"Everyone has something"

If one aspect of Switch allows players to actually make their own consoles, it is the ability to cut and change the Joy-Con that comes with the system. Because of the various packaging sold by Nintendo, many different color combinations can be used, and the company has even entered the field of providing series-specific controllers for Zelda and Super Mario.

However, always want to make your console feel more personalized, this is where GameTraderZero.com comes in. The shop was founded by Gal Silver and provides customized Joy-Con and Pro controllers, some of which have special modules such as D-pads and LED lighting. Eager to learn more about this emerging business, we sat down and chatted with Silver.

Nintendo Life: What inspired you to start modding and selling game equipment?

Back in the spring of 2019, I was sitting at home recovering from a kidney transplant. One day, my wonderful wife Meaghan came home with a surprise for me-a Nintendo Switch-so I could play something comfortably. I have always liked video games. Saying "player" sounds serious, right? I have an NES, a Wii, and an Xbox 360. And because of my work, I have always had a very good gaming computer, and most of my "serious games" are done on it.

Since I'm already proficient in selling games that I don't play, selling the Joy-Con I'm building is naturally the next step

At that time, I had not used the Switch before, but I was really fascinated by the portability of the console. It turns out that sitting in front of the computer and playing is really hard for me, and I find that I spend more time recovering on the sofa than anything else. Switch is not only Meaghan's surprise, but also surprisingly great. From then on, I just wanted to play all the games I could play, and started buying a lot of second-hand games.

Some I will play, like and keep, while others I will sell in order to buy new ones. One day, a game bundle box arrived with a set of Joy-Con inside. I decided to fix it because they drifted very badly. They don't look very good, and they are used very well. I bought a DIY case with buttons and the cheapest screwdriver. After 2.5 hours, I got my first set of very beautiful, drift-free, brand new and refurbished Joy-Con. A friend who visited me that day saw them and wanted them immediately. Because I was still playing with my original blue and red ones, I just modified them for him.

Later that week, when he brought a set to replace the ones I gave him, I decided to modify those as well, because the modification process aroused my interest. I did it a few times that month. Since I'm already proficient in selling games that I don't play, selling the Joy-Con I'm building is naturally the next step. I'm still chasing the next great game, but after seeing people respond online to my mods, they are buying them faster than I can purchase more parts, so I decided to concentrate on mods.

Earlier this year, when we saw more growth, my best friend-who used to sit on the couch with me to play Mario-joined my store and made our online image stronger. For online stores, it is important for us to understand that our community is where they like to go. Therefore, with the development of the store, our participation in most platforms has also increased, from Instagram to Discord and so on. Between us and my wife, we are very grateful for what we have achieved today, and we can’t wait to do more for everyone who is passionate about the game like us.

Can you give us a brief introduction to some of the modules you currently provide?

Currently, GameTraderZero.com and our Etsy store mainly provide original planning designs. Before we built them and put them there, they were not usable at all.

Everyone has something. Our LED modules are perfect for anyone with rich LED settings (or only for LEDs), suitable for the earth tones of "comfortable gamers", if you are passionate about Kawaii or Animal Crossing, you can use pastels. For extreme Clean aesthetics for minimalists, if you want to show off, you can use shiny mods, retro appearance is an important part of game tradition, clear mods bring a little transparency, and various Pro-Controller designs To improve your gaming comfort and ability. If you can survive for several weeks without them, you can also send your own Joy-Con for modification.

You can usually find the suit you have always wanted in our store, we will always encourage you to leave us a message, this is the best part

You can usually find the suit you've always wanted in our store, and we will always encourage you to leave us a message, this is the best part. You can get something with different buttons, swap shell colors, and almost any Joy-Con crazy idea you want-we will build them-as long as we can find the parts. Someone sent us a message two weeks ago saying "I'm looking for something special, but I don't know what it is." That's so cool. We worked with him to design designs that he would like, ultimately inspired by the colors of Pokémon and his favorite YouTube creators. This is the best part of the work we do, and it’s so rewarding to see someone excited about their new controller.

We have been busy adding more options to choose from, and we will make more in-depth customizations in the near future. Maybe the same is true for other console controllers. Prompt.

What is your most popular product so far?

Our most popular kit at the moment is the Joy-Con LED module with a black case and transparent buttons. For a long time, I always thought our pink and white button suit was our best-selling suit, but now it ranks second. But since we started to continue to provide LED Joy-Con kits, this surprised our store: we found that we built more of these products than anything else. We are the first store to offer those already built but not DIY kits, which is also very helpful.

When you have more than 1500 sets of Joy-Con modules, you will gain so much experience and skills, our shop has the unique ability to build these LED modules and produce them fast enough to become viable products. Everyone likes them and it's really helpful!

Compared with competitors, how is your product special?

In a word, service. Our customer service is impeccable, it shows. And this is where it started. It is our focus and ability to give the necessary attention to every customer. This is a 60-day warranty, and every box we ship comes with a clear warranty card. In addition to clear printed diagrams, the printed instructions that accompany each of our LED retrofit Joy-Con and Pro controllers explain exactly what you will get and how to operate the controller. No matter where your new Joy-Con kit is shipped globally, this special box will protect you. (Trust us, we have shipped to the end of the world and then come back just to check). We really care and try to treat our community like we want big companies to treat us.

We really care and try to treat our community like we want big companies to treat us

In addition to this, unlike many of our competitors, we are proud of our "refurbished" Joy-Con kits, which are priced at 10 to 1 compared to the "refurbished" option. This is the greatest value for customers, so that everyone can get a customized Joy-Con that they may not be able to afford, and the refurbished assembly has so many new parts, it's almost just there in the original PCB. You really cannot find any difference visually or functionally. It also helps reduce e-waste by reusing technologies that would otherwise be discarded. We also want to say that it's cool to have a new series, it has a lot of past life game stories to tell.

We are also proud to say that we are the first to launch new OLED models in pink and white sets, LED modules, and white sets (which is interesting because they became so popular before Nintendo announced the white Joy-Cons)) etc.

When Nintendo launched the Switch Lite, I ordered some white analogues just to see if they could be used in a regular Joy-Con. I was thinking "It's impossible they won't, right?" You know, they do fit, and even use Nintendo's new design to reduce drift. This is brand new, and no one knew there was a modification until we opened the Joy-Con that came with the V2 Switch. From there it is a breeze to add white buttons and/or blue to designs with blue analogues. Therefore, the first pink Joy-Con set with contrasting white buttons and the like was born. Pioneered.

But in the final analysis, we believe that buying a set from GTZ does provide a home for your controller. Buyers can always come back to meet more needs and needs, questions, support, etc.

Where do you source the parts used in your modules?

Most of the parts we use are sourced from China. For different kinds of parts, we have different suppliers. We are currently working hard to expand our manufacturing capabilities and are working hard to create new designs that the game world has never been exposed to before. We can't elaborate on it too much, because we like to keep it on our chest until the end, but this will be where the design world and the game world meet. We promise to sort it out as it continues to evolve on each of our social platforms.

Over the years, there has been a lot of talk about Joy-Con drifting-has your module taken any measures to solve this problem, and can you gain insight into the possible causes of it?

There must be a lot to say about Joy-Con drift. I am glad I can say that since we started making Joy-Con, we have encountered very little drift in the Joy-Con kits we sold. Our use of brand new genuine analog joysticks does help, but it is our testing and uncompromising quality control procedures that further reduce the possibility of drift. If we are not sure about a simulation, we will not take the risk and replace it on the spot in the store. We joked in the workshop, but at this point, we can hear the analog click, telling you its future. The more quality control we perform, the smaller the chance of drift.

We joked in the workshop, but at this point, we can hear the analog click, telling you its future

Having said that, we know that it ultimately depends on all players. The analog is small, and the harder you play, the more scarred the mechanism will be. Every Joy-Con may drift at some point, but we don't care about this very much, because we know that we provide a very good starting point. If after taking all these measures, someone drifts on the Joy-Con purchased from us, our warranty will cover any drift issues during the first 60 days to ensure that there is no problem immediately. In addition, we only need to pay the postage (domestic US$15) to solve any drift problems, otherwise our service is free to our customers.

Our relationship with them is very important to us, so we never refuse anyone who asks for help. The purpose of building the controller module is to get our game experience and make it more. This kind of goes against the purpose of what we are doing to make anyone annoyed by drifting. We want you to have fun and enjoy it, so using GameTraderZero as its home is already better able to cope with terrible drifts.

Do you have any plans for other Switch-related modules in the future?

Yes, and many. In a small business, being able to implement a large number of plans in a short period of time is a bit tricky, because everyone in our small team already has a lot of things to do. But who needs sleep? right? Our spare time and weekends are always dedicated to making things grow.

We are working hard to expand our internal capabilities to manufacture custom buttons, shells and sublimation manufacturing. The beauty of making a custom controller is that there are indeed many choices and preferences. In the near future, we will be able to manufacture Joy-Con and controllers that are unique to GTZ and have never been manufactured before.

Damien has more than ten years of professional writing experience and a disgusting hairy belly. As far as we know, the rumors that he refused to play a role in The Hobbit and work at Nintendo Life are completely unfounded.

I have been using GameTraderZero's pair of Atomic Purple Joy-Cons for several months and they are great! You can even see them in my review when I launched the Switch OLED a few months ago.

They are a bit expensive, but they are definitely worth it for the d-pad and their appearance.

Are all these shell exchanges that you can buy online?

US Snes is the one I bought and replaced the buttons with PAL/JPN color settings to make my Snes theme Joycon.

The biggest question is whether it is a suitable D-pad or just one exchanged with the button, because if it is the second one, it is not ideal.

Perspective view is cool

I want a JoyCon with a NEOGEO Pocket Color digital stick, but I want it to be in the position of an analog stick. I guess they will not be able to do this! I will buy that controller, no matter what color it is.

The Joy-con that I have always dreamed of will not drift, the battery can be charged normally, and will not be fully installed in the least few years of use.

So what is the cheapest suit they make? Because a quick visit to their website shows that these "refurbished" controllers are twice as expensive as regular controllers, and there is no Nintendo warranty.

Anyone experiencing drift: You can get a repair kit with two sets of thumbsticks (4 in total) for $12, including all the tools needed to open the Joy-Con and install them. This in itself is a very simple process, each Joy-Con only takes a few minutes.

After my fifth and sixth Joy-Con started drifting within two weeks of purchase, I used this as a last resort. In my opinion, repairing two Joy-Cons for $12 and doing it yourself is definitely better than sending them away for a few weeks, especially because if you ask Nintendo to repair them, they will start drifting again anyway. The DIY thumbstick promises not to do this, and mine will still work normally after two years. I got a repair kit from Amazon, but I’m not sure if it’s allowed to link here.

Why don't they make ergonomic enclosures? I will buy

You can buy these shells on eBay and wear them yourself to save money.

The happiness I dream of? So the binbok handle, but known for its consistent quality? Or maybe a hori split-pad pro, but with gyroscope and rumble? Or maybe it's just a first-party, detachable professional controller?

I hope the shape of Joy-con is more like Wii Nunchucks, but with more buttons. Those things are so comfortable. Switch Joy-cons suck because they are too small.

I am not against the translucent purple Joy-con, because it is reminiscent of Nintendo gear from the late 90s and early 00s.

I prefer to reinstall my own Joy-Con by purchasing buttons and shells from ExtremeRate

I miss the Xbox Control Labs offering a fully customized service at a price of $20 more than the basic model, and getting a full warranty directly from Microsoft.

But what is certain is that for products that already have design flaws and high failure rates, the limited option of obtaining a 60-day warranty from a third party to pay almost twice the cost is... another way, I think.

@Medic_Alert Yes, I was thinking about the exact same thing about d-pad. A few years ago, I paid someone from an Etsy supplier and put on an eXtremeRate joy-con shell with a d-pad, and the “d-pad” was terrible-it often triggered the wrong input so that I put it on I sent it back and gave them the same color, but reopened the original button, and they did it well, without charging any fees (just shipping).

I’m still surprised that Nintendo has never made an official left-hand console with a proper d-pad-like the Switch Lite-for players to purchase separately (or ideally as an alternative to the Switch, for never For those who have used it, a separate joy-con controller). what...

I am surprised that we have not seen more Joycon/Pro controller variants. It should be because it is out of stock.

Didn’t Reggie say that Joy con drift is just a rumor?

@gcunit Yes, doesn't the article say that they make these products at half the price of new products because they are refurbished?

So they don’t drift, or the buttons randomly stop working during the game?

They are beautiful-looking controllers, but what I really want is a larger controller, such as the Hori Splitpad Pro, without all the features such as a gyroscope.

Who dreams of the disadvantages of happiness?

It looks good, but the price is expensive. I only buy some decals.

The only Joy Cons I dream of is a button that has no joystick drift and will not become brittle after a year.

Triple the price. The warranty period is short. Free maintenance. Still easy to drift.

It sounds more troublesome than it needs to be. It’s great to provide free repairs, but if they charge close to $200 for a pair, I understand why they provide free repairs.

As a suggestion, if you want something like this, maybe wait until you have a drifting set, and then start simultaneously trying to fix them by swapping branches and doing shell swaps at the same time.

This is cumbersome and may be a bit of a learning curve for you the first time, but it can be done with the right video. This also means that you are fully prepared to replace any other drift rods in the future.

If you mess up, you will only lose a set of damaged Joy-cons and shells.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/eXtremeRate-Handheld-Controller-Colorful-Replacement-SFC-SNES-Classic-EU-Style/dp/B08V4SCFDS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=VMW48BFS5Q0R&keywords=joy%2Bconqid=2B&shells 1638902327 = joy% 2Bcon% 2Bshell% 2Caps% 2C166 & SR = 8-1-SPONS & SPLA = ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWUtWQzRZQzM3RkJRJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTQ0NjA0MkdMTk1aS1UxOFkySiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDA4MjQ2Mlo2RE0yRFhTMU9BViZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU & TH = 1

I like to see more companies use more regional assets...especially when they charge reasonable prices. 🙈

I made the D-pad mod myself a few years ago to solve my first happiness shortcoming, I have to say... it's not very good. It just doesn't feel like an ordinary arrow key, because the joy con is not designed around it. I'm over. Pick up the Hori left joy con with D-pad. This is the difference between day and night. This is still a good thing

I would like to know why the shell they use looks exactly the same as the eXtremeRate replacement shell, but they don't attribute the parts to them on their website...

And those seem too expensive. The shell itself is up to US$20-25. Based on the current price of the parts, their income is approximately $36

@HeadPirate Microsoft is actually still offering its Xbox Design Lab, which only costs $5 above the base price (more rubber and metal finishes). In addition, the warranty period for these products is 120 days. https://xboxdesignlab.xbox.com

Due to the limitations emphasized by the above reviewers, these are more cosmetics you buy because it looks good and can be shown off, rather than playing games every day and taking it with you.

A Joycon is still needed, where the D-Pad and the operation buttons are in parallel position.

LED is a good idea, it looks fashionable and makes your Switch truly "popular", but nothing more. The lights on Joycons are incredibly distracting and keep you away from the gaming experience.

Wow, you will watch that! Thanks. For a while they stopped shipping to Canada, I just didn’t bother to check it again.

I owe you an internet.

These look great. Not something I would spend money on, but very cool for those who are willing to spend money.

@HeadPirate No problem, I am glad that this information is very useful! PS: The rubber grip is worth it!

Crazy prices and some designs look exactly the same as extreme cases.

I like to use many words to respond to Nintendo’s position of "what is the problem of drift, we don't see the problem of drift".

The pink Joycon and professional controllers are very cute. I would love to own them, but I don’t have money, and I don’t think I will ever.

It is meaningless to make a Super Nes theme Pro controller without inverted X and Y buttons.

@Sculptor Very good tip. I'm going to see where I can find these. It's time to fix mine. I hate Joycon with enthusiasm, but it is not a bad thing to provide an extra set of work controllers for one of my children.

I dream of joycon without drift

I agree that the joysticks of all controllers will eventually wear out or drift. The speed at which they occur depends on the extent to which they are abused or used and the quality of the components. In this case, joycon is definitely at the low end of quality wise, unfortunately drift will always be a problem.

This is a dangerous website. Too much pink. I'm in trouble. I have to leave this website before I start buying a controller at half the price of a damn console.

The only Joy-Con I have always dreamed of is without any Joy con drift.

@DevinRex I actually thought this was what the title meant, and then I was a little sad when they started talking about colors.

@Nestalgia They did say that most of the components they use are new components (different from the components that come with vanilla joycon). Maybe this is a factor in their reduction of drift rate.

like what? No drift JC? 😂

one way or another. My left stick has been a bit unstable recently, so I replaced the analog TWICE. The quality of the replacement rod was so bad that they stopped typing after only a few hours.

Let's play the original one again... (in defense-since I purchased the Lite, it can be used for free for 12 months.) Changing the left side simulation on the lite is actually very simple, and you don't even need to remove the heat shield.

@NotoriousWhiz It is definitely possible. The after-sales joystick I installed by myself has not drifted, so I can replace my OG joystick. If the $1 alternatives you get on eBay and Amazon are better than any Nintendo's OEM product, it's really sad...

Thank you for introducing them! It looks like a great company. Now buy a set of joycon for my sister's birthday.

I have never thought about these nonsense.

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