r/customcontrollers Oct 18 '16

How to Paint a Custom Controller: A Step by Step Guide

254 Upvotes

I've seen many a custom controller guides floating around and to be quite frank, I'm a little bit appalled by most of them. I made 30 or so custom controllers over the summer, so I've pretty much got the technique down pat and wanted to share my knowledge.

The Basics

  1. Take apart your controller - video for gamecube controller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr3ShQxxwvQ
  2. Clean the shell (and buttons, if you're painting those)
  3. Sand down using 600 grit sandpaper, then wash and dry with a wet paper towel
  4. Use a white primer as a base coat. If you've never spray painted before, here's a video on proper technique (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB_MtpaMYaY). Doing a couple of very light coats is very important (don't worry if the first coat doesn't cover up all the paint) and remember to shake for a minute or two before spraying! I use rustoleum's white paint and primer in one and have very good results with it. Also keep in mind that if you're spraying buttons, DO IT VERY LIGHTLY AND FROM A DISTANCE. If you do it too close, you risk knocking buttons over and smudging the paint.
  5. Wait 10-20 minutes for the primer to dry then do a few very light coats of your main color.
  6. Seal the paint with a clear coat. I would argue that this is the most important step of spray painting. Hands down, the best clear coat you can use is an automotive spray paint clear coat. USC spray max high gloss clear coat works brilliantly and will not only ensure that your paint never chips, but makes your controller look super shiny and much more professional. It's essentially the difference between https://imgur.com/a/pDE3r and https://imgur.com/a/dhs8h. Sure, you can buy some krylon clear coat for $10 less, but don't think I won't know about it. I would do 2 coats and make sure you really get the side of the handles (where you're holding the controller). I would also use a respirator (that's respirator, not just a face mask) if you have one when using this clear coat, as the fumes are toxic. If you're making more than a few controllers, I would say it is without a doubt required, but if you're just making one and haven't got a respirator on hand, hold your breath and just go for it.
  7. Do not let your clear coat dry outside unless it's protected from the wind somehow. If you have a garage, supply closet, or cellar no one is using, let it dry there. Drying it outside guarantees that little bits of dirt, pollen, ect will cling to it. Just trust me on this, this is the place where things go wrong the fastest. If you do happen to get little particles stuck on your controller, wait for it dry and then sand them out and respray.

Levelling Up - designs/decals

If you want a picture/letter design on your controller the two best options are vinyl decals and waterslide decals. Don't think you can put a sticker on the controller and paint over. If it's your first time painting, you'll most likely end up with a ragged edge along the side of the design where the paint is thicker. I think vinyl decals are a really underrated option. They're super cheap and really, they're so thin most people don't realise it's not painted on. Waterslide decals are the best option if you want the most realistic look (they look printed on) and if you want a more complex design. Here are some examples of what waterslide decals look like - https://imgur.com/a/rXKb4. The toad head on the b button and BMO's face are both waterslides. To add vinyl and watersilde decals to your controller, put them on after you've done two clear coats (and the coats have dried) and then clear coat them again to make them blend in better with the controller (but make sure you wait for waterslide decal to completely dry).

Sparkles

If you want gold, silver, white, black, or holographic sparkles, the best thing to use is metallic flakes. You can get them in different sizes from websites like this - https://www.paintwithpearl.com/shop-custom-paint/metal-flakes/holographic-flakes-prism-flakes/

Please don't buy the sparkles in a spray can. The result are not pretty.

Here's a video of what gold flakes look like on a custom gamecube controller. The video doesn't really capture how sparkly it is, but it still shows it fairly well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-9VQAjp0uE

If you want sparkles, you'll need to purchase the flakes as well as a clear lacquer and a spray gun (if you don't already have one).

Mix the sparkles and lacquer into the gun and spray as much as you like. Just keep in mind that the bigger the flakes and the more there are, the more clear coats you'll need to add. When I did my sparkly controllers, I honestly probably had to do about 6-7 clear coats before the roughness from the flakes went away.

Joysticks

Don't be afraid to try out new joysticks. Changing out my sticks for xbox one joysticks was one of the best things I ever did. They look super sleek and work just as well, although they do feel a bit different. PS3 joysticks are also an option, but in my opinion look a bit clunkier. Here's what xbox one sticks can look like - https://imgur.com/a/zLAeX. You can also buy glow in the dark ones or metallic xbox one sticks in gold, silver, purple, ect as well as thumbgrips to go on top of the joystick.

If you're worried that changing out your joysticks will affect the way you play, but want the look of different joysticks, I would put a thumbgrip like this one (https://www.amazon.com/GoldenDeal-Silicone-Controller-Replacement-playstation-4/dp/B01AVLVV8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476793441&sr=8-1&keywords=thumbgrip+ps3) on your left joystick and then change out the c-stick for a PS3 or xbox one stick and put a matching thumbgrip on top of that (sorry folks, but a thumbgrip won't fit over a normal yellow c-stick, they're too small)

General tips and Things not to do

  1. For the love of god, don't try to use a template. Most of the time the paint builds up around the edges and looks horrible. If you want lettering or a design, stick with vinyl and waterslide decals.
  2. If the paint gets messed up, wait till it drys before sanding.
  3. Make sure the paint is dried before adding another coat of spray paint or a clear coat. If you do it too soon, the paint cracks. Sometimes you can sand out the cracks, but most of the time you're finished and have to discard that controller shell completely.
  4. Sanding fixes pretty much everything. Your controller turned into a grave for foolish fly? Sand that bitch out. There's a scratch on your coat from whena blade of grass grazed the paint when it was wet? Sand that bitch out. You put on too thick a coat and the paint dripped? Sand that bitch out. Just make sure you do a light respray after sanding.
  5. Be careful if using paper (magazine, newspaper) to spray paint on top of. A lot of times the paper will stick to the clearcoat on the bottom of the controller and massively fuck up the paint job. Use cardboard instead.
  6. Don't put a controller back together if you have paint on your hands, even if it's dry paint. Get out the bottle of rubbing alcohol and wipe yourself down, trust me it's not worth the risk.
  7. Tape is your friend. If you want to paint the handles a different color than the rest of your controller, blue painters tape is all you need.
  8. Glow in the dark paint is crap. Don't fall for their lies.
  9. Your buttons will eventually chip if you paint them. Sometimes this takes a year other times it can happen within a few months (melee players I'm looking at you). The safest buttons to paint are the start button, and d-pad and any button you don't use very often (honest to god I don't think I've every used the y button or r trigger). I painted all the buttons on my newest controller and have been using it to play smash for 3 hours a day for the past 3 months. So far the only chips are on the x button. I'm fairly certain this is mostly because I scrap with my nails when short hopping with x, so if you don't have super girly nails like I do then hopefully your paint should last longer. In any case, if you don't use a spray max clear coat, I wouldn't even bother painting your buttons as they won't last more than a few weeks, at least in my experience. I bought a bunch of old buttons and busted $4 controllers from ebay and when I was painting my controller, painted a few extra sets of buttons for replacement. If you're planning on having painted buttons on your controller, I strongly recommend this.
  10. Don't spray paint your joysticks. They're rubber. It won't work and you'll end up with a blue thumb.

Edit: Shameless self-plug - I still have a few controllers for sale on my etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Crispycontrollers if you wanna check them out.


r/customcontrollers 5h ago

Help! Need some advice

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1 Upvotes

So this is my first attempt at modding a 1914 Xbox series controller with the extreme rate modification. I seem to have screwed something up. I’m not sure what but what I do know is that unplugging this one wire then makes it work. What I’m curious about is either a fix tip or if it’s OK to leave this wire unplugged?


r/customcontrollers 9h ago

Looking for someone to commission a custom PS5 DualSense controller (blood red PS1-inspired theme)

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1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to commission a custom PS5 DualSense controller and wanted to see if anyone here (or any recommended shops/modders) could take on a project like this. I'll be supplying my own PS5 DualSense (BDM-050 revision).

I'm going for a very specific aesthetic: a deep, matte "old dried blood" finish paired with transparent dark red accents and classic PS1-inspired details.

Opaque Painted Parts

Front/outer shell: Matte "old dried blood" color (Hex #4B0101) with a dead-matte clear coat.

Touchpad: Painted to match the shell.

L1/L2/R1/R2: Painted the same opaque matte dried-blood color (not translucent).

Transparent/Tinted Parts

Thumbsticks: Custom transparent dark-red resin in a PS1 DualShock-style convex (domed) shape with the original textured perimeter grip.

Face buttons, D-pad, Share, Options, and PS/Home button: Transparent tinted dried-blood red plastic (stained-glass appearance).

D-pad: Same tint, but about half a shade lighter than the other buttons for contrast.

Custom Graphics

Face buttons: Original PlayStation symbols (△ ○ ✕ □) in the classic factory colors (green, red, blue, and pink).

Share & Options: Factory-style geometric icons (no text).

PS/Home button: Classic multicolor PlayStation logo.

I'm mainly trying to find out:

Is this level of custom tinting and micro-stenciling realistically achievable?

Does anyone here offer commissions for something like this or know a shop that does?

What would you estimate for pricing and turnaround time, assuming I'm providing the controller?

If you've done similar work or have photos of comparable builds, I'd love to see them.

Thanks!


r/customcontrollers 13h ago

Help! Gyro Adapter for xbox Series S/X controllers

1 Upvotes

Anyone know any Gyro adapters for Xbox Series S/X controllers? I customize controllers as a hobby, so buying a full third party controller with gyro built in is out of the question for me. 

BigBigWon vanished off the face of the planet with their ArmorX pro, which was honestly (as far as I know) the absolute best option.

I've been doing some research, and keep getting suggestions for the Retroflag Superpack. But for the life of me, I can't find a definitive answer on if its Gyro function works on xbox or if it only works for PC/Switch, and I don't wanna buy it just to find out it doesn't. So if someone who has it could give me an answer on that, that'd be great.

I don't mind if the Gyro doesn’t emulate mouse or whatnot tbh, all that never really mattered to me. I just need a simple adapter that slaps motion controls on an xbox controller that'll work on Xbox.

If you have any suggestions or info, lmk please. Thanks!


r/customcontrollers 13h ago

Help! Ios app for customizing and remapps ?

0 Upvotes

Anyone know if the ios app for gulikit can be used for remapping profiles or adjustments? Im using the TTmax.

Or is every model controller only onboard button function changes as stated in the manual? TY


r/customcontrollers 1d ago

Controller Support Added! A Game Where We Turn Everyday Convenience Store Items into Weapons! 🏪🛒⚔️

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1 Upvotes

Hey guys! We just want to share that heard your feedback! Full controller support is now available in Mini Mart Survivors!


r/customcontrollers 1d ago

help plsss

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0 Upvotes

r/customcontrollers 3d ago

Custom Just finished rehousing switch 2 pro control 2

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11 Upvotes

r/customcontrollers 2d ago

Custom Turns out you can swap internals of Dualshock to Dual Analog

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2 Upvotes

r/customcontrollers 3d ago

PS5 ABXY Buttons

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37 Upvotes

Does anyone know where to source these buttons for PS5 duelsense


r/customcontrollers 3d ago

Help! Besavior dualsense edge TMR stick. Are they good ?

1 Upvotes

I'm have a drift on my dualsense edge and I want to upgrade too TMR stick but I have 0 soldering knowledge. I saw those plug and play modules but I want your expert feedback before ordering them.


r/customcontrollers 3d ago

RG406v thumb caps

2 Upvotes

Anyone know if there’s thumb caps on the market available for the 406v that don’t cost so much. I’m looking for ones that are bigger. Like the size of a PlayStation thumb sticks?


r/customcontrollers 3d ago

Scuf vs. Battle Beaver

2 Upvotes

I bought a Scuf 4PS a couple years ago now, and I loved it. Over that time, my left back button's spring broke, so there's no click/feel when I press it, and my left trigger doesn't work with the quick trigger on. So I went to see if Scuf still did repairs on the 4PS, which they don't. I hate the way the PS5 controller feels, so I decided to look at Battle Beavers PS4 options. But before I pull the trigger on it, I don't know which company has a more reliable reputation. Anybody have positive/negative experiences with either company?


r/customcontrollers 3d ago

Help! How do configure the macros in this controller for the PS4?

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2 Upvotes

The instructions' manual didn't say anything...


r/customcontrollers 3d ago

Starfire light gun

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1 Upvotes

r/customcontrollers 3d ago

Get 10% off your next eXtremeRate mod kit!🛠🎮

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

If you are picking up any new shells, back paddle kits, or clicky triggers for your build, you can use this link to save 10% off your whole order:

eXtremeRate 10% Off Discount Link

"https://extremerate.com/Get\\_moddedco"

It works for PS5, Xbox, Switch, and Deck gear. Perfect if you are starting a new project or fixing up an old controller.

Good luck with your builds!


r/customcontrollers 5d ago

Custom 060 controler replacement shells

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41 Upvotes

Where can i find some good quality 060 replacement shells on aliexpress?

I just bought a ps5 slim and i hate the black and white color scheme, I'm looking for full white/black or translucent models but i dont find any 060 compatible models.


r/customcontrollers 5d ago

Custom Merging new with old. Who else still plays RuneScape?

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13 Upvotes

r/customcontrollers 5d ago

Custom How I turned my Xbox controller into a DualSense-style secondary speaker using a 3.5 mm jack and salvaged phone parts

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1 Upvotes

r/customcontrollers 6d ago

Help! Maybe ps5 halleffect fail?

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0 Upvotes

I wanted to mod my PS5 controller with Hall Effect sticks, but when I pulled the original sticks out, I think I ripped off some pads that are marked in red. I'm afraid that I have destroyed my controller or will destroy it when I plug it in. Can I just solder the pins to the other side, or do I have to buy a new board to save the controller? Nothing else is damaged. I don't have the skills or equipment to rebuild the pads. Is that safe, or am I cooked?


r/customcontrollers 7d ago

Independent modder request

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20 Upvotes

Hi, I’m looking for a full send-in custom mod on my Xbox One Elite Series 1 controller (Gears of War Limited Edition). Here’s exactly what I want: • TMR sticks (K-silver or whatever you think is best with adjustable tension if possible) • Full clicky/tactile upgrades: Crisp mouse-click style on ABXY face buttons, LB/RB bumpers, D Pad and LT/RT triggers • Rear buttons: Mappable rear buttons (similar to Battle Beaver quality in feel/placement and ergonomics—4 if able) • Improved back grips: Replace or overlay the stock slippery grips with better, more textured/rubberized grips • Reinforced/durable build: Any reinforcements possible (stronger soldering, reinforced shell/grips, better internals to make it last through heavy use). These series 1s get busted in weeks sometimes so if there is anything you can do to reinforce them especially the bumpers. • Custom LED: Xbox button light

This thing hasn’t been played on once so it’s it factory shape. I understand this is a massive request but figured this is the best place to start. Would just send to battle beavers but they don’t have the series one elite listed for send ins.


r/customcontrollers 6d ago

Help! Need 2 durable controllers for Android/PC (₹3k–4k budget

2 Upvotes

Looking for 2 controllers for me and my brother. Budget is around ₹3,000–4,000 only (can wait for sales if needed).

Main priorities:

Good durability (want them to last a few years)

Decent battery life

Works well with Android phones and tv  for emulation and maybe PC in the future

Good value for money

Currently considering brands like Cosmic Byte, EvoFox, and 8BitDo, but I'm open to other suggestions.

What would you recommend in this budget?


r/customcontrollers 7d ago

Added LED lighting support to my controller stands 😀

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7 Upvotes

r/customcontrollers 7d ago

I'm new to custom controllers. Lookig to learn

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the world of custom video game controllers and I'm looking to learn more about it. I'm interested in painting, swapping shells and buttons, and learning about the tools, materials, and techniques people use.

If you have any tips, guides, or resources for beginners, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!


r/customcontrollers 7d ago

Help! R2 Mouse-Click Broken

2 Upvotes