Geek Store Stuff

🔥 Busy day at Geek Store Stuff 🔥

Got a full box of controllers in today all getting TMR stick upgrades 🎮

No more drift.
Smoother movement.
Proper precision.

These are gonna feel insane once they’re done 👀
If your controller’s starting to drift or just feels off, drop me a message and I’ll sort you out 💬

📍 Based in Reading
🔧 Repairs | Upgrades | Refurbs

A customer brought in their PS5 controller and asked for a TMR stick upgrade, so out came the original stick modules and in went the new ones.

TMR sticks are a big step up from the standard analogue modules most controllers come with. Instead of relying on the usual potentiometers that wear down over time (which is what causes stick drift), these use a different sensing method that massively reduces wear.

What does that mean in real terms?
• Much lower chance of stick drift
• Longer lifespan
• More consistent input over time

Perfect for anyone who plays a lot and is tired of replacing controllers every year.
These upgrades do require microsoldering, but the end result is a controller that should last a lot longer than stock.

If you’ve got a controller with drift or you just want to future-proof it with Hall Effect or TMR sticks, feel free to drop me a message.

Always happy to help keep controllers out of landfill 👍
🎮 Controller repairs
🎮 Stick replacements
🎮 Deep cleaning
🎮 Console refurbishing

Message me if you need anything sorted.

🎮 Stick Drift — why it happens (and why most controllers eventually get it)

One of the most common repairs I get asked for is stick drift.

That’s when your character starts moving on its own even though you’re not touching the stick. Everyone thinks their controller is “broken”… but it’s actually just how most sticks are designed.

Most controllers (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch etc) use standard analogue stick modules. Inside them are tiny contact pads that physically rub when you move the stick.
Over time those parts wear down or get dust inside them, and that’s when drift starts happening.
But there are better stick types now 👇

Hall Effect sticks
These use magnets instead of physical contact, so there’s much less wear inside the module. They tend to last much longer and are far less likely to develop drift.

TMR sticks (Tunnel Magnetoresistance)
These are a newer type of magnetic stick. They’re more precise and smoother, and they’re starting to replace Hall Effect in some controller mods.

⚙️ I can upgrade controllers to Hall Effect or TMR sticks, which can massively reduce drift issues and make the controller last longer.
So if your controller is drifting don’t throw it away — it’s usually repairable.
Just send me a message 👍
Out of curiosity…
How many controllers have you had die from stick drift? 😅
🛠️ Controller repairs
🎮 Console refurbishing
⚙️ Stick upgrades available

Picked up this console for refurb and found this inside… 😬

The console also had missing screws and missing components. The person I bought it from said they’d recently taken it somewhere for a new HDMI port, but it still didn’t work, so they decided to sell it on.

This is what I found when I opened it up. One big solder blob, poor cleanup, and clearly not the kind of work that should be left inside a console.

This is exactly why I’m really careful about what jobs I take on. I pride myself on doing things properly, and I’d never offer or accept a repair I wasn’t confident I could do to a good standard. If I’m not comfortable with a job, I’d rather say no than leave someone with something like this.

Good reminder that not all “repairs” are equal.

Have you ever actually seen the inside of a PS2?

One thing that always blows my mind — there’s no thermal paste.

And yet these things ran for years without overheating while we absolutely abused them with long gaming sessions.

The PS2 was (and still is) one of the best consoles ever made. Simple, reliable, and built properly. It’s easily my favourite console to work on because everything just makes sense.

This one’s getting cleaned up, put back together, and will be going up for sale once it’s ready.

They really don’t build them like this anymore.

Here’s a PS4 I worked on last week.
From the outside, the console looked completely normal. It powered on, the fan worked, and nothing seemed obviously wrong.

But once opened up, it was a totally different story…
Years of dust and pet hair had built up so badly that the heat sink was completely clogged, and even the Blu-ray drive mechanism was full of debris. The console was overheating, running loudly, and the disc drive had started to struggle and stop working properly.
At first glance it looked like a “faulty drive”, but in reality it just couldn’t breathe.
After a full internal clean and service, everything went back to normal – no expensive parts needed.

This is why keeping consoles in a clean, well-ventilated area is so important:
• Don’t keep them on the floor
• Avoid enclosed TV cabinets
• Keep pets away from vents
• Make sure there’s good airflow around the console

A console is basically a small computer – if it fills with dust, heat builds up and parts start to fail.
If your PS4, Xbox or PS5 sounds like a jet engine, gets hot quickly, or struggles to read discs, there’s a good chance it just needs a proper internal clean.

A little maintenance now can save a big repair bill later 👍
Need help? Drop me a message and I’ll be happy to take a look.

This is the inside of a PS4 we opened recently.
Dust buildup can:

• Block airflow
• Cause overheating
• Make fans loud
• Reduce performance
• Shorten console lifespan

If your console is noisy, running hot, or hasn’t been cleaned in years — it’s probably time.

📩 Message us to book a clean or check-up.