Note: as mentioned elsewhere, you could skip having a battery pak and wire a battery directly to the controller, but you'll still need to somehow secure the battery (e.g. electrical tape). I also assume you already have soldering equipment and some ~30 gauge wire to wire up components.
Also note: the links below are just to serve as a reference. You can use equivalent items that better suit your needs, like bulk packs, cheaper or higher capacity battery, etc.
If you can print or build your own battery "pak", the total project price should be < $50 for a single controller or < $90 for 4.
Otherwise the total price of building 1 controller is around or slightly above a similar off-the-shelf wireless controller at ~$60, but you could still produce ~4 of them for closer to $30 or $35 per controller (since many items only come in multi-packs, e.g. PCBs, battery terminals; and buying in "bulk" saves on shipping costs).
| Component | Quantity | Link | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N64 USB controller | 1 | Link | $12.00 | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESP32 Lolin32 Lite | 1 | Link | $2.67 | These are "discontinued" but I've found them readily avaialble and one of the most cost-effective uControllers for this project |
| Shipping | --- | --- | ~$1.50 | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PCB | 1 | Link** | ~$15 (for 5, shipped) | **See link for details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Total | --- | --- | ~$31 |
You can also buy JST+PH headers and cables to solder on to the boards (instead of soldering wires directly), to make the off-board connections more modular and cleaner (one set {below} is enough for several controllers).
I've also listed the start button pull-down resistor as recommended since I've had mixed results without it. You may need this to prevent the start button from getting "stuck" in the pressed position, or erroneously trigger.
Note: I've opted to use smaller headers than the board is technically designed for - this is just so hand soldering is quicker and easier. You have quite a bit of flexibility here, e.g. could try to use just PH-sized parts instead of JST parts.
| Component | Quantity | Link | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PH (2.0mm) 2-pin cables | 1 | Link | $0.81 | Currently, just to connect the battery terminals to the ESP board |
| JST (1.25mm) 2-pin cables | 1 | Link | $0.76 | Used to connect external boards for Z, L, and R triggers |
| JST (1.25mm) 2-pin right angle | 1 | Link | $0.62 | Connector for Z, L, and R triggers |
| PH (2.0mm) 4-pin cables | 1 | Link | $1.19 | Used to connect external analog joystick board |
| PH (2.0mm) 4-pin right angle | 1 | Link | $0.66 | Connector for joystick analog inputs |
| Shipping | --- | --- | ~$3 | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3mm through-hole LED (5mm might also fit) | 1 | LED indicator for the controller - can signal when controller is on, trying to connect, etc. | ||
| 10k or 20k Resistors | 2 | Current-limiting resistor for the LED as well as pull-down resistor for start button; smaller resistances work too, but I prefer a dimmer indicator light and lower power consumption | ||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Total | --- | --- | ~$10 |
Note: if possible, you should print the *custom parts yourself, or have a friend with a 3d printer help.
| Component | Quantity | Link | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA terminals | 1 | Link | ~$2.50 | May be able to find a smaller, cheaper pack - also make sure your 3d printed controller-terminal block and battery pak will fit the terminals you order |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Lithium polymer battery | 1 | Link | $6.00 | You can also use a smaller/cheaper battery. Just make sure it fits in the 6mm x 40mm x 50mm battery pak cutout. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Lithium polymer battery charging board | 1 | Link | $2.00 | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
*Battery pak top |
1 | Link | ~$2 | Linked "thing" is all three of the required pak parts |
*Battery pak bottom |
1 | Link | ~$3 | Linked "thing" is all three of the required pak parts |
*Battery pak controller-terminal |
1 | Link | ~$2 | Linked "thing" is all three of the required pak parts |
*Shipping |
--- | --- | ~$7 | You'll probably want to have all three pak parts 3d printed from the same supplier to save on shipping |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Total | --- | --- | ~$24.5 |