Update: If your controller got the new software update, the back plate needs to be connected (because it has the battery inside it) for the gamepad tester to see the controller. Also, links to the joystick and soldering kits are in the description.
Would you possibly know a way to trick the board into thinking the battery is connected when its not? I bought the Elite Series 2 on release, years back in 2019, and immediately took it apart and removed the rumbles and battery for weight reduction. However, as you may know, Microsoft recently pushed a firmware update that secretly included no boot up upon no battery detected. It just continuously repeats power on cycle and restarts every time it fails to detect it. Such a pain as I’ve gotten used to the balance and rather play hardwired than forced wireless.
@@GHANDiFRESH Great question. I'm sure there's a technical way to go about tricking it, but I honestly would know where to start. This sounds like a great question to ask on the acidmods forum.
@@SOSSGAMING Appreciate it; I thought I’d ask here anyways just in case it helped any other person with this particular scenario. I had an Idea beforehand how to try and go about it. Which was to buy a broken Elite Series 2 for salvage and use the chip inside that battery pack and wire it to the board closing a loop.
@@italianbasegard Over engineered doesn't inherently mean it is going to have issues. Many over engineered things are reliable. Furthermore, being over engineered means that the the same effect could have been achieved with a simpler solution without losing any functionality. So what could have been done differently and in a simpler manner without losing any of the Elite's functionality? Tell me specifically what could have been changed in this design.
If you’re having trouble removing the joystick, that tip provided in the video of heating up the joystick with a heat gun actually worked for me! Be sure to place a damp towel or cloth over the joystick to prevent you from melting any other components by accident.
I completely broke a potentiometer trying to twist off a thumbstick. So thanks for this video. However, the way I removed potentiometers from my other Elites was by using a 2 nose pliers, one to the stem underneath the dome and one to above the dome with the thumbstick grips off. This made it so much easier and safe.
My guess is the little pick you get when you buy iPad screen replacement? I have those tools and I’m planning on using those. It’s thin precise needle nose pliers look alike. Hope that help?
Thanks man! I had one controller with bad shoulder buttons/dpad and dropped my new one and broke a joystick. Turns out the joysticks are on a separate board than everything else. Ur vid was clear and to the point. More I turned two junk controllers into one good one😊
I love my elite 2 controller 🤷🏻♂️ been using it for over a year and no issues. But if it did break I’d be willing to try and fix it thanks to the great video!
I have mine for year no problem till yester day my 2 year old was puching her toy amd drag the cable controller drop and the click on the left stock stop working i try to see. But dont have the patien for this so i smash it on the floor see if fix lol
This is a super detailed video and I appreciate it. I'm just surprised its this involved/difficult to replace. I really thought the elite series would be easier to repair, but I guess not..
Thanks, much needed after going through 3 controllers (all left thumbstick failures) during warranty period and then running out of warranty and 4th failing...
You really need to use flux more. It makes soldering and desoldering so much more easy. Also, your solder sucker should be used under the through hole you’re working on and your iron above, that prevents awkward angles and melting the tip of the sucker as you have done.
Yes, more flux can't hurt! Just more cleaning sometimes lol And the tip of the solder sucker isn't from melting, it was purposefully cut to provide better suction (The cut part covers the iron so the solder sucker tip is more flush with the board)
Great video! Fixed my friend’s elite controller. Very interesting way to remove the stick box by pieces. If you feel like you’re going to be doing this a few times, I’d recommend a hot air station. Helps with those pesky joints even after using a solder sucker. Once heated enough it just falls right out. These PCB boards, and the ps5 boards, are thick and require a lot of heat especially with unleaded solder.
@@Maga2025Murica Uh oh! Technically yes, I believe. Which joystick were you working on? left or right? and which through hole is damaged? There should be a way to jump a wire from the pin on the potentiometer to a specific point on the board.
@@SOSSGAMING ah forgot to edit here: It just didn't register the click. It was indeed the top right solder pad for the button. So I've tested a bit and traced it to a tiny smd resistor, where I could solder a jumper wire to. All is fine now and the black replacement modules from Ali are tighter feeling than the OG sticks when new. Got a brand new Elite Core here so can compare :-) Stick movement is perfect. 0-2% drift depending on how well it returns to center. Better than new. But that solder combined with smaller holes and shorter mounting pins made it a pia vs. the old One controller :D
@@SOSSGAMING True, took a lot of time and 60/40 leaded solder to get this stuff flushed out. Even the desoldering station had no chance due to the pins being such a snug fit while being too short to reach and heat up! Desoldering a complete stick module took me 50 sec. on the Xbox One controller. The Elite 2 I had to cut to pieces prior to desoldering.
To avoid scratching your thumb sticks columns, or breaking the joystick, if you have one, I'm assuming you do if you're tearing down an electronic, insert a small Phillips screwdriver onto the top of the joystick, and unscrew. That's what that's there for. Other than that, the rest of video perfectly helpful. Thank you so much.
@@strongnb136 not just for that. Engineers wouldn't leave the only way to remove joysticks by applying a pair of pliers to a plastic column to scratch it up. A screw can have more than one purpose and I would bet those screws are Philips to 1 easily adjust the tension and 2 safely remove the columns without damaging them.
very, very late here but been trying to figure this out looking at other vids where they simply unscrew the stick no problem, that main little screw does seem to be much higher. the ones here are sunken into the well a little bit, while others seem to almost be rising out the top slightly tldr; it seems like people with the screw more loose dont need pliers
I’m stuck on the 10:46 part, the solder won’t come out of the hole, it just stays stuck in there, no matter how much I try and use the solder sucker. Obviously you can put any modules on the controller unless these holes are free 😢. PLZ HELP!
What method are you using to try to remove the solder? Do you have both braid and solder pump? One thing to try is attacking the solder from the other side as well. Sometimes it goes too far to the other side and won't melt/ suck up. Try both braid and pump and try to remove the solder from both sides. Another thing I've done, while tricky, is heat up one side of the through hole, and pump from the other side. If you absolutely give up, it may be worth to invest in a cheap desoldering iron pump. That for sure should be able to get it out. Let me know how it goes? Good luck.
broke one of the clips off doing this but its only one so it still clips on well with all but one also these things get really dirty if you don't clean them after a few years.
Sorry I just haven't got to it yet got slammed with other stuff. But basically just replace the potentiometer causing the issues and "calibrate it" as shown in the video if needed. Hope that helps.
@@HisZd11 If you live in North America I have a few listing of xbox joysticks and also one with the pots separately. If not, you may be able to find some on aliexpress.
@@SOSSGAMING yeah. I started down the rabbit hole about a week ago. Then bought a few elite 2 controllers and was disappointed with the slop in the center dead zone then discovered how they are made and the importance of the spring strength on how the sensor functions at a mechanical level. But yeah 3-5% on an elite 2 and it must be due to how the spring assembly is working or not working. My mind jumped to progressive springs. So currently looking at small springs.
Hello, Thank you for the feedback, Once you remove the bottom shell there is the battery underneath on the bottom side these are the connectors for the charging station and on the right side of the battery there is the motherboard connectors, I checked everything several times, at the level of the right screws that are used, it seems that something is pushing and losing contact with the connectors, everything is on the same side ...
I originally was inside my control to repair the right bumper but when removing the thumb sticks, there was enough thread locker on them to hold a light nut on a car, so my joysticks twisted inside themselves and now I'm replacing those. Thanks for the video. I'm going to use solder wick and remove all solder and try and remove the joysticks in 1 solid piece rather than cit them apart.
@@SOSSGAMING yea, it twisted it around inside the housing. They work still somehow but they don't feel right and they stick at times. I play mainly 1st person shooter titles so they need fixed if I hope to have any accuracy, 😂.
If you guys ever need your controller fixed he will do this for you! I destroyed my thumb sticks and he upgraded my bumpers they work better than brand new. I highly recommend him and service was fast!
Very hot! Hottest it can go almost. Also try to add some leaded solder and flux to it to reduce it's melting point. Make sure the soldering tip is clean and removed of the oxidized layer (with a wet sponge or my favorite a brass wire sponge). If the tip is small also try a larger soldering tip. Let me know if you're able to get it melted? Good luck
@@SOSSGAMING why doesn't my controller recalibrate itself. I can't use gamepad tester So I just plugged it into the Xbox and not it's on but doesn't do anything what should I do?
@@eneresolong Does the light try to come on at all? And both boards are connected to eachother? Pretty confused on this one. You might want to consider posting this question on the acidmods forum. They might be able to help better troubleshoot it.
@@SOSSGAMING it worked once for about 10 seconds before the light went out for good. As far as I can tell the boards are connected properly..I had a weird issue where the rumbles were firing non stop at full force before I removed them. Thanks for the tips I'll post if I ever learn more
@soss gaming great video and instruction. I have the stick drift issue and didn't know if you had a video on how to fix that outside of changing the potentiometer
I don't, haven't been able to get around to doing that yet. But basically it's what you described, changing out the potentiometer. Nothing fancy really. The video I had planned was just going to be more streamlined.
Thanks for the comment! I couldn't find anything to confirm that nor do I have a DS2 controller to test, but I'll take you're word for it. Kinda sad Sony would discontinue doing that, but I suppose they have their reasons :/
Hey is there a tutorial you could make to install a better joystick in? Like maybe one of those magnetic based ones that have a 100x longe lifespan. Forgive me if I being ignorant on electronics hardware, not too versed on the subject.
Hello friend, that same joystick is compatible with the normal x series, yes I have the replacement kit also for the sticks that are screwable. (I have spare parts for these and would like to modify my series x controllers like the Xbox One Elite Series 2)
In theory they are compatible, but the only problem I see is the Elite Series 2 joysticks sit a little higher, so the joystick might rub on the front cover, but I am not sure. Let me know how it goes!
@@SOSSGAMING Thanks, Looks like a easy repair for me because I'm a experienced at soldering and took a class in highschool but micro soldering is on a whole another level. The controller that I'm going to fix is out of warranty and Microsoft is going to charge me $79 dollars for the repair. I can do it myself and will order more joysticks which are just $10 a set so if it eventually happens again I can repair it my self. About to order the Elite Series 2 Joystick Kit you listed under the video.
Great tutorial, I replaced the sticks not sure if I shorted something while soldering but now the controller is not detected when plugging in a USB C cable have both the boards together, gamepad tester is not detecting it at all neither will my PC. The board looks good and everything clicks normally. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated this repair is turning to more of a headache than it should have been.
I'm having difficulty desoldering. The solder doesn't seem to melt properly. It worked initially, but now it seems like it's not melting at all. I bought the kit shown in the video, so I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong. Additionally, I have a metal piece stuck in the pinhole that I can't remove. The video is great, though-really appreciate it and well done! Any advice on desoldering and getting that piece out would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hello! Sorry to hear about the struggles. Being that it's lead-free solder, it's notoriously more difficult to melt. What temperature do you have the iron set to? The tip of the soldering iron should be clean to aid in the transfer of the heat. I personally love cleaning the iron tip with a wire ball, really easy, but the sponge/water also works. Check out some videos on how to get the tip clean and maintain it (I just clean it after every use or every so often during a longer session). Then you may need to turn the heat up. Adding more of the leaded solder with flux (important so they bond) can help lower it's melting point and melt easier. Once you can get the solder melted, then the stuck piece can be pushed with the iron itself and pried away from the other side. Hope this helps. Good luck.
@@SOSSGAMINGthanks for the response. Do you know of any controller repair services? For whatever reason I can’t seem to get it. The desoldering part. A shame because I got this far. Thanks.
Have you ever seen an issue where the board moves the right stick down? I replaced my sticks with tmr joysticks, but the right stick's Y-axis seemed to not work properly (being stuck down or not working at all), so then I swapped it back to the old stick and it was stick showing that it moving down, and then I removed the stick entirely and gamepad tester was still showing it moving down. I'm kind of stumped on what the issue could be, because the other stick is working perfectly, but no matter what I do the other stick just keeps moving down. Really hoping you could give some insight, because I have no idea what the issue could be. Thanks.
This sounds an awful lot like a damaged through hole pad. It could also be a missing diode/capacitor or short somewhere within it's circuitry, but less likely to be the case. I did a write up on how to "fix" it with a jump wire here if you were interesting in attempting it: sossgaming.com/model-1797-elite-series-2/
What happened to the video on replacing switch joy cons? I purchased your kit on Amazon, followed your amazing step by step video and the replacement parts work flawlessly. I told a friend I’d send the links to the parts & your video, but it’s not on your channel any more. What’s up?
Sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know. And thanks for the support and word of mouth. I took it down because I'm going to upload two separate videos (for each controller).
Great video. My problem is when trying to rmove the covers on the thumbsticks, they end up just spinning. Do I need to apply some upward pressure or something? The analog joystick is fine and not broken.
@@SOSSGAMING I am running into the same issue. I have tried using the longer joy stick w/ and w/out pliers, no joystick just pliers on the "nub", a screw driver, and I have even heated it up as well. I can feel and see the dome spinning (mine has a very small blemish I can see rotate). Any other ideas I can try? I was able to get the left one off no problem but the right one is being extremely difficult. Thanks for the video!
@@chasel907 Sounds like the joystick itself broke somehow. When you tilt the dome piece and look under it, do you see it broken somewhere? And when you turn it looking under the dome piece at the joystick, what do you see happening? If you're trying to save it, I suppose the only way out of that is desoldering each pin. You will basically need a desoldering iron to do this. It may take a bit of work to get each pin free. Another option may be trying to chop the joystick up enough to free the metal piece holding the dome piece. Not sure how viable that option is though. Actually one last may be to hold the metal piece under the dome piece somehow while twisting the dome piece. That would take some type of needle nose pliers. Let me know what you figure out.
Great video as always! Music was not distracting at all btw! Can I ask where is the video detailing how to replace only the potentiometers? Im only seeing a handful of videos on your channel. Or is it imbedded in one of those?
Thanks so much! And thanks for the feedback on the music. I was supposed to have that video ready soon but it's going to take a little longer than I expected. Maybe a month. Sorry about that. It'll pretty much just cover replacing the potentiometers though, which I show at 9:17. If you know which axis the drift is occurring, all you need to do is replace that specific pot. Hope that helps.
@@SOSSGAMING No worries! Glad to provide the feedback! And sweet! Can't wait to see that other video! Does just replacing a particular axis mess with the factory calibration at all? (So id only be able to calibrate for pc?) And btw do you know which specific ALPS analog sticks i should be looking for on aliexpress or otherwise for xbox one/elite gen 1 controllers?
@@My_Intentions On an elite series 2 controller it'll probably be ok to just swap out because it calibrates itself. For other controllers they may need calibration, depending on what parameters you allow. On aliexpress, if you find a listing that has "oem" vs "original" go with the original.
I had actually saved a lot of those but I think I threw everything out a few months ago. I return to the US in February so if you can remind me then I will double check and let you know!
He's using the pliers backwards for the way it's supposed to turn but in some ways it's better for this application cuz then they're more likely to slip than break something
at 3:20 to remove the dome pieces, the left thumstick will spin in place. This is why I am trying to replace the piece as this will spin left or right endlessly and cannot be torqued down.
A couple have commented this same issue before. Although I don't recall their solution, I believe you can still remove the motherboard then proceed normally, by either chopping up the joystick (while reaching around the dome piece) then the rest of the joystick. You should then be able to remove the dome piece by using two pliers, one on the dome piece and one holding the joystick shaft that's connected to the dome piece. Hope that makes sense. If you're able and willing, I'd like to see a video and/or picture of what part is broken. No one has been able to confirm what the root of the problem is that causes this. My guess is the shaft of the joystick broke inside somehow. Not sure though.
I just bought a core in hopes it would feel the same and it doesnt. Idk what it is about the sticks or theres a little more delay in the controller... Not even input delay really its more like an acceleration delay... It feels like things register fine but I cant find any setting to help it feel more responsive. I might try playing witth all the controllers I have like this.
I've tried it on both elites. It's not reliable yet unfortunately, and the physical calibration in my experience didn't do anything. Many times can't get centered or enough range. The integrated calibration on the Elite 2 isn't enough. If they ever introduce the calibration software that they have for the X/S controllers either the elite or to a future elite, I can see it being reliable. I will actually be testing some TMR sensor joysticks soon, but I am not holding my breath :)
@SOSSGAMING dude! Thank you so much for your quick response. The thumsticks I have are the gullikit TMR sticks. I just want to dabble with them to learn while I use a friends old controller to test my craftsmanship. Ive purchased him a brand new, fully built AIM controller for Christmas so he will be fully set to go. But my interest in rebuilding controllers, and eventually modifying them how I'd like has led me to your channel. I'll fool around and make mistakes, but you've got so much information that will save me time and money. I appreciate the hell out of you for your efforts. I will let you know how the tmr stick swap goes and will do my best to document everything to share with you.
@@PheelTheJoy No problem glad you find them useful! Good luck on your future controller endeavors. Yes please let me know your findings and which controller(s) you put them in on
Did you have any trouble sucking out the solder on the 4 ground points? I had to use both a hakko solder sucker, and place an iron on the other side of the pcb to get enough heat flow going.
Thanks! The one's shown in the video are from Nintendo Pro controllers. It's honestly a nightmare trying to source them. You might be able to find some on AliExpress, but the white PS4 potentiometers have higher range and will work too. Be careful not to get the "OEM" ones with integrated deadzone.
Can the magnetic thumbsticks be installed on a normal Xbox X Series controller? Has anyone tried it? I would like to install that on my Xbox Core controller but I don't know if it would fit.
I believe others had mentioned to me that they had success doing so, but I can't confirm 100% as this was a while ago. I do know the Elite series 2 joysticks sit a little higher so the dome piece may interfere with the faceplate.
Thanks, broke both joysticks... Looks like I should have used a philips head on the middle pin instead of forcing them to rotate. I got the rotating forever bug, the only way to fix it was to brute force the dome out, a piece of the analog stick remaining on the dome will need heating (300 Celsius worked for me) and then it easily unscrews.
@@SOSSGAMING finished the swap, looks like everything is fine. Also changed some potentiometers (without the housing) and that fixed some weird pegged axis issues. Overall it was quite painful
@@SOSSGAMING I want to see that I have an issue like 2 months ago taking out that right stick cap Can or should I use 300 celcius as the other sub says?
Is the x axis showing 1 or -1 on the hardware tester? If not, there should be a way to center it with the controller's calibration. If it does, it sounds like it's a damaged through hole or bad solder joint. Which there still may be a way to "fix"
my joystick is working fine, but the click is broken so now I think I might have to replace it... gah I hate how often I have to disassemble this controller because something goes wrong
Thanks for video. I did a full replacement on the left josytick. When I connected to my Xbox and realized that the Left Stick button is not working it works perfectly fine on all directions. Which pin is the board is for the left stick button? Maybe it is an easy fix and I could just desolder and solder again. Or maybe I damaged the board. I must say I am new at soldering. Do you have any tips to check where it could have went wrong?
The left stick button is the red button on the joystick. The connections are the 4 pins under the that button. It is possible to be a lemon though, and I would also just verify in the accessories app that the Left Joystick Click isn't changed to something else.
@@SOSSGAMING Thanks for your reply! Desoldering, cleaning and soldering those 4 pins solved the issue. The red button now works. However after playing for 10 mins, now the joystick is stuck at 80% forward. I think there is a problem with the potentiometers.
@@batuhantuter Sometimes installs can be a headache! I'm not sure what 80% could mean. Only time I ever seen that was when there was a crack in the board, but doubt that's what's going on. Is the flux cleaned up pretty good? Are the solder connections good? I would check that before the potentiometer itself. But that could be the next troubleshooting procedure, replacing the potentiometer. On older boards it's easy to damage the through hole pads, but the elite 2's a built much better. Not likely that, but still possible. Had you chopped the nubs off by chance? Wondering if it's just not making good connection.
@@SOSSGAMING Thank you very much for replying! Turns out there was some flux left between the pins. Cleaning the PCB nicely solved the issue. Now the controller works better than ever. Thank you very much for the great video and also taking the time to write comments and help out. You rock!
I recommend leaded solder. 60/40 or 63/37 is fine. I personally recommend the brand Kester. I tried other off brands and they just weren't as quality. Apparently quality does matter with solder I found out. But that's not to say you can't make the other stuff work.
Thanks for the video but I’ve got a similar problem to some others, I’ve got the covered on but when I twist to tighten it it’s just gets stiffer looser and won’t go back to normal
@@SOSSGAMING maybe, is there any way to fix it, the stick just keeps spinning when I try to tighten it or loosen it, it just gets stiffer or looser no matter witch way I twist it, I’ve tried pliers but it doesn’t work for me
@@lssquish1288 Ok, if you're using pliers on the base then I think it actually broke inside. So if that's the case it'll need to be replacent. Unfortunate. If it's the left joystick it will be trickier to get out. If you can find a way to cut the joystick frame you should be able to remove the part thats attatched to the dome piece, then move along from there. You might even be able to get skinnier pliers to reach under the dome piece to grab a hold of the joystick shaft then try twisting the dome piece off with the other pliers. Unfortunately I am overseas for some time so I won't be able to figure out myself but someone had the same thing happen and was able to figure it out. Don't remember how though sorry. Good luck.
So im trying to desolder and was able to take all of them off but i thibk i used too much solder wire and when i pulled the pins out, the potentiometera one by one. Some stated sealed. So i dont have a way to insert the joystick then the potentiometers. Should i heat up everything all at once. Or heat up as I insert bavk in
Some have had luck heating up the solder and inserting the pots back in. I would also recommend YouTubing some videos on some de-soldering tips. Good luck!
Hello, Thank you for your videos, I disassembled and changed the LB / RB buttons, I have a problem reassembling once I put the screws on the side of the X / Y / A / B buttons, or that I put the case back on, the controller no longer turns on wirelessly, only in USB, I am in France, Do you have any idea of the contact required during assembly... Thank you
Sounds like an issue with the battery. The two cables from the front and back board are for the battery I believe. Make sure they are connected well. I'm not sure if polarity matters (which cable is snapped in to which spot), but it might as well. That's all I can think of at the moment.
I never got a chance to make it. It was just going to be a condensed version. Everything is basically in this video though. Basically just change out the potentiometer causing the issue.
@@SOSSGAMING u save me bro, literally i have 4 controller and 2 elites in 3 months with drift,the joystick is hard to find in my country so thank u bro
Do you mean to put this joystick into a Playstation 4 controller, for example? Yes, it is possible. You will need the correct sensors and thumbsticks though.
Yeah the lead-free solder is quite difficult sometimes :/ I'm wondering if the iron is faulty and just not getting hot enough. Or maybe try adding some leaded solder to it.
Hello, thank you for this great vid. I have a question I hope someone can answer. I’ll just say i needed to take apart the controller. I found a 4 stack of small magnets under the d-pad. They can’t possibly go there because the d-pad a stay or work right with them there. Do you have any info on them? Thank you
Help: I fixed my controller months ago and my rb button wasn’t working, so it took the controller apart and the point, where you solder it too, broke off and I can’t figure how to connect the wire again
I believe they should work. But keep in mind if planning on changing the joysticks that because the joysticks sit a little higher, the dome piece may rub against the front cover. I don't really see that as being an issue but it's possible so it's worth mentioning. Hope that helps
One issue though - Silicone tubing should not be missing from any desoldering pump tip (in order to protect the PCB and have better suction from the seal it creates)
Are you referencing the solder sucker I am using in the video? If so, it's actually one that comes with a cheap soldering kit. It has a plastic tip, and by cutting a little divot, it's able to go over the soldering tip which creates a better seal, and allows better suction. Oh, and thanks for watching!
@@SOSSGAMING Yep, that's the sucker allright, it's just I've learned a soft silicone tip will make your life easier around solder pads and protect them as well. You can even cut and use some cable insulation if you find any around that are heat resistant and the fitting dimensions. And yes, it's a cheap or no cost and effective solution ;) (to a problem you never even knew you've had until you've tried it - I know I'm no longer using my desolder pump without a soft tip since I've seen it about 20 something years ago)
I gotta question, so I just recently bought a Xbox Series Elite 2 Controller and I want to replace my right stick with the stick in my PDP controller reason being is because my right stick has stick drift and my PDP controller has 0 stick drift and it feels a lot better. I personally don’t trust myself to swap them out myself so I was wondering if I could mail them to you and you do it for me? You’d be payed of course.
OMG Thank you!! Great Video. I never have taken my controller apart. But I do have a issue where the thumb domes were unscrewing themselves while i game. I guess i can take the faceplate off and then apply some loctite to keep them from unthreading? I was worried I broke my controller somehow and would need to replace it.
You could do that but I wouldn't recommend it if you were to ever want to remove them in the future. I would recommend torquing them down really tight (perhaps get some pliers to apply more torque). That's been working for me.
Standard not so sure because the elite series 2 joysticks are taller. If you modify the joystick to sit lower it should be fine. A Ps4 or 5 controller should work as long as you keep the same potentiometers in, as all xbox potentiometers use a lower range potentiometer, while playstations use higher range potentiometers. Hope that makes sense.
Yep! It is possible. With the current kit you can use the higher range potentiometers which are perfect for PS4. Otherwise you will need to source (or re-use) PS4 potentiometers. The xbox potentiometers currently on the joysticks will cause problems with lack of range.
i need some help i fixed one and i have another one the only thing is damaged two AN from booth analogs that third one " latest one " there is three pins u know "up and down" not working , i fixed that analog close from TP103 its works like 2 minutes after that stop working , when i try to solder again nothing works can i use trace method on TP103 ?? or there is other trace for that analog close to TP103 btw its xbox one S 1708
Hey there. I'm not sure I understand correctly. Do you already have a jump wire to TP103? If not, I would recommend trying it. You can also jump the AN+ pin on the joystick to another AN+ pin of a joystick that is not damaged. Hope that makes sense.
@@SOSSGAMING yes its not damage but when i wire it the controller not working 😁😁TP103 is rly bad for jumper wire , sry my eng is bad , i mean right analog , the left analog is ez to fix but the right one needs more works bec idk where is the trace location its not just TP103 , im not gonna wire any TP i need the trace location i know its under the analog but idk where
@@SOSSGAMING i fixed , i found out the problem potentiometer i desolder it and solder new one and its work just fine , TP is good but its risky this is why i use wire from AN to AN + U have to know what analog i use its hall effect from AliExpress u can buy for 1-2$ the firs generation now they have third generation , ty for help but last question is the board start overheated after i solder hall effect the board with USB one not the analog one idk why , its overrated around D-PAD area btw boards overheated same area , one stop working and other work but i can feel the heat , can u tell me what is the problem ?
I've removed numerous modules in numerous controllers...I installed some alps in a elite 2 but my right module is clicked in and can't move it in game tester. I've tried 2 sets of joystick modules.. same thing.. any help would be appreciated.. thanks
Hey there, I'd be happy to try to help diagnose. What do you mean clicked in? Is this a physical problem as in it won't move? What are the values of x/y? What happens when you move the joystick in the tester? Thanks.
@@SOSSGAMING I ended up switching boards..I went through 2 sets of modules.. the right analog would act like like it was pressed in.. it was black at all time times and it was not able to be moved (like it was a very hard drift. I looked over all the tracers.. when I got the controller the right module had a little drift and was not able to be pressed in at all.
@@urbbs09 I wonder if a capacitor/diode fell off, or maybe some damage/short to the board somewhere. Sometimes the damage can be invisible. A "fix" may be to just disable it on the accessories app and program it to a paddle or button. Seems like it's not the joystick's fault if you've replaced it a few times.
@@SOSSGAMING Isn't this standard for almost all other controller brands? I believe most controllers calibrate the center when you turn the controller on. It's easy to test if a controller has auto calibration if you hold the joystick off center when you power it on, as that'll cause it to calibrate off center and basically force stick drift until you turn the controller off and on again. I think this is why stick drift is so common with Xbox controllers despite all major brands using the same ALPS joystick modules.
@@richard2667 No, it's not standard unfortunately (that I'm aware of). Other controller brands have software though that allow you to calibrate with when you open the software. Just not Sony or Microsoft, the two biggest controller manufacturers.
Ahhh so I got broken joystick off. Victory! But now I see there is solder stuck in the holes I tried using copper wick with flux and I can't get the middle off! I need help any ideas? I thinking small solid copper wire to push out solder.
That's actually an interesting idea. Push out while hot hmm. Well, my best advice is keep going at it. Maybe watch some youtube videos on tips of using a wick and/or solder sucker. May also need to bring up the heat.
I tried following this guide and it was going well until I put my controller back together. My right trigger rumble pack constantly vibrates and I’m not sure why any ideas?
Interesting! It's somehow getting constant power, obviously. My guess is there is a solder bridge between the positive and negative terminals. There could also be a short wherever it is on the controller that switches the rumble on and off (and unfortunately I don't know where that it). You can also check the setting in the accessories app to make sure it's not constantly on somehow. Apart from that I'm not sure what else it could be unfortunately. Worse case you can just turn it off in the accessories app (I believe you can do that) or physically remove it.
Hi I’m trying to remove the joystick but it just keep twisting around tightening and loosening the movement of the joystick what am I doing wrong to remove it?
I'm afraid the joystick may be broke, and the shaft part of the joystick is twisting. It could also just be the thumbstick grip that is twisting (best case scenario). You can try grabbing the shaft of the joystick with some thin pliers and then twisting the dome piece. If you figure it out, I would be curious what the issue is and what you were able to do to fix it.
Update: If your controller got the new software update, the back plate needs to be connected (because it has the battery inside it) for the gamepad tester to see the controller.
Also, links to the joystick and soldering kits are in the description.
Hello, with my right joystick it refuses to unthread and come out
@@bottledbeans8809 Have you tried using pliers and/or heating it up already? Or is it just twisting on you?
Would you possibly know a way to trick the board into thinking the battery is connected when its not? I bought the Elite Series 2 on release, years back in 2019, and immediately took it apart and removed the rumbles and battery for weight reduction. However, as you may know, Microsoft recently pushed a firmware update that secretly included no boot up upon no battery detected. It just continuously repeats power on cycle and restarts every time it fails to detect it. Such a pain as I’ve gotten used to the balance and rather play hardwired than forced wireless.
@@GHANDiFRESH Great question. I'm sure there's a technical way to go about tricking it, but I honestly would know where to start.
This sounds like a great question to ask on the acidmods forum.
@@SOSSGAMING Appreciate it; I thought I’d ask here anyways just in case it helped any other person with this particular scenario. I had an Idea beforehand how to try and go about it. Which was to buy a broken Elite Series 2 for salvage and use the chip inside that battery pack and wire it to the board closing a loop.
Microsoft casually making an overengineered, $200, annoying to repair piece of junk
#Facts
It's a fantastic controller. Not sure what you are talking about. I don't see any over engineering.
Mine only broke because I dropped it.
Maybe you just need to evolve, straight up
If it was overengineered, it wouldn’t be having these issues
@@italianbasegard Over engineered doesn't inherently mean it is going to have issues. Many over engineered things are reliable.
Furthermore, being over engineered means that the the same effect could have been achieved with a simpler solution without losing any functionality. So what could have been done differently and in a simpler manner without losing any of the Elite's functionality? Tell me specifically what could have been changed in this design.
Absolutely the best disassembly video of the elite series 2 and generally informative one too. Thank you so much for this!
If you’re having trouble removing the joystick, that tip provided in the video of heating up the joystick with a heat gun actually worked for me! Be sure to place a damp towel or cloth over the joystick to prevent you from melting any other components by accident.
I completely broke a potentiometer trying to twist off a thumbstick. So thanks for this video. However, the way I removed potentiometers from my other Elites was by using a 2 nose pliers, one to the stem underneath the dome and one to above the dome with the thumbstick grips off. This made it so much easier and safe.
What 2 nose pliers are you talking about exactly? I can't find any that fit underneath the dome
@@jtperez657 Nose pliers are the tools I used. Its not part of the controller lol
@@DaCom3AK I meant I can't find any that work for this application. I know they're not part of the controller lmao
My guess is the little pick you get when you buy iPad screen replacement? I have those tools and I’m planning on using those. It’s thin precise needle nose pliers look alike. Hope that help?
Thanks man! I had one controller with bad shoulder buttons/dpad and dropped my new one and broke a joystick. Turns out the joysticks are on a separate board than everything else. Ur vid was clear and to the point. More I turned two junk controllers into one good one😊
This worked for my SCUF as well simple fix but don’t know how long it’ll last, but a quick fix was all I looked for
I love my elite 2 controller 🤷🏻♂️ been using it for over a year and no issues. But if it did break I’d be willing to try and fix it thanks to the great video!
How does your controller not have problems? Mine got stick drift within a month. And my controller's front and back plates are cracking.
@@Drifded idk man it’s still working great. Just beat Jedi survivor with it 🤷🏻♂️
I have mine for year no problem till yester day my 2 year old was puching her toy amd drag the cable controller drop and the click on the left stock stop working i try to see. But dont have the patien for this so i smash it on the floor see if fix lol
@@joseanrodriguez2005 Damn man sorry to hear that. Yeah they definitely aren’t made to handle that kind of impact
This is a super detailed video and I appreciate it. I'm just surprised its this involved/difficult to replace. I really thought the elite series would be easier to repair, but I guess not..
Thanks, much needed after going through 3 controllers (all left thumbstick failures) during warranty period and then running out of warranty and 4th failing...
I literally just Sealed up my controller following your replacement shoulder button vid lol
It was all cool until he pulled out the saunter lol
Facts 😂😂😂😂
What is that?
Bro fr
@@joseanrodriguez2005i feel like you know what he meant you’re just tryna be a smart ass
@@CarBleach no i dont no what saunter is or mean
I had to replace my front shell, because the rubber was starting to peel off, so this was very helpful thank you...
You really need to use flux more. It makes soldering and desoldering so much more easy. Also, your solder sucker should be used under the through hole you’re working on and your iron above, that prevents awkward angles and melting the tip of the sucker as you have done.
Yes, more flux can't hurt! Just more cleaning sometimes lol
And the tip of the solder sucker isn't from melting, it was purposefully cut to provide better suction (The cut part covers the iron so the solder sucker tip is more flush with the board)
Great video! Fixed my friend’s elite controller. Very interesting way to remove the stick box by pieces. If you feel like you’re going to be doing this a few times, I’d recommend a hot air station. Helps with those pesky joints even after using a solder sucker. Once heated enough it just falls right out. These PCB boards, and the ps5 boards, are thick and require a lot of heat especially with unleaded solder.
Glad you had success with the hot air station! Thanks for the comment. Good luck on future repairs :)
Managed to fix the left stick by just replacing the potentiometer .
Good video 👍👍👍
Nice! Great job.
u can also use a standard screwdriver with a interchangeable bit just put the empty socket on the analog stick then unscrew
Others have said they've done that as well. Thanks for the tip.
Had a rouge piece of plastic that had broken off after a drop off my lap this was just what I needed to get it out thanks g
This will be my first try soldering anything, got a free elite 2 with a broken joystick. Other then that it's perfect. Thanks for the info.
Good luck!
Okay so I did what you said not too do. I was rough and pulled out of those metal rings! Is there any way to fix it?
@@Maga2025Murica Uh oh! Technically yes, I believe. Which joystick were you working on? left or right? and which through hole is damaged?
There should be a way to jump a wire from the pin on the potentiometer to a specific point on the board.
This was very helpful! I've replaced both stick modules. Just now the right stick click doesn't register anymore. Damaged button pad?
What does it show on the tester site when moving the joystick around? And what are the values?
@@SOSSGAMING ah forgot to edit here: It just didn't register the click. It was indeed the top right solder pad for the button. So I've tested a bit and traced it to a tiny smd resistor, where I could solder a jumper wire to. All is fine now and the black replacement modules from Ali are tighter feeling than the OG sticks when new. Got a brand new Elite Core here so can compare :-)
Stick movement is perfect. 0-2% drift depending on how well it returns to center. Better than new. But that solder combined with smaller holes and shorter mounting pins made it a pia vs. the old One controller :D
@@DIY-Morti Haha good to hear! They can definitely be a pia. The lead-free solder too
@@SOSSGAMING True, took a lot of time and 60/40 leaded solder to get this stuff flushed out. Even the desoldering station had no chance due to the pins being such a snug fit while being too short to reach and heat up! Desoldering a complete stick module took me 50 sec. on the Xbox One controller. The Elite 2 I had to cut to pieces prior to desoldering.
To avoid scratching your thumb sticks columns, or breaking the joystick, if you have one, I'm assuming you do if you're tearing down an electronic, insert a small Phillips screwdriver onto the top of the joystick, and unscrew. That's what that's there for. Other than that, the rest of video perfectly helpful. Thank you so much.
Not really, those are there to adjust like... the resistance of the joystick
@@strongnb136 not just for that. Engineers wouldn't leave the only way to remove joysticks by applying a pair of pliers to a plastic column to scratch it up. A screw can have more than one purpose and I would bet those screws are Philips to 1 easily adjust the tension and 2 safely remove the columns without damaging them.
Are you assuming it is used that way or have you done it?
very, very late here but been trying to figure this out
looking at other vids where they simply unscrew the stick no problem, that main little screw does seem to be much higher. the ones here are sunken into the well a little bit, while others seem to almost be rising out the top slightly
tldr; it seems like people with the screw more loose dont need pliers
I’m stuck on the 10:46 part, the solder won’t come out of the hole, it just stays stuck in there, no matter how much I try and use the solder sucker. Obviously you can put any modules on the controller unless these holes are free 😢. PLZ HELP!
What method are you using to try to remove the solder? Do you have both braid and solder pump? One thing to try is attacking the solder from the other side as well. Sometimes it goes too far to the other side and won't melt/ suck up. Try both braid and pump and try to remove the solder from both sides. Another thing I've done, while tricky, is heat up one side of the through hole, and pump from the other side.
If you absolutely give up, it may be worth to invest in a cheap desoldering iron pump. That for sure should be able to get it out. Let me know how it goes? Good luck.
Thank you very much!!! Elite is saved. Operation complete 🎉
You're welcome! Glad it helped. Great job.
15:00 What is the pot Resistance Value for the High Range Pots? Great In-depth video.
Thanks! I believe they are 10k.
broke one of the clips off doing this but its only one so it still clips on well with all but one also these things get really dirty if you don't clean them after a few years.
Awesome!
This video is amazing!!! I'm definitely looking for the video for the potentiometer replacement alone!
Sorry I just haven't got to it yet got slammed with other stuff. But basically just replace the potentiometer causing the issues and "calibrate it" as shown in the video if needed. Hope that helps.
@@SOSSGAMING do you have a good place to buy a replacement part for that pot?
@@HisZd11 If you live in North America I have a few listing of xbox joysticks and also one with the pots separately. If not, you may be able to find some on aliexpress.
So glad they are bringing calibration into the app.
Have you mucked about with swapping spring in the sensors yet?
I haven't swapped any springs from the elite 2 but on some other joysticks I have. Is that what you mean?
@@SOSSGAMING yeah.
I started down the rabbit hole about a week ago.
Then bought a few elite 2 controllers and was disappointed with the slop in the center dead zone then discovered how they are made and the importance of the spring strength on how the sensor functions at a mechanical level.
But yeah 3-5% on an elite 2 and it must be due to how the spring assembly is working or not working.
My mind jumped to progressive springs. So currently looking at small springs.
Best video I've seen for this.
man, i saw a lot of "fix" videos, only this helped me!!!
The gap in the tip of the solder sucker is a great idea
Hello, Thank you for the feedback, Once you remove the bottom shell there is the battery underneath on the bottom side these are the connectors for the charging station and on the right side of the battery there is the motherboard connectors, I checked everything several times, at the level of the right screws that are used, it seems that something is pushing and losing contact with the connectors, everything is on the same side ...
Maybe try cleaning the contacts? Slim chance that will do anything. Stumped on this one dang.
I originally was inside my control to repair the right bumper but when removing the thumb sticks, there was enough thread locker on them to hold a light nut on a car, so my joysticks twisted inside themselves and now I'm replacing those. Thanks for the video. I'm going to use solder wick and remove all solder and try and remove the joysticks in 1 solid piece rather than cit them apart.
Oh no :/ Did the plastic inside the joystick housing break?
@@SOSSGAMING yea, it twisted it around inside the housing. They work still somehow but they don't feel right and they stick at times. I play mainly 1st person shooter titles so they need fixed if I hope to have any accuracy, 😂.
If you guys ever need your controller fixed he will do this for you! I destroyed my thumb sticks and he upgraded my bumpers they work better than brand new. I highly recommend him and service was fast!
jo can u do it fore me
pls
@@werewolg here is his website sossgaming.com/repair-service
How hot dose the soldering iron have to be in order to take off the joystick??? The solder iron I have won’t melt the old solder.
Very hot! Hottest it can go almost. Also try to add some leaded solder and flux to it to reduce it's melting point. Make sure the soldering tip is clean and removed of the oxidized layer (with a wet sponge or my favorite a brass wire sponge). If the tip is small also try a larger soldering tip. Let me know if you're able to get it melted? Good luck
Best Instruction for reparing :)
Hey man, nice to see you back. I find that series 2 are a pain in the butt to replace the joysticks but at least they don’t need calibration
Thanks! Yeah, that lead-free solder can be troublesome.
@@SOSSGAMING why doesn't my controller recalibrate itself. I can't use gamepad tester So I just plugged it into the Xbox and not it's on but doesn't do anything what should I do?
Still no luck...it won't power up even with the cable directly connected. Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.
@@eneresolong Does the light try to come on at all? And both boards are connected to eachother? Pretty confused on this one. You might want to consider posting this question on the acidmods forum. They might be able to help better troubleshoot it.
@@SOSSGAMING it worked once for about 10 seconds before the light went out for good. As far as I can tell the boards are connected properly..I had a weird issue where the rumbles were firing non stop at full force before I removed them. Thanks for the tips I'll post if I ever learn more
@soss gaming great video and instruction. I have the stick drift issue and didn't know if you had a video on how to fix that outside of changing the potentiometer
I don't, haven't been able to get around to doing that yet. But basically it's what you described, changing out the potentiometer. Nothing fancy really. The video I had planned was just going to be more streamlined.
Truly revolutionary... that the DS2 controlleres calibrated themselfs over 20 years earlier.
Thanks for the comment! I couldn't find anything to confirm that nor do I have a DS2 controller to test, but I'll take you're word for it. Kinda sad Sony would discontinue doing that, but I suppose they have their reasons :/
Hey is there a tutorial you could make to install a better joystick in? Like maybe one of those magnetic based ones that have a 100x longe lifespan. Forgive me if I being ignorant on electronics hardware, not too versed on the subject.
As far as I'm aware those type of joysticks aren't compatible. They require different type of electronics on the motherboards. Would be nice though!
Hello friend, that same joystick is compatible with the normal x series, yes I have the replacement kit also for the sticks that are screwable. (I have spare parts for these and would like to modify my series x controllers like the Xbox One Elite Series 2)
In theory they are compatible, but the only problem I see is the Elite Series 2 joysticks sit a little higher, so the joystick might rub on the front cover, but I am not sure. Let me know how it goes!
not sure why you wouldn't just use solder wick, that method worked well for me with my soldering iron set to 400c
On the Elite 2?? Very impressive! I'm sure you have a great technique.
I love you, amazing video. You are awesome and please keep making useful tutorials like this
Thanks, going to do this soon because my left joystick doesn't click in anymore.
Good luck!
@@SOSSGAMING Thanks, Looks like a easy repair for me because I'm a experienced at soldering and took a class in highschool but micro soldering is on a whole another level. The controller that I'm going to fix is out of warranty and Microsoft is going to charge me $79 dollars for the repair. I can do it myself and will order more joysticks which are just $10 a set so if it eventually happens again I can repair it my self. About to order the Elite Series 2 Joystick Kit you listed under the video.
Great tutorial, I replaced the sticks not sure if I shorted something while soldering but now the controller is not detected when plugging in a USB C cable have both the boards together, gamepad tester is not detecting it at all neither will my PC. The board looks good and everything clicks normally. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated this repair is turning to more of a headache than it should have been.
Is everything put back together? They did an update where the battery needs to be connected now in order for it to turn on.
I'm having difficulty desoldering. The solder doesn't seem to melt properly. It worked initially, but now it seems like it's not melting at all. I bought the kit shown in the video, so I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong. Additionally, I have a metal piece stuck in the pinhole that I can't remove. The video is great, though-really appreciate it and well done! Any advice on desoldering and getting that piece out would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hello! Sorry to hear about the struggles. Being that it's lead-free solder, it's notoriously more difficult to melt. What temperature do you have the iron set to? The tip of the soldering iron should be clean to aid in the transfer of the heat. I personally love cleaning the iron tip with a wire ball, really easy, but the sponge/water also works. Check out some videos on how to get the tip clean and maintain it (I just clean it after every use or every so often during a longer session).
Then you may need to turn the heat up. Adding more of the leaded solder with flux (important so they bond) can help lower it's melting point and melt easier. Once you can get the solder melted, then the stuck piece can be pushed with the iron itself and pried away from the other side. Hope this helps. Good luck.
@@SOSSGAMINGthanks for the response. Do you know of any controller repair services? For whatever reason I can’t seem to get it. The desoldering part. A shame because I got this far. Thanks.
@@GFBucher88 Bummer. On eBay there are some sellers that offer repair services.
Have you ever seen an issue where the board moves the right stick down? I replaced my sticks with tmr joysticks, but the right stick's Y-axis seemed to not work properly (being stuck down or not working at all), so then I swapped it back to the old stick and it was stick showing that it moving down, and then I removed the stick entirely and gamepad tester was still showing it moving down. I'm kind of stumped on what the issue could be, because the other stick is working perfectly, but no matter what I do the other stick just keeps moving down. Really hoping you could give some insight, because I have no idea what the issue could be. Thanks.
This sounds an awful lot like a damaged through hole pad. It could also be a missing diode/capacitor or short somewhere within it's circuitry, but less likely to be the case. I did a write up on how to "fix" it with a jump wire here if you were interesting in attempting it: sossgaming.com/model-1797-elite-series-2/
how to fix , basically strip to bare bones and rebuild , great job xbox
I totally destroyed both sticks doing this they are froze up solid as a rock now and i kept everything even and did just how you did.
:(
What happened to the video on replacing switch joy cons? I purchased your kit on Amazon, followed your amazing step by step video and the replacement parts work flawlessly. I told a friend I’d send the links to the parts & your video, but it’s not on your channel any more. What’s up?
Sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know. And thanks for the support and word of mouth. I took it down because I'm going to upload two separate videos (for each controller).
Great video. My problem is when trying to rmove the covers on the thumbsticks, they end up just spinning. Do I need to apply some upward pressure or something? The analog joystick is fine and not broken.
Sounds like the rubber on the thumbstick is what's spinning. Try using pliers like shown in the video if you can.
@@SOSSGAMING I am running into the same issue. I have tried using the longer joy stick w/ and w/out pliers, no joystick just pliers on the "nub", a screw driver, and I have even heated it up as well. I can feel and see the dome spinning (mine has a very small blemish I can see rotate). Any other ideas I can try? I was able to get the left one off no problem but the right one is being extremely difficult. Thanks for the video!
@@chasel907 Sounds like the joystick itself broke somehow. When you tilt the dome piece and look under it, do you see it broken somewhere? And when you turn it looking under the dome piece at the joystick, what do you see happening?
If you're trying to save it, I suppose the only way out of that is desoldering each pin. You will basically need a desoldering iron to do this. It may take a bit of work to get each pin free.
Another option may be trying to chop the joystick up enough to free the metal piece holding the dome piece. Not sure how viable that option is though.
Actually one last may be to hold the metal piece under the dome piece somehow while twisting the dome piece. That would take some type of needle nose pliers.
Let me know what you figure out.
@@SOSSGAMING Maybe it needs more time on the heating process for the glue to melt, its happening the same to me here.
@@strongnb136 The shaft part of the joystick broke inside you mean?
Great video as always! Music was not distracting at all btw! Can I ask where is the video detailing how to replace only the potentiometers? Im only seeing a handful of videos on your channel. Or is it imbedded in one of those?
Thanks so much! And thanks for the feedback on the music. I was supposed to have that video ready soon but it's going to take a little longer than I expected. Maybe a month. Sorry about that. It'll pretty much just cover replacing the potentiometers though, which I show at 9:17. If you know which axis the drift is occurring, all you need to do is replace that specific pot. Hope that helps.
@@SOSSGAMING No worries! Glad to provide the feedback! And sweet! Can't wait to see that other video! Does just replacing a particular axis mess with the factory calibration at all? (So id only be able to calibrate for pc?) And btw do you know which specific ALPS analog sticks i should be looking for on aliexpress or otherwise for xbox one/elite gen 1 controllers?
@@My_Intentions On an elite series 2 controller it'll probably be ok to just swap out because it calibrates itself. For other controllers they may need calibration, depending on what parameters you allow. On aliexpress, if you find a listing that has "oem" vs "original" go with the original.
Anyway to get ahold of a couple of the dead joystick modules you've replaced? Namely the magnetic attachment point for the interchangeable caps?
Nevermind, once my brain kicked in for the day I realized I needed to rephrase my Google search and found them online
I had actually saved a lot of those but I think I threw everything out a few months ago. I return to the US in February so if you can remind me then I will double check and let you know!
He's using the pliers backwards for the way it's supposed to turn but in some ways it's better for this application cuz then they're more likely to slip than break something
Yes! Others have made it clear to me too lol. It's worth mentioning. We all learn something new at some point 😅
You used your channel locks backwards, but thank you for the video
Haha yeah I'm a total noob. Thanks for watching!
at 3:20 to remove the dome pieces, the left thumstick will spin in place. This is why I am trying to replace the piece as this will spin left or right endlessly and cannot be torqued down.
A couple have commented this same issue before. Although I don't recall their solution, I believe you can still remove the motherboard then proceed normally, by either chopping up the joystick (while reaching around the dome piece) then the rest of the joystick. You should then be able to remove the dome piece by using two pliers, one on the dome piece and one holding the joystick shaft that's connected to the dome piece. Hope that makes sense.
If you're able and willing, I'd like to see a video and/or picture of what part is broken. No one has been able to confirm what the root of the problem is that causes this. My guess is the shaft of the joystick broke inside somehow. Not sure though.
@@SOSSGAMINGHave you figured out yet why it just keeps spinning when trying to remove? Mine is doing the same.
@@wyattsmiths No one has told me yet what's going on. Will you be the first? 😅
can you please make a video for a Halifax swap for these
I would, but I've tested them and they are not ready/reliable yet :/
I just bought a core in hopes it would feel the same and it doesnt. Idk what it is about the sticks or theres a little more delay in the controller... Not even input delay really its more like an acceleration delay... It feels like things register fine but I cant find any setting to help it feel more responsive. I might try playing witth all the controllers I have like this.
Have you replaced old xbox elite series thumbsticks with hall effects yet? I am wondering if the pot calibrations will be necessary with hall effects.
I've tried it on both elites. It's not reliable yet unfortunately, and the physical calibration in my experience didn't do anything. Many times can't get centered or enough range. The integrated calibration on the Elite 2 isn't enough. If they ever introduce the calibration software that they have for the X/S controllers either the elite or to a future elite, I can see it being reliable. I will actually be testing some TMR sensor joysticks soon, but I am not holding my breath :)
@SOSSGAMING dude! Thank you so much for your quick response. The thumsticks I have are the gullikit TMR sticks. I just want to dabble with them to learn while I use a friends old controller to test my craftsmanship. Ive purchased him a brand new, fully built AIM controller for Christmas so he will be fully set to go. But my interest in rebuilding controllers, and eventually modifying them how I'd like has led me to your channel. I'll fool around and make mistakes, but you've got so much information that will save me time and money. I appreciate the hell out of you for your efforts. I will let you know how the tmr stick swap goes and will do my best to document everything to share with you.
@@PheelTheJoy No problem glad you find them useful! Good luck on your future controller endeavors. Yes please let me know your findings and which controller(s) you put them in on
Have you seen that Xbox Series got an update that allows official calibration through the Accessories app?
I haven't! Do you know if that also include range calibration? That would be great if it did.
@SOSSGAMING it does include range cal.
@@MrLuizsaluti Awesome! Thanks for the info
Did you have any trouble sucking out the solder on the 4 ground points? I had to use both a hakko solder sucker, and place an iron on the other side of the pcb to get enough heat flow going.
Yeah, it can be a pain sometimes. Sometimes just have to keep going at it to get it.
Awesome Tutorial! But where can I find high Range Sensor Potentiometers? (14:38) I've never heard of those before...
Thanks! The one's shown in the video are from Nintendo Pro controllers. It's honestly a nightmare trying to source them. You might be able to find some on AliExpress, but the white PS4 potentiometers have higher range and will work too. Be careful not to get the "OEM" ones with integrated deadzone.
Can the magnetic thumbsticks be installed on a normal Xbox X Series controller?
Has anyone tried it?
I would like to install that on my Xbox Core controller but I don't know if it would fit.
I believe others had mentioned to me that they had success doing so, but I can't confirm 100% as this was a while ago. I do know the Elite series 2 joysticks sit a little higher so the dome piece may interfere with the faceplate.
Hey man having trouble the left stick it's double-clicking any idea on how to fix?
Thanks, broke both joysticks... Looks like I should have used a philips head on the middle pin instead of forcing them to rotate. I got the rotating forever bug, the only way to fix it was to brute force the dome out, a piece of the analog stick remaining on the dome will need heating (300 Celsius worked for me) and then it easily unscrews.
Sorry to hear that :( I just recently heard of the screwdriver method. I will have to test that out. Best of luck on the rest of the repair..
@@SOSSGAMING finished the swap, looks like everything is fine. Also changed some potentiometers (without the housing) and that fixed some weird pegged axis issues. Overall it was quite painful
@@SWATsqad It can be definitely be rough sometimes. But great job on completing it!
@@SOSSGAMING I want to see that I have an issue like 2 months ago taking out that right stick cap
Can or should I use 300 celcius as the other sub says?
@@SOSSGAMING I mean the stick rotates but it Just dont come out its like it goles back to its original position
a copper mash would make it way easier to remove the older soldering, besides this, nice video man, thanks =)
I just replaced my sticks with yours i bought on amazon. The right stick moves to the left way too fast. Is there a way to fix or adjust that?
Is the x axis showing 1 or -1 on the hardware tester? If not, there should be a way to center it with the controller's calibration. If it does, it sounds like it's a damaged through hole or bad solder joint. Which there still may be a way to "fix"
@SOSSGAMING I'll check it out tomorrow after work. I did do the calibration test multiple times. But I will check the hardware tester. Thank you!
@@SOSSGAMING Checked out your site and saw the through hole repair. I ended up bridging RSX, worked. So it is a damaged through hole, thank you!
@@EnvyisRandom Oh fantastic! Glad to hear.
Halo Infinite also has the max input threshold option
Yep
If the pin breaks off in the board any tips to getting it out
Which pin are you referring to?
Thank you soo much! Found this and saved myself 140 bucks!!!
Good Video! Have a question: Are there no hall effect sensor for this controller?
Not that I am aware of. I believe the internals are not capable of using hall effect sensors, though I could be wrong.
my joystick is working fine, but the click is broken so now I think I might have to replace it... gah I hate how often I have to disassemble this controller because something goes wrong
Thanks for video. I did a full replacement on the left josytick. When I connected to my Xbox and realized that the Left Stick button is not working it works perfectly fine on all directions. Which pin is the board is for the left stick button? Maybe it is an easy fix and I could just desolder and solder again. Or maybe I damaged the board. I must say I am new at soldering. Do you have any tips to check where it could have went wrong?
The left stick button is the red button on the joystick. The connections are the 4 pins under the that button. It is possible to be a lemon though, and I would also just verify in the accessories app that the Left Joystick Click isn't changed to something else.
@@SOSSGAMING Thanks for your reply! Desoldering, cleaning and soldering those 4 pins solved the issue. The red button now works. However after playing for 10 mins, now the joystick is stuck at 80% forward. I think there is a problem with the potentiometers.
@@batuhantuter Sometimes installs can be a headache! I'm not sure what 80% could mean. Only time I ever seen that was when there was a crack in the board, but doubt that's what's going on. Is the flux cleaned up pretty good? Are the solder connections good? I would check that before the potentiometer itself. But that could be the next troubleshooting procedure, replacing the potentiometer. On older boards it's easy to damage the through hole pads, but the elite 2's a built much better. Not likely that, but still possible. Had you chopped the nubs off by chance? Wondering if it's just not making good connection.
@@SOSSGAMING Thank you very much for replying! Turns out there was some flux left between the pins. Cleaning the PCB nicely solved the issue. Now the controller works better than ever. Thank you very much for the great video and also taking the time to write comments and help out. You rock!
@@batuhantuter Awesome! so glad to hear. Thanks for letting me know what solved it. Happy gaming
What type of solder should I use? Does it matter?
I recommend leaded solder. 60/40 or 63/37 is fine. I personally recommend the brand Kester. I tried other off brands and they just weren't as quality. Apparently quality does matter with solder I found out. But that's not to say you can't make the other stuff work.
Thanks for the video but I’ve got a similar problem to some others, I’ve got the covered on but when I twist to tighten it it’s just gets stiffer looser and won’t go back to normal
I'm sorry I'm having a hard time understanding what you mean. Do you think the thread has been stripped?
@@SOSSGAMING maybe, is there any way to fix it, the stick just keeps spinning when I try to tighten it or loosen it, it just gets stiffer or looser no matter witch way I twist it, I’ve tried pliers but it doesn’t work for me
@@lssquish1288 Ok, if you're using pliers on the base then I think it actually broke inside. So if that's the case it'll need to be replacent. Unfortunate. If it's the left joystick it will be trickier to get out. If you can find a way to cut the joystick frame you should be able to remove the part thats attatched to the dome piece, then move along from there. You might even be able to get skinnier pliers to reach under the dome piece to grab a hold of the joystick shaft then try twisting the dome piece off with the other pliers. Unfortunately I am overseas for some time so I won't be able to figure out myself but someone had the same thing happen and was able to figure it out. Don't remember how though sorry. Good luck.
@@SOSSGAMING oh, thank you, have a good time
So im trying to desolder and was able to take all of them off but i thibk i used too much solder wire and when i pulled the pins out, the potentiometera one by one. Some stated sealed. So i dont have a way to insert the joystick then the potentiometers. Should i heat up everything all at once. Or heat up as I insert bavk in
Some have had luck heating up the solder and inserting the pots back in. I would also recommend YouTubing some videos on some de-soldering tips. Good luck!
If I chose to not have the rumbles what would happen if I didn’t install them?
Nothing actually. Well, other than it feeling lighter, and no more rumble :)
Hello, Thank you for your videos, I disassembled and changed the LB / RB buttons, I have a problem reassembling once I put the screws on the side of the X / Y / A / B buttons, or that I put the case back on, the controller no longer turns on wirelessly, only in USB, I am in France, Do you have any idea of the contact required during assembly... Thank you
Sounds like an issue with the battery. The two cables from the front and back board are for the battery I believe. Make sure they are connected well. I'm not sure if polarity matters (which cable is snapped in to which spot), but it might as well. That's all I can think of at the moment.
Where's the video for srick drift? Left stick just slightly gets stuck on return
I never got a chance to make it. It was just going to be a condensed version. Everything is basically in this video though. Basically just change out the potentiometer causing the issue.
My question is,the potentiometer is the same in elite like in normal controller?
Exact same!
@@SOSSGAMING u save me bro, literally i have 4 controller and 2 elites in 3 months with drift,the joystick is hard to find in my country so thank u bro
@@darknessangel4959 Good luck!
Is it possible to sold a different thumbstick and make it work?
Do you mean to put this joystick into a Playstation 4 controller, for example? Yes, it is possible. You will need the correct sensors and thumbsticks though.
what is difference about green vs orange analog?
I believe the orange analogs have a wider range potentiometers, perhaps different stance. Not exactly sure actually, that's just my guess.
I have a 135W soldering iron but some solder just won't melt
Yeah the lead-free solder is quite difficult sometimes :/ I'm wondering if the iron is faulty and just not getting hot enough. Or maybe try adding some leaded solder to it.
Hello, thank you for this great vid. I have a question I hope someone can answer. I’ll just say i needed to take apart the controller. I found a 4 stack of small magnets under the d-pad. They can’t possibly go there because the d-pad a stay or work right with them there. Do you have any info on them? Thank you
Do you mean the black part that the metal piece goes on? If so, the magnets are the keep the metal d-pad in place.
Using a hairdryer to heat up the thumbsticks work pretty well.
Nice!
Help: I fixed my controller months ago and my rb button wasn’t working, so it took the controller apart and the point, where you solder it too, broke off and I can’t figure how to connect the wire again
Are you talking about the rumble pack wires?
Can I swap my series x analogs for this one so I can use the attachments?
I believe they should work. But keep in mind if planning on changing the joysticks that because the joysticks sit a little higher, the dome piece may rub against the front cover. I don't really see that as being an issue but it's possible so it's worth mentioning. Hope that helps
@SOSS GAMING I already ordered the parts and I'll let you know and comment once I'm done doing it
@@justinjuarez1852 best of luck :)
One issue though - Silicone tubing should not be missing from any desoldering pump tip (in order to protect the PCB and have better suction from the seal it creates)
Are you referencing the solder sucker I am using in the video? If so, it's actually one that comes with a cheap soldering kit. It has a plastic tip, and by cutting a little divot, it's able to go over the soldering tip which creates a better seal, and allows better suction. Oh, and thanks for watching!
@@SOSSGAMING Yep, that's the sucker allright, it's just I've learned a soft silicone tip will make your life easier around solder pads and protect them as well. You can even cut and use some cable insulation if you find any around that are heat resistant and the fitting dimensions. And yes, it's a cheap or no cost and effective solution ;) (to a problem you never even knew you've had until you've tried it - I know I'm no longer using my desolder pump without a soft tip since I've seen it about 20 something years ago)
@@Costinmusca "that's the sucker" haha. Thanks for the great "tip"!
If you have some spare earbud caps made of silicone they are a good fit for the blue solder sucker.
I gotta question, so I just recently bought a Xbox Series Elite 2 Controller and I want to replace my right stick with the stick in my PDP controller reason being is because my right stick has stick drift and my PDP controller has 0 stick drift and it feels a lot better. I personally don’t trust myself to swap them out myself so I was wondering if I could mail them to you and you do it for me? You’d be payed of course.
Will these pieces work for a regular controller
Some people have told me they were able to make it work. Personally I wouldn't recommend it but maybe you are up for the challenge.
OMG Thank you!! Great Video. I never have taken my controller apart. But I do have a issue where the thumb domes were unscrewing themselves while i game. I guess i can take the faceplate off and then apply some loctite to keep them from unthreading? I was worried I broke my controller somehow and would need to replace it.
You could do that but I wouldn't recommend it if you were to ever want to remove them in the future. I would recommend torquing them down really tight (perhaps get some pliers to apply more torque). That's been working for me.
Is it possible to put an eleite series joystick module in a standard xbox controller or ps5 or 4 controller?
Standard not so sure because the elite series 2 joysticks are taller. If you modify the joystick to sit lower it should be fine. A Ps4 or 5 controller should work as long as you keep the same potentiometers in, as all xbox potentiometers use a lower range potentiometer, while playstations use higher range potentiometers. Hope that makes sense.
Use the key they give you to adjust the joystick tension to losses joy stick. That's what I did
I have a very curious quest can you put the elite 2 joystick in a ps4 controller pls respond
Yep! It is possible. With the current kit you can use the higher range potentiometers which are perfect for PS4. Otherwise you will need to source (or re-use) PS4 potentiometers. The xbox potentiometers currently on the joysticks will cause problems with lack of range.
i need some help i fixed one and i have another one the only thing is damaged two AN from booth analogs that third one " latest one " there is three pins u know "up and down" not working , i fixed that analog close from TP103 its works like 2 minutes after that stop working , when i try to solder again nothing works can i use trace method on TP103 ?? or there is other trace for that analog close to TP103 btw its xbox one S 1708
Hey there. I'm not sure I understand correctly. Do you already have a jump wire to TP103? If not, I would recommend trying it. You can also jump the AN+ pin on the joystick to another AN+ pin of a joystick that is not damaged. Hope that makes sense.
@@SOSSGAMING yes its not damage but when i wire it the controller not working 😁😁TP103 is rly bad for jumper wire , sry my eng is bad , i mean right analog , the left analog is ez to fix but the right one needs more works bec idk where is the trace location its not just TP103 , im not gonna wire any TP i need the trace location i know its under the analog but idk where
@@SOSSGAMING yes i understand very well but when i use jumper wire on another AN the controller controller not working 😁😁 the other AN not damage
@@giovannigiorgio2262 Hmm interesting. What are the symptoms of the controller before jumping the wire, and after trying to jump the wire?
@@SOSSGAMING i fixed , i found out the problem potentiometer i desolder it and solder new one and its work just fine , TP is good but its risky this is why i use wire from AN to AN + U have to know what analog i use its hall effect from AliExpress u can buy for 1-2$ the firs generation now they have third generation , ty for help but last question is the board start overheated after i solder hall effect the board with USB one not the analog one idk why , its overrated around D-PAD area btw boards overheated same area , one stop working and other work but i can feel the heat , can u tell me what is the problem ?
I've removed numerous modules in numerous controllers...I installed some alps in a elite 2 but my right module is clicked in and can't move it in game tester. I've tried 2 sets of joystick modules.. same thing.. any help would be appreciated.. thanks
Hey there, I'd be happy to try to help diagnose. What do you mean clicked in? Is this a physical problem as in it won't move? What are the values of x/y? What happens when you move the joystick in the tester? Thanks.
@@SOSSGAMING I ended up switching boards..I went through 2 sets of modules.. the right analog would act like like it was pressed in.. it was black at all time times and it was not able to be moved (like it was a very hard drift. I looked over all the tracers.. when I got the controller the right module had a little drift and was not able to be pressed in at all.
@@urbbs09 I wonder if a capacitor/diode fell off, or maybe some damage/short to the board somewhere. Sometimes the damage can be invisible. A "fix" may be to just disable it on the accessories app and program it to a paddle or button. Seems like it's not the joystick's fault if you've replaced it a few times.
Hi, nice video, do you know If series controller has self calibration? Thanks :)
Yes it does. (Series 2 only, not the Series 1)
@@user-ul6df1vg5z They cannot. I'm hoping xbox introduces this feature in their future standard controller though. It's very nice.
@@SOSSGAMING Isn't this standard for almost all other controller brands? I believe most controllers calibrate the center when you turn the controller on. It's easy to test if a controller has auto calibration if you hold the joystick off center when you power it on, as that'll cause it to calibrate off center and basically force stick drift until you turn the controller off and on again. I think this is why stick drift is so common with Xbox controllers despite all major brands using the same ALPS joystick modules.
@@richard2667 No, it's not standard unfortunately (that I'm aware of). Other controller brands have software though that allow you to calibrate with when you open the software. Just not Sony or Microsoft, the two biggest controller manufacturers.
Ahhh so I got broken joystick off. Victory!
But now I see there is solder stuck in the holes I tried using copper wick with flux and I can't get the middle off! I need help any ideas? I thinking small solid copper wire to push out solder.
That's actually an interesting idea. Push out while hot hmm. Well, my best advice is keep going at it. Maybe watch some youtube videos on tips of using a wick and/or solder sucker. May also need to bring up the heat.
Thanks for reply I got it clear turns out I had a solder sucker and hit a few times per hole and it worked.
@@lanc5172 Great to hear!
I tried following this guide and it was going well until I put my controller back together. My right trigger rumble pack constantly vibrates and I’m not sure why any ideas?
Interesting! It's somehow getting constant power, obviously. My guess is there is a solder bridge between the positive and negative terminals. There could also be a short wherever it is on the controller that switches the rumble on and off (and unfortunately I don't know where that it). You can also check the setting in the accessories app to make sure it's not constantly on somehow. Apart from that I'm not sure what else it could be unfortunately. Worse case you can just turn it off in the accessories app (I believe you can do that) or physically remove it.
Am I able to put the same joysticks in older controllers?
While I haven't done it myself, others have commented they have done it successfully.
Hi I’m trying to remove the joystick but it just keep twisting around tightening and loosening the movement of the joystick what am I doing wrong to remove it?
I'm afraid the joystick may be broke, and the shaft part of the joystick is twisting. It could also just be the thumbstick grip that is twisting (best case scenario). You can try grabbing the shaft of the joystick with some thin pliers and then twisting the dome piece. If you figure it out, I would be curious what the issue is and what you were able to do to fix it.
Did you find the issue? I just gave myself a blister spinning this damn thunbsticks around infinitely...