Buying Guides | The Wireless Land

Is there a way to replace your PlayStation 4 analog stick or thumbstick without replacing the whole controller altogether? Keep on reading to find out how to get the best analog stick replacement options out there. Sony launched the Sony PlayStation 4 or PS4 way back in 2013 to multiple outlets. It got heaps of praise for its newly redesigned controller known as the DualShock 4 from companies like Polygon. However, after a few years, many owners complained about getting torn analog sticks. It's common for the rubber thumbsticks of the Sony PS4 controller to get torn or become unresponsive. So what's the best ps4 analog stick replacement option out there? Keep on reading to find out. Buying Guide for PS4 Analog Stick Replacements When purchasing the best product, even replacement parts, you should be aware of its necessary specs and features. In the case of the analog stick, you should pay attention to what it's made of, its price, its warranty, and its compatibility. A bad stick that doesn't fit on your controller won't do, especially if you don't have a money-back guarantee attached to it. Read the following tips below when it comes to buying the best PS4 analog stick replacements possible. best ps4 analog stick replacement How to Choose the Best PS4 Analog Stick Replacement We've analyzed all the pros and cons regarding functionality, features, and specs of the best PS4 analog stick replacement options available out there. We've gotten the cream of the crop or the highest-rated ones we could get our hands of as well. Ignore Marketing Hype: A brand might say that it has a product with the most upgraded features, but that's just marketing hype. How many upgrades can you put on an analog stick anyway? Go for Objective Specs: You want something real. You want objective specs with zero empty hype on top of anecdotal evidence of effectiveness in the form of verified user reviews on Amazon. Read Customer Reviews: Customer reviews should give you an idea of the amount of customer satisfaction a given product has, particularly those with loads of reviews numbering the thousands. Use This Handy Guide: We spent several weeks analyzing user ratings and reviews of Amazon customers so that we could find the most popular and highly rated analog stick replacements for the PS4 controller. Effective Tips in Buying the Best PS4 Analog Stick Replacements Here's a list of effective tips to find the right analog stick replacements for your PS4 controller so that you won't have to buy a whole new controller for it. Brand: Check the brand. Is it OEM or is it third-party? Most will be third-party but the best quality ones that ensure compatibility would be Original Equipment Manufacturer (in this case, replacement sticks directly from Sony). We've made a shortlist of brands to allow you to make quick decisions about them. Well-known brands, even third-party brands, tend to be expensive but this is in exchange for assured quality that precedes their reputation, like better durability. Most of the brands on this list you've probably never heard of unless you regularly buy replacement parts for your game console accessories. Price and Packages: The price ranges from $10 to $15 or more depending on the brand, the specs, the upgrades, and how many of the sticks in each pack or product. Some sellers provide a low-priced product that might even be of the "universal fit" variety. You can use the stick on a PS4 or Xbox One controller, even a PS3, PS5, or Xbox X-series. They tend to be generic as they come, hence their low price point. If you want to go specific, you have to pay more but at least compatibility gets assured with the extra payment. Most people don't want to get taken advantage of by a scam or a poor-quality product, so they tend to be suspicious of low-priced sticks, wondering what the catch is. Working Mechanism: When you get your hands on these parts, check their working mechanism. If you're a novice, watch video clips or read the manual about what this entails. Some products include additional upgrades or features. Others serve to offer you a vanilla replacement analog stick like the one you broke. Maybe you have to pay extra for the upgrades or design changes. Unless you want the upgrade go with the vanilla version. Customer Reviews: Avoid disappointment by going with the customer reviews of a given item. They'll at least reveal the quality control rate of a given brand. Does it have 1% negative reviews or 5%? How about half of the reviews complain about quality or durability? In terms of Amazon ratings, don't only go after the high ratings, like something is rated 4.7 stars out of 5. Sometimes, a 4.6 or 4.1 star rating is better because more users have rated them (like 1,000 user ratings or more) versus 5 or 50 people who rated 4.7. Read each review carefully too to know what the potential common problems of a particular PS4 stick has, like being too loose, has more play to it, being too stiff, or breaks easily. Features: What features can this piece of rubber, silicone, or plastic offer? Its size, its ergonomic fit, its ability to replicate or improve upon the analog stick or sticks you're replacing, and so forth serve as essential features. Some features and upgrades work uniquely with a particular brand you can't find in others, even OEM parts. You have to figure our which specs you want for your PS4 controller in order to streamline or improve your PS4 gaming experience. Pros and Cons: Watch out for brands hiring Amazon readers to give positive reviews to their products by going only for the verified buyers. Even then, some of these reviewers might've been paid off regardless by having the company pay for their analog stick copy. One way to avoid getting swayed by such underhanded tactics? Read the negative or middling reviews and compare to the positive reviews to get a realistic idea of the advantages and disadvantages of a given replacement analog stick. This way, you'll know what to watch out for or temper your expectations in case it really is highly praised and acclaimed. Look for pros and cons on each review or use trusted sources like this guide to "guide" you. 7 Best PS4 Analog Stick Replacements Here are 7 PlayStation 4 analog stick replacements we could find in no particular order. 1. An Affordable 6-Pack Replacement Stick That Gets the Amazon Seal of Approval The EEEKit 3D 6-Pack Replacement Analog Stick got Amazon's Choice for "PS4 joystick replacement" for good reason. It only costs about $10 to avail of a 6-piece pack of these sticks. This means if you were to damage both controllers, it covers both of them and has a pair of spares for future replacement. EEEKit 3D 6-Pack Replacement Analog Stick Joystick for PS4 Brand EEEKit Compatibility Compatible with the PS4 DualShock controller, Xbox One original controller, Xbox One original controller with 3.5mm jack, and Xbox One Elite controller. Material ABS plastic and metal Weight 0.81 ounces Dimensions 6 x 1 x 1 inches Unique Features It's a 6-pack replacement analog stick or joystick product that can handle DualShock and comes with a sensor module. 2. Even Cheaper 2-Pair or 4-Pack Joystick Replacement with a More Ergonomic Design As for the XINKEEN 2 Pairs Thumbsticks (or Thumb Sticks), this is another brand that got Amazon's Choice for "PS4 joystick replacement" or Amazon's approval. The item here got black coloring, but you can avail of similarly priced variants. You can avail of them in Deep Blue, Green, Light Blue, Red, and Yellow. Brand XINKEEN Compatibility Compatible with the PS4 DualShock controller and Xbox One original controller. Material Silicone Weight 0.422 ounces Dimensions 3.86 x 1.93 x 0.83 inches Unique Features It's more ergonomic with its wider head for thumb control. It requires technical internal fitting though. 3. A Repair Kit Type of Replacement Controller Stick with Rocker Included The Ambertown 2 x Analog 3D Joystick is a single pair of replacement thumbsticks for your wireless controller. It comes with a rocker instead of just the sticks for a more complete replacement package. It's more expensive in order to specifically cater to PS4 controllers. Ambertown 2 x Analog 3D Joystick Thumbstick Wireless Controller Rocker for Playstation 4 PS4 For about $7, you can get this pair of thumb control sticks for your wireless PS4 controller. It's not as disposable or universal fit as the previous sticks on this list. Brand Ambertown Compatibility Compatible with the PS4 DualShock controller. Material ABS plastic and metal Weight 0.422 ounces Dimensions 3.86 x 1.93 x 0.83 inches Unique Features A higher-quality package of two sticks for one controller that's brand new. 4. As High-Quality in Construction as Ambertown But Comes in a 4-Pack Instead of a 2-Pack The RGEEK 4Pack 3D Analog Stick Joystick ain't no geek when it comes to cost-effective deals. RGEEK 4Pack 3D Analog Stick Joystick Replacement for Playstion 4 It's built with rockers like with Ambertown and EEEKit, but it combines the best of both worlds in terms of the balance of quality (the premium-grade Ambertown) and price (the multi-pack EEEKit). Brand RGEEK Compatibility Compatible with the PS4 DualShock controller. A separate variant product offers Xbox One controller compatibility. Material ABS plastic and metal Weight 0.704 ounces Dimensions 2.28 x 2.28 x 1.02 inches Unique Features This 3D analog stick has a similar price range as Ambertown but it comes in a 4-pack or 2 pairs instead of just 1 pair. 5. A High-Performance Enhancement and Replacement PS4 Analog Thumbstick Package If you're a control freak yourself when playing your FPS games mainly, then the KontrolFreek FPS Freek Inferno Performance Thumbstick is the product for you. It's discounted from its original price of about $17, by the way. On top of replacing defective thumbsticks, these high-rise convex sticks offer you improved shooting accuracy and a wider range of motion while keeping your thumbs from accidentally slipping as well. Brand KontrolFreek (Inferno) Compatibility Compatible with the PS4 DualShock controller. Material ABS plastic and silicone Weight 0.71 ounces Dimensions 3.94 x 0.71 x 5.2 inches Unique Features Its extra-large convex head design allow for ergonomic and responsive control you can use for FPS games as well as flight or driving simulation games. 6. Rocker-Based Replacement Cut from the Same Cloth as Ambertown, EEEKit, and RGEEK The ElecGear 4PCs Replacement Analog Joystick (Orange) comes with a PS4 version, PS4 Orange version, Switch Pro version, and Xbox One version. ElecGear 4X Replacement Analog Joystick It comes with a rocker and the rest of the analog stick circuitry instead of just the stick like with Ambertown, EEEKit, and RGEEK. Its trimmer is also colored orange for aesthetic or personal preference purposes. Brand ElecGear Compatibility Compatible with the PS4 DualShock controller. Separate variant products show compatibility for the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Material ABS plastic and metal Weight 1.06 ounces Dimensions 3.66 x 1.5 x 1.46 inches Unique Features Its trimmer potentiometer sensor is colored orange instead of the standard teal coloring found in Ambertown, EEEKit, and RGEEK replacement sticks with rocker attachment. 7. Super-Durable Yet Lightweight Metal Aluminum Thumbsticks and Buttons Replacement Package The beauty of the TOMSIN Metal Buttons for PS4 Controller? Not only does it specifically replace the thumbsticks—it also replaces the direction pad and interface buttons as well for good measure. It's a whole button replacement package for only $14. It's available in the color variants of Red, Blue, Dark Grey, Green, Silver, Metal Bullet, Metal Gold, Metal Pink, and Metal Purple. Brand TOMSIN Compatibility Compatible with the PS4 DualShock controller. Material Aluminum metal Weight 1.58 ounces Dimensions ‎4.2 x 3.2 x 1 inches Unique Features It's a high-quality and highly compatible button replacement set for not only the thumbsticks but also the D-pad and ABXY buttons. It also comes with 4 pieces of Philip's head screw. Things to Keep in Mind If you're searching for the best ps4 analog stick replacement you've come to the right article. The best is EEEKit 3D 6-Pack Replacement Analog Stick Joystick for PS4. They're the most durable, dependable, and serviceable replacement analog sticks we could find. It sure beats having to replace a whole controller every time the analog stick fails. Now you have a better idea regarding the best PS4 analog stick replacements in the online market or at least on Amazon. Once you get enough info about the product, you won't feel as overwhelmed as before about looking for the right new stick on your control. References: Charlie Hall, "How to Replace Your Worn Out PlayStation 4 Thumbsticks", Polygon.com, December 8, 2016