Console/Controller Modding/Repair

[HeroOfTime]

I've always loved to tinker with stuff. Even when I was a kid, I was bringing home junk and messing around with it, trying to figure out how it worked or taking random pieces of action figures and making my own.

It was only logical that eventually I started tinkering with consoles.

A few years back I learned how to repair Xbox 360 consoles. Since then I've picked up, repaired and flipped numerous consoles; mostly those with the RRoD and E# errors. At the moment I have about 10 in various states of disrepair.

Last week I was lucky enough to pick up a special Torx head screwdriver for the Xbox 360 controllers in one of the lowballs here on CAG, ANother good investment, because I was able to repair a few controllers and complete my first controller mods!





It was a little more than just opening the controller and switching the buttons around, though.

The board in the silver controller was actually damaged. I had to replace that and re-solder some contacts, and the switched the repaired board into the white controller. At the same time, I switched the buttons around. So now I have a monochrome white controller and the colorful silver controller with the transforming D-Pad.

 

[Kerig]

You should check out all of the cool little mods that are available on eBay for cheap. All kinds of LED add-ons and different colors for shells/buttons/guide button and whatnot. If I ever find a good deal on the silver transforming pad, the first thing I do will be replace the colorless buttons with standard ones like you've done.

All of the special security bits/screwdrivers can also be found on eBay for dirt cheap.

 

[randomdud]

Hmm, it doesn't seem too complicated to mod or repair the Xbox controller at least. How easy is it to fix a PS3 controller? My battery failed in one of my older controllers, so I was wondering if it would be worth taking apart and replacing.

 

[tankyroo]

I love doing things like this as well (I just fixed a broken mouse today in fact. ) I've been wanting to get into controller/console modding/repair, but I don't really know where to begin. Did you just look up tutorials online and follow along until you got the hang of it and then go your own way, or did you just mess with the stuff until you figure it out? (or none of the above.)

Nice work btw, I love the look of the silver controller with the colored buttons.

 

[Kerig]

[quote name='randomdud']How easy is it to fix a PS3 controller? My battery failed in one of my older controllers, so I was wondering if it would be worth taking apart and replacing.[/QUOTE]

I haven't come across a controller that's been anything close to difficult for simple repairs/cleaning. I used to take apart N64 controllers for color-swapping and "powdering" the analog stick.

Logitech PS2 wireless controllers needed rather frequent thorough cleaning to unstick a button or two (especially since I bought them used).

Try it, it's fun and gives you a sense of closeness to your system you don't get from just playing.

 

[Kerig]

[quote name='randomdud']How easy is it to fix a PS3 controller? My battery failed in one of my older controllers, so I was wondering if it would be worth taking apart and replacing.[/QUOTE]

I haven't come across a controller that's been anything close to difficult for simple repairs/cleaning. I used to take apart N64 controllers for color-swapping and "powdering" the analog stick.

Logitech PS2 wireless controllers needed rather frequent thorough cleaning to unstick a button or two (especially since I bought them used).

Try it, it's fun and gives you a sense of closeness to your system you don't get from just playing.

 

[KHASN]

I just sent my 360 controller back to MS last week. The left analog stick wouldn't allow me to run at full speed, and I couldn't climb ladders in mass effect 3.
When I push up on the analog stick it's not registering completely. So the game thinks i'm only pushing "up" 75 percent, even though i'm pushing the analog stick all the way up. Is there any way to fix this?

 

[HeroOfTime]

sounds like the analog mechanism was damaged. Only way to fix that is to de-solder the whole mechanism from the board and replace it.

 

[HeroOfTime]

So I went out and bought a Dremel tool last night and came home and worked on that white controller you see above.

I hollowed out the area around where the D-Pad is held. In the older controllers, the D-Pad is actually a mechanism that is two separate pieces held together by screws - the flat "D-Pad" itself and the lever that actually presses the contacts to the board. In-between the lever and the pad itself is a plastic disk that is built into the shell of the controller.

The new controllers with the transforming D-Pads are one mechanism. This version does not have the disk, because it's one full piece.

Basically, I made the white controller ready for a new transforming D-Pad. It's being shipped as we speak. I'm pretty excited, lol.

 

[HeroOfTime]

[quote name='tankyroo']I love doing things like this as well (I just fixed a broken mouse today in fact. ) I've been wanting to get into controller/console modding/repair, but I don't really know where to begin. Did you just look up tutorials online and follow along until you got the hang of it and then go your own way, or did you just mess with the stuff until you figure it out? (or none of the above.)

Nice work btw, I love the look of the silver controller with the colored buttons.[/QUOTE]

Like I said, I like to tinker. I like taking things apart and putting them back together. Most of the time I don't look anything up first - I just start tearing down (on non-working subjects first, of course ;D

For example, on this most recent mod to the controller, I noticed the older shell had the d-pad inhibitor, so I removed it with my new dremel tool.

Experimentation works best, imo.