the controller's sticks are designed to remain wear-free throughout their lifetime

AsRockWhich means ?.

I am going to live my full lifetime too.

cvaldesWhile Hall effect sticks have been available for many years, the component cost has come down enough to make their inclusion feasible even in budget priced models in the past year or so.

Chrispy_I thought hall-effect sensors were the holy-grail of long-life joysticks but was surprised to learn that GabeN considered them for both the Steam Deck and the OLED revision but they still didn't meet reliability expectations.

cvaldesMany gamepads develop undesirable stick drift after a relatively short period of use, like a year (sometimes less if used frequently). Occasionally this stick drift is so severe it renders the device useless for gameplay. This results in dissatisfaction and increased cost -- either repairs or outright replacements. The latter obviously generates more e-waste. Many people rightfully believe that gamepads should not have to be repaired/replaced after 1-2 years.

The most notorious recent widespread example of this are the Joy-con controllers for the Nintendo Switch. Class action lawsuits were filed, you can read about it online elsewhere, I won't regurgitate it because that horse has been beaten to death a thousand times over.

By using Hall effect components for the two sticks, the gamepad should have a more reasonable lifespan. The gamepad's lifespan will likely be determined by some other failing component other than analog stick issues. While Hall effect sticks have been available for many years, the component cost has come down enough to make their inclusion feasible even in budget priced models in the past year or so.

Personally I appreciate it when consumer electronics manufacturers include more reliable components or add durability. Water resistance for smartphones is another example. Japanese manufacturers added water resistance to their feature phone models years before it showed up on smartphone handsets.

trsttteCool, I prefer the Playstation layout myself but all the 3rd controllers using better hardware for much cheaper might put pressure and shame Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo into improving their shit.



This is misleading, the components cost has been going down as they've been used more but it was never that high and the big players (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) could make prices drop even more if they used them in their controllers (first party controllers sell more, especially in recent years). It doesn't happen because of greed and planned obsolescence, not because it's "too expensive" or "untested" like they often claim.

RuruI have no idea what hall effect even means, but with that price, I would get one just for testing purposes.

lexluthermiesterMagnetic effect.

RuruI have no idea what hall effect even means, but with that price, I would get one just for testing purposes.

KyanIt's a stick which use magnetic sensor instead of a potentiometer. Using magnet, there's no tear on the metallic sheet of the potentiometer so it generally last longer.
The wikipedia page posted by Onasi resume it all, especially in the "Human interface devices" section.