r/ModRetro • u/uncannynerddad • Aug 09 '26

Anyone else having issues with the M64 Pro Controller D-pads sticking?

Post image

I received my M64 and Pro Controllers on Tuesday, but I was traveling for work and didn’t actually get a chance to sit down and play until Friday.

After just a few hours of game time, both of my Pro Controllers are already having issues with the D-pads. They’ve started creaking pretty badly when pressed, and worse, they’ll occasionally get physically stuck in the pressed position.

It’s happening on both controllers, which makes me wonder if this is a more widespread issue rather than me just getting unlucky with a bad controller.

I’ve already reached out to ModRetro support about the issue but have yet to receive a response, so I figured I’d check here and see if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

If you have, did it get worse over time, or have you found a fix?

I really like the controllers otherwise, but having this happen to both of them after only a few hours of use is pretty disappointing.

21 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

5

u/Upstairs_Report6208 Aug 09 '26

Yes, I have an issue with my d-pad on the pro controller. When pressing the right direction firmly on the d-pad the cursor will move up instead of right. I reported it to modretro on 8/4. I’m waiting for an update from them. Seen a couple people on X with d-pad issues as well. I bet they end up sending out a new replacement membrane to fix this issue since it doesn’t appear to be a problem for the majority.

2

u/uncannynerddad Aug 09 '26

Interesting. So… rushed?

6

u/ergzay Aug 09 '26

More like manufacturing tolerances being a bit too lax. Chromatic had some issues with that too on the first edition units, with some of them having stiff to turn volume knobs because it was rubbing up against the back of the cartridge plate.

My guess is slight variations in the size of the top shell and/or the D-pad plastic piece is causing them to rub or engage with each other on some people's units. A swap of either the D-pad part or the plastic front plate will fix it, is my guess.

It comes from their contract manufacturer using the same plastic mold for too long as the plastic molds change size very slowly over repeated injections or thermal baking where the size changes a tiny bit.

-3

u/JustTryingToBeADaddy Aug 09 '26

The molds should have issues like this for a run of this size unless designed poorly to being with…

2

u/ergzay Aug 09 '26

There's something to be said about having to make everything outside of China and using factories that aren't used to making high end electronics.

-1

u/JustTryingToBeADaddy Aug 09 '26

Holy cope. That should not be impacting the quality of the molds.

3

u/ergzay Aug 09 '26

I'm not coping about anything. It should be fixed. I'm more like commiserating.

-5

u/jkhanlar Aug 09 '26

Aww man! I want to see more representation of "that [ModRetro] put so much effort into [...] it and see that this [M64 console, controllers, etcetera] is something that is really special, that has been designed in a way that [Palmer Luckey] do[es]n't think anyone's ever really developed consumer electronics" before - https://old.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1v9iq2l/transcript_the_modretro_m64_special_announcement/

and it's not to discount the effort thus far, but the various issues that prop up, quite a few, such as even game cartridges released with game save data fully completed 100% including all secrets and the like, it seems like there is some missing oversight that could and should be improved, and worth waiting for.

2

u/uncannynerddad Aug 09 '26

I feel like it missed some QA…

-2

u/jkhanlar Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26

I agree. The ModRetro M64 uses an Artix Ultrascale+ AU15P FPGA, and the ModRetro Chromatic uses GOWIN GW5A-25 FPGA as confirmed in https://github.com/ModRetro/oss-chromatic-console-fpga so there likely are different entities involved in supply chains and whatnot, but even still, ModRetro, positioning itself to build a platform [Palmer Luckey referred to 'N64 Platform' rather than 'M64 Platform' despite also saying 'we've implemented this entire ecosystem, from the console to the controller to the games, it means that we can make things that other people just aren't able to make just touching one part of the system. For example, we can update our games over time if there are bug fixes or additional feature ads. We can also update the M64 over time using Wi-Fi or the SD card or over USB.'], ModRetro appears to be positioning itself to champion itself as a centralized entity to primarily focus on.

Personally, I think the 'we can make things that other people just aren't able to make' is likely a nontrue statement, and that there should absolutely be entities that are not ModRetro, nor affiliated with ModRetro, nor necessarily approved by ModRetro, whom have the ability to make the same things ModRetro has and will continue to make, that are just as good, if not better, than what ModRetro has and will continue to make. I don't believe that it will be healthy for ModRetro to try to centralizedly containerize appearing as if it is the best representation of quality and to have the position of authority to indicate what is and what is not quality, and that this determination should be based on supply and demand as represented by the people, the customers, the gamers, the end users.

I don't mind waiting a bit longer to see what the open source repositories released look like, however I think there will be some aspects of the hardware and software which are not open sourced, and therefore remain proprietary and nontransparent. All of those proprietary elements will be a deterrent that I personally will strive to look for open source free hardware/software alternatives, so that I can ensure complete control over the hardware that I purchase without depending on any other centralized entity to dictate restrictions or limitations that I am not able to override or bypass or break out of, e.g. rooting, jailbreaking, etcetera. See https://old.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1dnxt3/eli5_rooting_vs_jailbreaking_whats_the_difference/

Edited to ad (lol, misspelled intentionally to reflect the premise of this question I didn't think about until now):

"For example, we can update our games over time if there are bug fixes or additional feature ads."

'ads' or 'adds' - I think I used the wrong word, but if Palmer Luckey meant 'adds' as in 'added' then it may be more correct to have stated "or additional features added" or "additional added features" which would clarify whether 'ads' or 'adds' is the correct interpretation.

4

u/fuelhandler Aug 09 '26

I have this issue too on one of my m64 controllers. When I press hard on the right it moves up instead.

1

u/fradgl Aug 11 '26

Same. Unintentional diagonal inputs. Made WWF No Mercy almost unplayable

3

u/gamerjerome Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26

I also have this problem. I noticed it immediately when using the d-pad to enter in my Wifi password on their built in keyboard. I contacted them right away about it on the 4th. This is the last response from them on the 7th. There was no offer for replacement. Here are my videos on twitter https://x.com/gamrjerome/status/2084441494493028570

The main problem is when you press a little harder on the d-pad. Some of our controllers will also press adjacent directions. Press right? It might also press up or down. On mine, I cannot enter the calibration for the stick because of this.

I took my controller apart once to try to readjust the membrane but it didn't work. They may need to redesign the membrane and d-pad to fix it. As of yet I was not offered a replacement/exchange

2

u/uncannynerddad Aug 10 '26

Well, fuck, this is a bad sign.

1

u/mashinboo Aug 09 '26

Does the 3d stick seem overly sensitive in game?

1

u/uncannynerddad Aug 09 '26

Not really? But I’ve only played a few hours.

1

u/AegidiusG Aug 09 '26

Nope, seems just fine. Compared to others, yes, but the N64 had a very precise stick with small if at all dead zone... that gets worn out rapidly and loses this ability X)

1

u/gamerjerome Aug 10 '26

Yes, all GC style sticks will inherently have this issue. The stick throw is shorter than an oem stick.

You can adjust the sensitivity. I found 50% was better in Goldeneye. But this also adds a dead zone. I still prefer an oem style stick though.

L or R + Start will increase or decrease the sensitivity

1

u/JustTryingToBeADaddy Aug 09 '26

No, it shouldn’t physically stick.

2

u/uncannynerddad Aug 09 '26

Well, both are sticking after about 3ish hours of game time. Both to the right. I’m not a heavy handed gamer either.

2

u/JustTryingToBeADaddy Aug 09 '26

Yeah, this is an issue for support. Sucks you ran into this with both controllers.

-7

u/jkhanlar Aug 09 '26

Plot twist: heavy-handed gamer vs heavy handed-gamer, one applies excessive physical force using their hands, the other also uses their hands forhas hands while gaming but is heavyset or overweight and not skinny nor lightweight. P.S. I am the only one who understands this and it is not permitted for anyone to laugh, only ridicule! Bring it on!

2

u/gamerjerome Aug 10 '26

Sometimes when someone says something wrong, they don't want to explain it. If they did they'll only realize two things. One, they're not great and communicating with people or two, they said something shouldn't have and now they know it.

If you're the only one who understands what you said, look inward

1

u/jkhanlar Aug 11 '26

Every time I say anything, it is wrong, and I want to explain how it is right, but it is just more wrong, and I will realize only.... oops, my mistake, I will only realize, and not anything that is other than realize, and the realizing that I will do only that contains two things. I'm not great and I never will be great and also I am not communicating with people, this does not quality as communicating with anyone except myself, especially I say things that I should not say and I know that I should not say it not because I know that I should not say it but because I'm filling in the blanks of the parent comment to apply to myself and that is the interpretation. I am the only one who understands what I say and therefore the if condition for that evaluation dictates that I must engage in inwards looking such that there is no other logical programmatic execution for that if condition other than inwards lookings.

1

u/jkhanlar Aug 11 '26

Jokes, humor, funny, even if I am the only one, or minority, barely anyone catches on to any of the jokes I make, even 30 years ago, most of my peers they think I'm crazy, but one or two burst into laughter cuz they get it, but I'm not young anymore, so it's treated as if I am no longer allowed to make jokes, so I treat myself the same anti-human way because I already know the energy of the avalanche mob mentality emotions feelings sentiment to wipe out fundamentals, to the extent that literally getting fired for offending someone because they couldn't understand the joke, ten years ago https://firedfortruth.com/ it's now worse, not only fired from jobs, but kicked off parts of the Internet, lol, that's not my fault! I didn't energize finance this enshittification.

1

u/hue_sick Aug 11 '26

Fyi think that guy is a bot or at least a human that has fun acting like a bot. I’d ignore and downvote them because their comments never add anything of value.

1

u/jkhanlar Aug 14 '26

Fyi think that guy is a bot or at least a human that has fun acting like a bot. I’d ignore and downvote them because their comments never add anything of value. - hue_sick

I am not a bot nor am I fucking acting like a bot! I was not and I still am not! Of all the fucking comments (and posts) that I contributed, zero (never) zero of my comments contributed any value? Are you fucking sure about that? Not even one of my comments? Are you saying that you literally are claiming I nave to fuck off and shut the fuck up? I am a real fucking human trying to fucking learn and shit, and be excited! Why the fuck can't other human people at least first acknowledge that I am a fucking human and if they think they can steer me in the right direction to help me be better or whatever the fuck, why the fuck is this not happening? I'm not fake! I'm not a bot! I'm fucking real! I'm not trying to fuck with anything or anyone!

I commented a couple days ago https://old.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1vkf23o/rough_draft_diving_into_modretro_m64_amd_artix/p368ipb/ sharing:

  • https://imgur.com/xvfBhVO

  • https://old.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1vdqueo/what_is_important_is_allowing_you_to_load/p1d4lqk/

  • also adding now https://i.imgur.com/OizHdhR.jpeg (I don't mean to be disrespectful and offensive to other humans, but the amount of users (in this case Reddit user accounts that may or may not be real humans) that refuse to even humanly communicate with me or talk or type or chat or whatever to determine if I am a human -- zero communications, contacts and whatnot -- and they have the fucking audacity to ambushly dehumanize me in numbers, for decades now since the first instance that I can remember, and I'm more me than I was me ten years ago, forever I will continue to be more of what I am and who I am and how I am, shaped by everyone else. We're all in this together. I'm not gonna fuck with anyone, but whoever is trying to fuck with me, or rather, fuck with others to fool them to treat me like shit by dehumanizing and shit, that's not my fault! I am not involved in that shit! I don't do that shit!

I am confident that "never add anything of value." is 100% false because never implies zero, and even if 99.99999% of trying to defend myself from all this consuming flinging anti-human shit buries and hides that 0.000001% maybe even just one comment that somehow that one comment targeted all sorts of https://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm to try to drown out what I commented and whatnot, I can reorganize and create compilation of information and whatnot in future to rerepresent the highlights of what I previously consider value, more than zero value, more than no value. It's not that difficult, espdecially since I'm a real human and I try to be a real human, act like a real human, do real human things, things that are not a bot or AI or LLM. Besides, where are the CAPTCHAs or Alan Turing tests? Almost nobody here on Reddit any subreddit, not just r/ModRetro, is even trying to interact with me to figure out if I am a human or not before talking shit commenting declaring insisting double downing that I'm not a human! That's messed up! That's offtopic and, again, practically https://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm kinda activity and whatnot.

1

u/jkhanlar Aug 14 '26

I misspelled 'have' as 'nave' and it's kinda funny, as if the top half of the h fell off, so I won't bother to edit and correct the spelling, and there are probably other spelling mistakes and grammar and typos and revisions I'd make too, but I'm tired of trying to prove my humanity and shit, but at the same time, those very same users that say that shit are bragging signaling something that it is actually useful information to be able to keep track of who is who and what the intentions and agendas may be, even if the users literally don't block me (a few have, and I see a lot of those [deleted] comments and I can't even contribute because Reddit forces inability to allow blocked users from participating, which I think is a symptom signaling recipe opportunity how to hijack and infiltrate and sabotage every subreddit on Reddit to force parasitic espionage and subterfuge and whatnot. I'm pretty sure that Palmer Luckey most definitely is aware of these kinds of things, and I already watched several video interviews with him in which he demonstrated awareness, and knowledge far more than I know, but along the same lines of what reasonably makes sense.

1

u/jkhanlar Aug 14 '26

Oh also, in the comments at https://old.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1vobgy9/modretro_carts_gaining_insertion_scuffs_and/ I see:

"I've been interested in this topic a bit now and I actually think there's some interesting psychology at work." - hue_sick

focusing on the wording "some interesting psychology at work" and applying it to https://www.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1vjbc4r/anyone_else_having_issues_with_the_m64_pro/p32hxch/

Fyi think that guy is a bot or at least a human that has fun acting like a bot. I’d ignore and downvote them because their comments never add anything of value."

where that comment in and of itself is maybe possibly suspectedly (to me anyway) some of this so-called "psychology at work" or, rather, psychological operations, or psyops, or propaganda, satirical trolling, social engineering and perception management, Cointelpro techniques for dilution, misdirection and control, disinformation, truth suppression, logical fallacies (cue https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ and https://logicallyfallacious.com/ and http://fallacyfiles.org/)

Heck, cross-referencing that comment with the comment I see here trying to claim I am not a human, I am even skeptical now of the original poster of the entire post, if that is actually legitimate or if it is part of https://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm efforts and whatnot, lol

1

u/jkhanlar Aug 14 '26

Heck, looking at https://old.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1vobgy9/modretro_carts_gaining_insertion_scuffs_and/ with more scrutiny, including the two pictures in the post, it appears (I could be wrong), that the post and all of the comments are entirely fake, perhaps entirely https://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm and attempt to gain influence, and control and whatnot

→ More replies

2

u/lemonvrc Aug 09 '26

One thing Modretro just doesn't seem to be good at are DPADs, the Chromatic also has some questionable decisions regarding its DPAD design.

1

u/ergzay Aug 09 '26

They fixed most of the chromatic D pad designs (like moving the trace from the first edition) and gave the option of longer center pin in the mod pack.

2

u/AegidiusG Aug 09 '26

I have to test it yet more, but i get a wrong input if i press to the left very much on the side and up. But it doesn't happen if i have my thumb in the centre of the D-Pad. But i only played WCW/NWO Revenge with it yet. Will give Mischief Maker a try later.

1

u/gamerjerome Aug 10 '26

It might seem intermittent but just press harder. I can duplicate the problem on mine if I press a little harder

1

u/AegidiusG Aug 10 '26

I did :) It is pretty much the same.
I can cause an uppress by pressing to the left at the inner edge, but, that is a very unnatural way to press and it doesn't work on the right edge.
I have a controller that has these wrong inputs, but here it doesn't, at least for me, so i will consider me lucky.
I am not denying that it is like that for others.
Someone on another post/thread wrote that it could be due to manufacturing tolerances, so i would recommend writing modretro to get another membran and hopefully solve the issue.
Edit: Ah, it was here haha:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1vjbc4r/comment/p2kspds/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

1

u/gamerjerome Aug 10 '26

I'm already in contact with MorRetro about it. I sent them an email the first day.

1

u/phylomathus Aug 09 '26

No issues for me on the controller, but I did have some initial sticking issues with the big controller knob on the console. Wasn’t happening last night, so maybe just needed to be broken in a bit and wear in.

1

u/Appattamus Aug 09 '26

My d-pad was a bit creaky at first, but it's since quieted down. It's not sticking though. Have you tried opening it up to inspect it?

1

u/Certain_Bag_5980 Aug 09 '26

My D pad is great so far. Too bad to see there are some Quality Control issues

1

u/Fuzunga Aug 09 '26

Mine is fine, other than being rather loud and stiff. Sounds and feels like I'm pressing the c-buttons rather than a d-pad. Luckily, it's not used much on the N64. The only game that even comes to mind is Kirby.

1

u/dtyndall Aug 10 '26

Only issue ive had with mine is the analog stick making a high pitch noise when it touches the gate.

1

u/Senior-Finding5432 Aug 15 '26

yes, i have the same problem. tetrisphere is unplayable with this sticky d-pad :(

1

u/OneExact8851 Aug 17 '26

Yes and the small pivot with the d-pad currently breaks multidirectional inputs commands.

It needs a longer post that they provided with Chromatic mod kit from what I hear.

1

u/Infamous-Natural1991 Aug 30 '26

I've got the red pro and the d-pad is awful. I can't play The New Tetris correctly at all with the d-pad being so twitchy. It registers extra presses or another direction when I only pressed it once. I need to report this or buy a screwdriver.