Premium Handheld C64 / Amiga Joystick

A classic Atari-style 9-pin DE-9 joystick, compatible with Commodore computers including the C64, C128, and Amiga.

This joystick was designed from the ground up as a handheld controller, rather than one that relies on suction cups to stay attached to a table. The enclosure has generous rounded edges and corners for comfortable use, while the geometry was specifically designed to be printed on a 3-axis FDM printer without supports. Avoiding supports preserves the smooth curves and eliminates the rough support surfaces that would otherwise require sanding.

Premium Arcade Components

Unlike most reproduction C64 joysticks, this design uses genuine Japanese arcade components:

Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT arcade joystick
Seimitsu 30 mm screw-in pushbutton

The Sanwa joystick provides a substantial upgrade in feel and durability over traditional C64 joystick mechanisms. It also provides another important feature: selectable 4-way or 8-way operation.

The joystick can be configured as a 4-way controller for games such as Pac-Man, where diagonal inputs are undesirable, or as an 8-way controller for games that benefit from full directional movement.

That difference is surprisingly significant. It is one of the advantages this design has over classic controllers such as the Commodore TAC-2.

Parts

8 × 3 mm round neodymium magnets — 8
Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT arcade joystick — 1
(The joystick should include its wire harness.)
Seimitsu 30 mm screw-in pushbutton — 1
(A Sanwa 30 mm button can also be used.)
DB9/DE-9 cable — 1
M3 × 8 mm hex socket head cap screws — 4
Heat-shrink solder-seal wire connectors, 22 AWG — 9
Zip tie — 1

Tools

Wire cutters
Wire stripper
Multimeter with continuity tester
Heat gun
Soldering iron
Sewing needle

Printing

The images use SUNLU PETG Filament in Transparent Yellow, selected to closely match the Commodore 64 Ultimate Founder’s Edition.

The enclosure was specifically designed to be printed without supports.

Print both the enclosure and lid face-down.

Do not use supports on the curved exterior surfaces. Support material will leave a rougher surface where it contacts the print, which is particularly undesirable on the rounded edges and corners of this design and may require significant sanding afterward.

The geometry deliberately uses printable transitions and curves that allow the enclosure to retain its rounded appearance while remaining suitable for support-free 3-axis FDM printing.

The result is a smooth, handheld enclosure that can be printed without the cleanup normally associated with complex curved surfaces.

Enclosure Lid

The bottom lid is designed to friction-fit securely into the enclosure, so no magnets are required. The lid can simply be pressed into place and removed when access to the electronics is needed.

For those who prefer a more positive attachment, the enclosure also includes recesses for 8 × 3 mm round neodymium magnets. Installing magnets is optional.

The magnetic option provides a satisfying snap when closing the enclosure while still allowing the lid to be removed for servicing.

Assembly

Modifying the Sanwa Joystick

The Sanwa joystick is designed for installation in a full-size arcade cabinet, so the stock assembly is considerably larger than necessary for a handheld controller.

First, remove the top metal plate.

Next, locate the two large plastic mounting tabs on either side of the joystick. These tabs are not required for this design and must be removed.

Wire cutters work well for this. Simply cut away the tabs and any other plastic that interferes with installing the joystick into the enclosure. The material being removed is not structurally important to the joystick mechanism.

Preparing the Cable

Cut off the strain relief from the DB9/DE-9 cable. The cable must pass through an opening in the enclosure that is not large enough to accommodate the original strain relief.

Strip and prepare the nine internal wires.

Wiring

This is the most difficult part of the assembly.

The biggest potential source of confusion is that the pin numbering that is published by Commodore and others is from the perspective of looking at the connector on the back of the computer. But this gets mirrored when looking directly at the female mating face of the cable.

Do not assume that your cable's wire colors correspond to any particular pin. Cable manufacturers use different color schemes.

Use a multimeter in continuity mode to determine:

Which wire from the Sanwa harness corresponds to each joystick direction and common.
Which wire in the DB9/DE-9 cable corresponds to each connector pin.

A sewing needle is useful for probing the individual contacts in the cable connector.

Verify the pinout yourself before making the final connections. Do not rely solely on the diagrams or the example wire colors below. A wiring error can result in a non-functional joystick and, depending on the error, could potentially damage connected hardware.

Making the Connections

Before splicing, trim the wires to the appropriate length. Keeping the connections short helps prevent excess wiring from filling the enclosure.

Use heat-shrink solder-seal connectors to join the wires. Position the connector over the splice and heat it evenly with a heat gun until the solder ring melts and the tubing shrinks around the connection.

If the wire has a nylon filler or other material that interferes with the splice, a soldering iron can be used carefully to melt it away before making the connection.

After all connections are complete, use a multimeter to verify continuity and confirm that every joystick function reaches the correct DE-9 pin.

Use a zip tie as a strain relief for the cable if necessary.