What are Hall Effect thumbsticks?

Hall effect thumbsticks, also known as magnetic thumbsticks, are a type of joystick mechanism used in controllers, particularly in gaming controllers. Unlike traditional thumbsticks that use potentiometers to detect movement, hall effect thumbsticks employ Hall effect sensors to track the position of the thumbstick.

Hall effect thumbsticks have several advantages over traditional potentiometer-based thumbsticks:

• Durability: Since there are no physical contacts to wear out, Hall effect thumbsticks are generally more durable and have a longer lifespan.

• Precision: Hall effect sensors can provide accurate and precise measurements of thumbstick movement, leading to more accurate control in games.

• Consistency: The absence of mechanical parts subject to wear and tear can result in more consistent performance over time.

• Reduced Drift: Hall effect sensors may be less prone to developing drift issues, where the thumbstick registers movement even when it's not being touched.

You may still experience some drift with a deadzone of 0%, we do aim for 0% deadzone when calibrating the Hall Effect sensors however to perfectly centre is not easily achieved.

Because of this factor - our Hall Effect sensors are tuned to have no drift between deadzone of 0 to 2%. The default value for deadzone in most modern shooters is 10%. 

Jitter is also normal for a Hall Effect stick and the jitter is ignored in most if not all games.

This means that the controller should never stray away from a 0-2% deadzone, where as traditional potentiometer-based thumbsticks may start with a 0-2% deadzone but eventually deteriorate over time.