PDP Victrix Pro BFG Hall-Effect Module Pack

Details: Category: Hardware; By Jason Gress; 02.Jan; Hits: 4174

Hardware Info:

PDP Victrix Pro BFG Hall-Effect Module Pack
Compatible with Victrix Pro BFG for PS5, Pro BFG for Xbox
Buttons are high response elastomer membrane
Analog Sticks are Hall Effect with 5,000,000 cycle life
Module body material is ABS thermoplastic polymer, iron, and aluminum
A/B/X/Y button labels
Black and White colors available, White reviewed
Buttons, D-Pad, stick caps, and stick gates are all purple
MSRP: $39.99

Thank you PDP/Turtle Beach for sending me this white Hall-Effect module pack to review!

Update: A fix for a major issue added below!

I recently reviewed the excellent PDP Victrix Pro BFG controller, both the PS5 and Xbox versions. They are basically my favorite controllers now, but they were originally released before the popular resurgence of hall-effect stick modules. While this is a separate purchase, this does significantly extend the life of an otherwise excellent controller.

In the early days of joysticks, they were often constructed with potentiometers and springs. What this means is that the electrical resistance of the X and Y axes were measured and the position was determined from that, and springs or bands were used to keep them centered. These technologies do work, but I remember when some of my favorite joysticks (not gamepads, but flight-style sticks) would start to drift after a while of use. This got really bad on my favorite PC gaming flight stick growing up, and was a real shame. When gamepads started incorporating analog sticks, many used the same type of technology, and they all failed over time and heavy use.

There have been at least two competing technologies to the classic potentiometer joystick. One was optical based, not unlike the laser used on an optical mouse. These systems work really well, but I only saw them on larger modules. I have a classic joystick that uses this, and it still works decades later, but it's for a big flight stick. The other tech is called hall-effect, which uses the variance in flux density inside of a magnetic field to measure joystick movement. This method has largely won the competition between the two types, as it works just as well, is easy to miniaturize, and is cost effective.

The video is missing.

Highlights:

Strong Points: Replaces both standard potentiometer analog sticks with Hall-Effect replacements; look nice if you like purple
Weak Points: Buttons and D-Pad are the same, if you prefer mechanical buttons, no such luck; no original colors if you got a special edition Pro BFG

Interestingly, a few classic controllers used hall-effect sensors. Sega Dreamcast controllers most famously used them, and at least some Sony PlayStation 3 controllers used them also. For several years, I exclusively used a PS3 controller on my PC, and it worked swimmingly with no stick drift whatsoever. I wonder if I had one of those and didn't realize it. Unfortunately that controller no longer works for other reasons...

Outside of those few examples, the vast majority of modern gamepads use resistance-based potentiometers... and they do work. But after a while of heavy use, they start to drift, where the center is no longer in the middle. For most gamers, it's years before this happens - but for some it's just months. Because of this, there is a significant demand for replacement sticks, and a big cry for controller makers to make controllers that don't drift. Enter: the Hall-Effect joystick.

Since hall-effect modules never drift, and are extremely accurate, there is a big move by third-party controller makers and customers to switch to them. Let's hope first-party controllers move to them also, but that time is not yet. Since the PDP Victrix Pro BFG was released before hall-effect sticks were repopularized, this new module kit solves that problem by offering a replacement set, which is one of the big advantages of a modular controller in the first place.

PDP Victrix Pro BFG Hall-Effect Module Pack

Now that we've established why these modules need to exist, how are they? Well, they look and feel exactly like the originals. They now have purple buttons and accents in different places than the originals, making them easier to identify at a glance. It's worth noting that the button labels are all Xbox, and have A/B/X/Y labels. They do work perfectly, but if you have the PS5 controller, the buttons won't match. You might be able to swap buttons out if you open the modules up with a screwdriver, but that advice is not officially endorsed by anyone! In my case, the white modules look a little silly in my black controller. If that bothers me enough, I could probably also swap the case the same way one would swap the buttons. No matter how it looks, the joysticks will now last basically forever. I have heard of people mashing the membrane buttons to death, and that's still a possible issue, but at least the sticks won't fail anymore.

Unfortunately, there is one notable bug that makes these modules less than perfect. This issue is that the left trigger seems to be slightly impacted by the magnetic field of the left hall stick. What this means is that when you are not touching the left trigger, it shows a small amount of input, rather than zero. It's easy to set a dead zone to mostly hide this, but it still matters if you like to use the hair trigger mode for that side. I believe this might be fixable with some Faraday fabric tape, but I cannot yet prove this as I don't have any on hand.

Update: There is a fix for this, that really should be easier to find. You can do a hardware calibration that resolves this issue. A kind Reddit user posted the solution:

"With both of your Hall Effect modules installed, please follow the steps below:

Please make sure your triggers are set to full motion and the trigger stops are not activated.

Unplug the USB-Cable from your Controller.
Make sure your PC or Console is powered on and plug the USB-Cable into your PC or Console.
Hold the DOWN button on your D-Pad
Plug the smaller end of the USB-Cable into your controller.
You now should see 2 LEDs light up, one above the Home Button and one on the function button. The function Button is located at the right Analog Stick.
You can now let go the DOWN button on your D-Pad.
Press A on the controller.
The LED lights will power off.
Fully rotate both joysticks in a complete clockwise motion 3 times and pull each trigger fully 3 times (LT and RT)
Press DOWN on the directional pad (D-Pad) again to finish the calibration"

Thank you kind Reddit user! I'm not sure who the original poster was, the gentleman whose post I found said this was a repost. I have tested and confirmed that this fix works perfectly.

The Victrix Pro BFG Hall-Effect Module Pack is the nearly perfect complement to the Victrix Pro BFG. While $39.99 isn't exactly cheap, it's a fair price considering you replace almost all of the most commonly worn-out parts of a controller. And because the new sticks are hall-effect, they should last for many years to come. I do wish the modules fit inside the controller's carrying case better, but it clearly wasn't designed with that in mind originally. Thankfully, if you are creative, you can fit them under the mesh near the top. It's just a real shame that the left trigger input is a little funky with these in use. If you are a current Victrix Pro BFG owner, and if you rarely use the hair trigger mode on the left side, then I'd recommend picking up the replacement module pack at some point, just so you have the peace of mind that your joysticks will never start to drift on you once you get one. Highly recommended! ~~with one notable caveat.~~