How to restore your Atari 7800 Pro-Line joystick to almost brand-new condition

OK. I'm sure I'm not the only person in the world who's had this problem: You've had your Atari 7800 for around 21 years, it's been in stored in attics, transported, boxed, abused in all sorts of ways, and the joystick is just, well...loose. It feels like it shouldn't be responding at all with the way the stick just kind of swings around. Remember when you first got it, how stiff it was, it almost seemed like it didn't move at all? Well, here's a tutorial on how to restore it to almost brand-new condition. Don't worry, it's really easy.

Step 1:
Remove the two screws from the bottom of your joystick using an average-sized Phillips-head screwdriver.


See how this joystick works? (ignore the misaligned foam ring, i'd already removed it once before I remembered to take the picture, so I stuck it back on.) The self-centering mechanism is nothing more than a foam ring stuck to the bottom of the joystick casing. The tabs at the bottom of the plastic cross press down on the foam, and when released, the foam springs it right back up. No wonder they wear out so easily.

Step 2:
Peel the foam ring from the bottom of the joystick casing.


Step 3:
Rotate the foam ring about 45 degrees and stick it back in the same place you removed it from. This gives you new foam that hasn't been indented yet. i.e. line it up so that the plastic tabs on the joystick cross line up in between the existing indentions.


Step 4: Before putting the controller back together, make sure that the points coming up from the plastic joystick cross are lined up perfectly centered with the contact points on the joystick board.


Step 5:
Put your joystick back together, making sure the joystick cross doesn't move. If the buttons came out of the casing during this process, just put them back in. I found that it's easier to do that if you put the spring side in first, touching the contacts, then sliding the other end down. After that put the bottom and the top back together, and put the screws back in.


Step 6:
You're finished! Plug it in to your Atari and start playing games!

Enjoy!