my favorite type of video.

[@RinnyThePrincess]

The reveal of your real voice at 8:45 was very exciting, it sounds much better than the AI one you use normally!

[@VetriVade]

I was considering purchasing these. Thank you for your dedication to controllers

[@ZeroScore]

I have no intention of modding my controller, but I watched this whole thing because Nerrel can even make AI-voiced tutorials funny.

[@scutoid-backrooms]

what even is going on with this AI voice lol

[@tetros5265]

​@@scutoid-backroomsat some point in the video he told about how people think his voice is TTS so probably that

[@domm6812]

TOP SHEILA

[@TapDat52K]

Get better Nerrel! Also great guide. Love the voice AI changes!

[@TastyCornSnack]

Thank you for giving SEGA the credit they deserve

[@flamestoyershadowkill]

The six-axis had magnetic sticks also.

[@The_Prizessin_der_Verurteilung]

@@flamestoyershadowkill Have you ever seen inside of a Sixaxis or is that just what Sony told you? I repair controllers, these days more than ever before, and PS3 controllers are among the most of them, behind only Joycons and the Dualsense. But the Sixaxis also made other concessions such as the rumble being omitted entirely which makes it bad value regardless considering the price point of them at the time.

[@flamestoyershadowkill]

@@The_Prizessin_der_Verurteilung aware of that. The shells are thinner compared to the ps2 controller as another detail.

[@The_Prizessin_der_Verurteilung]

​@@flamestoyershadowkill The thing that killed Sixaxis controllers for me was how light they were. Sure it was a small difference, but it was big enough for me that it felt like I was barely holding anything and that made it feel so... Uncomfortable? Underwhelming? I can't put a label on it, but it felt off. I like a bit of weight to my controllers, PC mice, etc. Though that's just a personal gripe for me.

[@tubguinace]

​@@The_Prizessin_der_Verurteilung For me a light controller feels like the slightest pressure will make it fall apart and it worries me enough to be too distracting to lose myself in a game.

[@MagnaLynx21]

None of my controllers, apart from childhood N64 controllers acquired from an eBay bundle, have ever experienced any drift issues and I'm so glad because while I enjoy soldering, doing anymore than that is a nightmare.

[@iquemedia]

the TTS bit was so gd funny this is why I love your content homie

[@alexyahyoo7827]

4:45 having Wave play in the background while listening to you talk about stick calibration is making my day, thank you Nerrel.

[@jerrodshack7610]

Another Jobim enjoyer I see

[@thedinosaurman2506]

Hearing Jobim in the wild is crazy lol

[@MakiW2409]

I won these sticks from one of guli kit's raffle back when no one could buy it. And i can confirm something about your claims, on the Dualsense these sticks are perfect and easy to calibrate!

[@SW-zb6bf]

Planned obsolescence is pure evil

[@AngelBolt]

I have no intention of re-soldering my controller, but goddamn it this is still fun enough to watch.

[@AngelBolt]

I've also decided to not get a switch 2 whatever unless it has hall controllers.

[@Micchi-]

​@@AngelBoltanything 1st party will never ever use hall effect joystick

[@snyders2]

the ending of this video is WILD

[@plasticsquid8914]

All we have is love

[@morethanblackandwhite]

All your TTS friends have your sense of humor, and I'm here for it.

[@micksterminator3]

Long COVID blows. Almost 3 years of chronic symptoms here. Mask up people. Wish you the best. Thanks for the content

[@Bobbin4Brownies]

I can't see myself ever doing this kind of mod, but I'm just really glad that we have high quality third party options at this point. I know most casual buyers aren't going to pick up an 8bitdo or Vader and quit buying official controllers but that'd sure get their attention

[@jacksonlovesnintendo]

Nerrel and his AI friends are so nice !! 👍🏻😇☺️👍🏻

[@theZodiacGriller]

Dont mess with me man

[@talonoverstreet136]

Long COVID must be rough. Hope you feel better

[@filenotfound_2416]

I could watch fucking anything from you man. I’m not particularly interested in this controller rigamarole but the way you present the information and your deadpan delivery is just *chef’s kiss*

[@UkraineJames2000]

17:13 "If this still doesn't work, then god dammit, man" I felt that.

[@XBladenoJutsu]

Fun fact. PS3 controllers used magnetic sticks too. Not sure about PS1 and 2 sticks though, but they probably did too because I don't remember them ever causing me any issues back in the day.

[@schwarzenhead5685]

They actually did not. The sticks themselves and the potentiometers were a fair bit larger and less precise than modern ones, thus less prone to wear and tear. PS1 and PS2 controllers also calibrate themselves each time after powering on when you do a full rotation of the sticks.

[@XBladenoJutsu]

@@schwarzenhead5685 Good to know. Too bad they went back to pots for the PS4 and 5 sticks, especially PS5 since that was the time when people were finally taking notice of Hall Effect tech again. They could at least offer a replaceable Hall Effect solution for their overpriced controller.

[@bioforest6602]

​@schwarzenhead5685 He's right, but it only applies to the original Six Axis Controllers. The ones that had no rumble due to a patent concern. What you're referring to is the newer controllers that would replace them, the Dualshock 3. Controllers that had rumble and six axis, but with pent sticks.

[@XBladenoJutsu]

@@bioforest6602 I think he is only stating the PS1 and 2 controllers were using Pots. Also regarding PS3, to be specific, Dualshock 3 controllers do in fact use magnets as well, but later Dualshock 3 controllers removed them in favor of Pots, or so I hear (around the end of the PS3's life). There's a few videos around of people taking a look at Dualshock 3 sticks and determining they were indeed using magnets.

[@schwarzenhead5685]

@@bioforest6602 Both Dualshock 3 and Sixaxis used Hall Effect sticks and standard potentiometer sticks. Depends on model.

[@Eltron92]

I sat and watched this entire video knowing that I will never even remotely thing about doing any of this. The cost of the parts alone seems completely ridiculous compared to just buying a new controller. But I am extremely happy that this exists for the people who can watch this video and do something with it. Praise be to you sir, you are doing the almighty's work. Additionally I am curious what degree you have because I would very much like to study this. This is nasty work. We are watching a trained professional spreading knowledge out of the kindness of his heart here. I want to know how I can actually learn this on a professional level.

[@7head843]

Love the use of chacha nova at the start. Completely unrelated to the main topic but it’s one of my favorite songs.

[@marcosun3805]

Hi Nerrel, I have long covid too. Listening to your video while doing hyperbaric oxygen therapy

[@ChevalierSilver]

Nice video. Your quality is super consistent

[@phantom_stnd]

Wth is youtube doing? Havent received a single notification/ recommendation of your videos for basically a year

[@RamHornBeast]

Thanks for turning me on to the JoyCon replacements. I was worried I was consigned to sending them back to Nintendo every year, and them eventually just totally crapping out.

[@Big_Dai]

Wow, what a MAN! He solders his own controllers!! ❤

[@theZodiacGriller]

Most entertaining guide I ever borked My controller is bricked, but on the plus side I can't play totk anymore, LETS GOO

[@grendelicious]

Long covid sucks, I hope you find relief soon

[@Yoshifan22]

Im actually happy to hear someone else having issues with a ps5 controller drifting. I had to buy a new one because the drift got so bad. I was in the process of soldering a new stick on but unfortunately I had to step away from it for a bit and my youngest decided to play demolition with the circuit board. Having an actual answer to this overwhelming fear I have with these new, expensive controllers is nice at least

[@FloorManiac]

Thank you for this video. As someone who is infuriated by this stick drift scam, its good to know theres a way to overcome it. Ive gamed all my life, and only recently have I had to buy two new first party controllers for my kid because the sticks went bad. He games about half as much as I did back in the day. Also, stick drift wasnt a term I had ever heard until this generation of consoles. Ive been gaming since Atari was the biggest console...before the NES came out. I havent had to repair a stick since the N64. (I repaired it with a rubberband somehow and it worked great. It was a loose stick, and I opened it up and wrapped a rubber band around the base bulb of the stick which gave it more tension....somehow this worked like a charm. Its hard to believe.)

[@lx8568]

Your videos are so high quality and i always enjoy listening to your voice. You've earned a subscriber today. Keep up the great work!

[@Willie6785]

dude I got myself a gulikit, despite some issues with the dongle sometimes not picking the controller up, the build quality on them is pretty great (still room for improvement tho). Tons of features as well. The hall effect sticks and the back paddles are great, and 2.4ghz is a must for me. I tried 2 8bitdo controllers before and neither of them were satisfying enough (the face buttons on both occasionally double clicked as well)

[@rainbowkrampus]

I have a KingKong2 and while I do like it, it did require some fiddling. Hopefully if they get enough attention they can sort out these manufacturing issues and become a genuine threat to the console manufacturers and force them to abandon these garbage planned obsolescence tactics.

[@guigondi7671]

I find Nerrel videos to be FASCINATING! He covers such a wide range of knowledge that i can barely understand... videos are well edited too!!!

[@s_callahan]

idec about controllers i just wanna hear nerrel talk and learn something new i love this guy

[@gangganggang2219]

Finally ended up doing this myself for the dualsense that has the extremerate pro back button kit installed. You weren't kidding about desoldering being the worst part! Took me a few days and I ended up just clipping my old control stick module off the board and then individually desoldering each pin and pulling them out one at a time. Very glad to future proof my preferred PC controller! If anyone is trying this swap for the dualsense I highly recommend the youtube video from djBaro "GuliKit TMR Joysticks - Installation Tutorial For DualSense"

[@mcluigi117]

Nerrel, I love watching you grease up your stick. Keep up the good work!

[@doggydoggy714]

You know it's a good day when Nerrel posts a new video.

[@razordmg64]

Had to comment because of the banger music selection. Love from 🇧🇷

[@bridgerkeeton4108]

The ICP magnet reference had me rolling

[@WilliamMurphy-wp79]

Wave is one of my go-to chill out albums, was surprised to hear it in a Nerrel video.

[@jrchannel7405]

I have a Guilikit King Kong 2 controller which I've been using daily for over a year for both switch and PC with 0 issues. I love that thing

[@dkdevil3490]

Oh sick, I’d been waiting for these to become available.

[@primefusion83]

Just finished your video on the Gulikit TMR sticks, and I’m still laughing! 😂 I’m not sure if the results shocked me or just gave me a gentle nudge, kind of like when you realize you’ve been playing for hours without a snack! 🍕😅 You always make these reviews so much fun! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next! 🎮🙌

[@nanopi]

That extra step of involving HxD is crazy! But if that's what is required--

[@zeromythosver.]

TotK dig slipped into the VHS style disclaimer read? That’s why he’s the goat. We stay ride or die, Nerrel Nation.

[@mathias-tl2rf]

I have no clue what Nerrel talked about but he seems lowkey so I always support him 🔥 (fr love your stuff!)

[@smartperson1]

This is a great overview and review. Thank you. I've been curious about the TMRs since their announcement.

[@ChaozzZJohnny]

I experienced something similar with hall effect sticks in pro controllers like the Wolverine V3 Pro. Some sticks are dead center, some got something like a 5 to 12 percentage drift out of the box. I read an article a while ago (sadly can't remember where) and there it was stated that it actually normal behaviour because of production tolerances of the magnets and magnetic noise. Also, there is work on mechanics letting them return better to 0.0000 center position. So, yeah, while most hall effect sticks are way more durable, they actually need bigger deadzones when used out of the box compared to potentiometers. But that disadvantage is neglectable long-term, so it is still an improvement over the bullcrap potentiometers become over time. I'd also love to see how much hall effect can improve too, when the entire industry changes over. Also, a little fun fact: Sony used magnetic sticks for the PS3, though they have less in common with modern hall effect sticks.

[@scutoid-backrooms]

genuinely willing to listen to this whole soulless ai monologue because the content is so informative

[@PinePizza]

That's like a must have video if anything ever happens to my gamepads. So far so good. I've been fairly lucky with my pro controller and ps5 pad, my xbox one pad had drift for a while that then disappeared on its own lol.

[@auxiliarion]

comtroler

[@Cliffordlonghead]

how

[@MetricPolygon]

KZbin asked me what I thought of this comment and I want you to know that I gave it the highest smiley face rating available

[@jmodule7693]

this is awesome! my pro controller has been broked fro so long and ive wanted to fix it! thank you Nerrel you are a legend

[@icyjiub2228]

I did this a few months ago with some Hall effects on my launch dualsense and had a great experience, apparently those TMR sticks are basically perfect but these are good enough for now.

[@Snotnarok]

The fact there's controllers made by 3rd parties with hall effect sticks that are cheaper than the 1st party options is amazing. The fact Sony sells a pro controller without hall effect sticks but instead swappable sticks that are never in stock? Is even more amazing. They're just being transparently awful with their controller and respect to customers

[@hotarubi_]

Nerrel on that Bossa Nova wave.

[@PoopaPapaPalpatine]

It's nice to see something someone is passionate about, even though it's like listening to a foreign language.

[@realSallad]

Alright Nerrel, I've tried my best to keep up with a hobby I don't understand , but now you've forced my hand. I'm now using your videos as sleep aid from now on

[@heyitsmort7744]

Nerrel can teach anything :) love how liable this channel is /j

[@Justin374]

I’ll never need this tutorial but I love your content. Thank you

[@GabrielFerreira-mo3hu]

Good music selection for this one Nerrel.

[@slightlytwistedagain]

I dunno about anyone else but I think the Nerrel Text-to-Speech mode is the best one.

[@WIImotionmasher]

I put these Guilikit sticks in my Joycon a couple years ago and it's amazing just how reliable and perfect they are. and was like $10 CAD for a set of two. I will applaud Nintendo for this one thing, the Joycon is the easiest DIY teardown and repair I've ever done. It's plug and play basically, just have to be careful. I recently ordered a Steamdeck. Hopefully I can drop in similar sticks there some day when they fail. *edit* the issues with default center being wrong and some games not using deadzones kinda scares me. I'll use the Steamdeck sticks until they break, and try the Halleffect sticks only when they start to fail. And if that fails I'll just replace with regular sticks.

[@sullumeent]

I laughed out loud when the "miracles" song dude was on the magnet; amazing homestuck reference

[@Cam_K9]

I was actually just looking for this for my favorite dualsense

[@ShakerGER]

All of your vids are always facts facts facts rapid fire. If you aren't 100% sure you say it. I love it.

[@richardwilliams877]

Both me and my partner have long covid and it's kicking our ass on top of a bunch of other health conditions. I hope you recover soon!! Please look after yourself and make sure you eat ALL of your vegetables! (and plenty of rest!)

[@Chavelo_00]

LMAO I got no desire to swap sticks at the moment but I had to see the whole vid, the text-to-speech AI part of the vid was definitely worth watching

[@bobvella7228]

think it's interesting where nerrel puts his effort, soldering and hex editing his controllers and skipping benches in hollow knight.

[@jjjameson3379]

Can't wait for Nerrel to review that crappy new Nintendo Alarm (switch 2)

[@Taxidii]

Nice to see some Brazilian Bossa Nova being used by non-brazilian channels

[@thatguyfromrezero5846]

Thank you so much, Nerrel. Keep up the Lord’s Work.

[@Ejohns1004]

I like how passive agressive the robots got over time.

[@ryanroche2442]

The TTS disassembly segment started to sound like an airplane safety video

[@SDShepard]

Good luck on the long covid. It kicked my ass for six months before gradually getting better.