Tmr are lower power, less prone to interference and more precise and require smaller magnets Tmr sticks commonly come in 12bit where most halls are 8bit. Xbox is 10bit alps and Sony uses 9bit alps. Vader 4 pro uses 12bit halls though. In actual gameplay 12bit tmr vs 12bit hall should feel similar. But most halls are not 12 while most tmr are 12. Tmr allows more controller features due to less power constraints and often means better latency but too many variables go into that. Halls are just getting good now while tmr are just coming to market. Vader 4 was first hall effect to beat alps in precision. Now tmr are here and Vader 5 pro will be tmr next year. Answer from Prefix-NA on reddit.com
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PC Gamer
pcgamer.com › hardware › 8bitdo ultimate 2c
8BitDo announces new Ultimate 2 wireless controller with TMR joysticks and Hall Effect switchable triggers | PC Gamer
May 6, 2025 - TMR is a bunch more complicated though, and generally thought of as more accurate and precise. It's often found in higher-end devices, so seeing it in this controller is a real win.
People also ask

Is Hall Effect or TMR better for battery life?
TMR is significantly better for power efficiency. TMR sensors typically draw 0.1mA to 0.3mA, whereas Hall Effect sensors draw 0.5mA to 2mA. This lower power draw is a key advantage for TMR in wireless controllers.
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loadsyn.com
loadsyn.com › home › hardware › stick drift is dead: hall effect vs. tmr—the definitive pc controller showdown (latency, precision, and lifespan analyzed)
TMR vs. Hall Effect: The Best PC Controller for 2025 is Here – ...
Will Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo adopt TMR sticks soon?
While third-party adoption is rapid, major console manufacturers have been slow. Nintendo confirmed the Switch 2 will *not* use Hall Effect, focusing instead on proprietary durability improvements. Industry experts believe TMR cost must decrease before it becomes mainstream for console first-party controllers, but upgrade kits are already available.
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loadsyn.com
loadsyn.com › home › hardware › stick drift is dead: hall effect vs. tmr—the definitive pc controller showdown (latency, precision, and lifespan analyzed)
TMR vs. Hall Effect: The Best PC Controller for 2025 is Here – ...
Does a 1000Hz polling rate actually matter for controller input?
Yes. Polling rate defines how often the controller reports its position to the PC. A 1000Hz rate means the controller updates every 1ms, drastically reducing the transmission latency and ensuring the highest possible responsiveness, which is essential for competitive esports titles.
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loadsyn.com
loadsyn.com › home › hardware › stick drift is dead: hall effect vs. tmr—the definitive pc controller showdown (latency, precision, and lifespan analyzed)
TMR vs. Hall Effect: The Best PC Controller for 2025 is Here – ...
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Nintendo Life
nintendolife.com › reviews › news › review: 8bitdo pro 3 bluetooth controller - tmr sticks and hall effect triggers elevate this switch 2-compatible pad
Review: 8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth Controller - TMR Sticks And Hall Effect Triggers Elevate This Switch 2-Compatible Pad | Nintendo Life
August 8, 2025 - 8BitDo's Pro 3 Controller is compatible with Switch 1 and 2 (as well as PC, Apple, Steam, and Android devices), packs TMR joysticks, which are apparently even more sensitive than Hall Effect.
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Loadsyn
loadsyn.com › home › hardware › stick drift is dead: hall effect vs. tmr—the definitive pc controller showdown (latency, precision, and lifespan analyzed)
TMR vs. Hall Effect: The Best PC Controller for 2025 is Here – LoadSyn
November 28, 2025 - TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) is the new high-end standard: It offers superior sensitivity, lower power draw (0.1-0.3mA), and greater precision (down to 0.01 degree) compared to Hall Effect sensors.
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Game One
gameone.ph › blog › post › the-battle-of-sensors-hall-effect-vs-tmr-for-your-controller.html
Game One - The Battle of Sensors: Hall Effect vs TMR For Your Controller - Blog
October 24, 2025 - ... A TMR sensor controller is simply a gaming controller that uses Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) technology to accurately detect and track movement. With the contactless parts, it detects changes in magnetic fields by measuring tiny changes ...
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HL Planet
hlplanet.com › hall-effect-vs-tmr-joysticks
Hall effect vs TMR joysticks - what's the real difference?
June 24, 2025 - ALPS (potentiometer) sticks are used in most of the popular controllers such as Dualsense, Xbox One and Switch. Hall effect ones are becoming more popular thanks to companies such as Gulikit, Gamesir and 8bitdo. TMR is the newest iteration, but most of the high end third party controllers are being released with these.
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Bytevex
bytevex.com › home › editor's picks › hall effect vs tmr: which is better for long-term durability?
TMR vs Hall Effect (2025): Which Lasts Longer in Controllers?
July 17, 2025 - If you’re a competitive gamer, power user, or someone building a premium modded controller, TMR offers better drift resistance, power efficiency, and temperature stability. For casual gaming, Hall Effect provides strong value at a lower cost.
Find elsewhere
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Tom's Guide
tomsguide.com › gaming › gaming peripherals
So long Hall Effect - I'm only using controllers with TMR sensors from now on | Tom's Guide
October 7, 2024 - The Switch's JoyCons were a source of frustration due to the infamous stick drift epidemic, afflicting a large number of long term Switch user's controllers. The TMR thumbsticks on the Crush Defender are immune to this issue, and the added accuracy is huge. I noticed the difference over Hall Effect Pro controllers such as the 8BitDo Ultimate ($70), and I was able to pull off moves in Super Smash Bros.
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Game Rant
gamerant.com › home › 8bitdo upgrades its ultimate 2 controller with tmr sensors, mouse-click triggers, and more buttons
8BitDo Upgrades Its Ultimate 2 Controller With TMR Sensors, Mouse-Click Triggers, and More Buttons
March 4, 2025 - TMR sensors give you super-precise accuracy, even more than Hall Effect, and they use less power, which means your wireless controller is going to last longer. Plus, with a 1000Hz polling rate on both wired and 2.4G wireless, the Ultimate 2 ...
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Windows Central
windowscentral.com › gaming
The Ultimate Guide to Hall Effect controllers: What they are and why you need them | Windows Central
April 7, 2025 - ... All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards. TMR stands for Tunneling Magnetoresistance, and like Hall Effect, it's a contactless magnetic sensing technology — just a bit more futuristic.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/controller › is hall effect starting to get replaced by tmr sticks?
r/Controller on Reddit: Is hall effect starting to get replaced by tmr sticks?
January 15, 2025 -

I see more controllers now starting to use the tmr sticks. Is the buzz around hall effect starting to lose its grip and go to the tmr sticks?

To me personally, I was really tempted to buy a controller with hall effect but I kept finding these posts about them being a bit harder to aim with then potentiometer ones in fps games.

I saw people struggle with them not having a complete linear curve.

I saw posts where the hall effect sticks got lose and not centering properly. Getting stick drift. I know stick drift can be fixed with calibration but not when the sticks "springs" get loose. Right?

Anyways. Now it seems like more and more hype is going for these tmr sticks and I must say, I'm on the hype train, so far. It seems gamesir is using them in their upcoming pro controller. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyways. Supposedly these tmr sticks will use less power, be closer to potentiometer sticks in terms of aim and feel. Again! Correct me if I'm wrong.

This post is to make more sense to all of this. Where do you think this joystick war takes us? Which sticks will stick around, hrm, longterm? Maybe there's room for both? Some may be cheaper to produce so we'll always have all the three different ones for different reasons? 🙂

Top answer
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Both "Hall Effect" and "TMR" are buzz words with hype surrounding them. The reason TMR is around is because Hall Effects didn't live up to the hype--to a certain extent--in the first place. However, most people are focused on the buzzwords instead of nuanced discussions--in the same sense that some people look at 1K (or now, 8K) polling rates and presume those controllers have low latency when that is not necessarily the case. The reality is, there are different implementations of Hall Effects and TMR, in the same way that there are different implementations of Bluteooth and 2.4 Ghz dongles--all of which lead to different results from manufacturer to manufacturer, from brand to brand. Compounding this is focusing solely on the module used; unless you are modding your controller--in which case the joystick module used can be isolated--usually what makes a controller great is a variety of factors, including the hardware and the software. If a controller has low latency and great precision, it's not solely because of the joystick module used, but includes the other factors as well. For example, in 2024, some of the "best" controllers are the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C, Flydigi Vader 4 Pro, and Gamesir Cyclone 2. Two out of the three controllers use Hall Effects.
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Hall effect sensors are effectively obsolete, yes. It is only a matter of time until everyone switches to TMR if cost is not an issue. Most of the perceptible differences come from different stick tension values.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/buildapcsales › [controller] 8bitdo ultimate 2.4g wireless controller with dock, hall effect joystick white - $32.76
r/buildapcsales on Reddit: [Controller] 8Bitdo Ultimate 2.4G Wireless Controller with Dock, Hall Effect Joystick WHITE - $32.76
November 18, 2025 - Also hall effect can become innacurate/drift and tmr is generally waay more accurate and can be calibrated better then cheaper hall effect sensors. More replies More replies ... You get more buttons to map to new functions in Steam if you get ...
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Scuf Gaming
customercare.scufgaming.com › hc › en-us › articles › 38740238950289-FAQ-TMR-vs-Hall-Effect-What-s-the-Difference
FAQ: TMR vs Hall Effect: What’s the Difference?
TMR sensors and Hall effect sensors have different power profiles, which can affect battery consumption in wireless controllers.
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GamesRadar+
gamesradar.com › hardware › gaming controllers
8BitDo just launched its new Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller - and it's leaving Hall effect thumbsticks in the dust | GamesRadar+
February 26, 2025 - Like Hall's technology, they use small electromagnets to track your thumbstick's position on a grid, but TMR sensors are equivalent to a jump to 4K resolution from 1080p when measuring that position.
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8BitDo
8bitdo.com › ultimate-2-wireless-controller
Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller | 8BitDo
The first 8BitDo controller to feature market-leading TMR joysticks, offering higher sensitivity, greater precision, and enhanced durability—all while consuming less power. Equipped with a 12-bit ADC sampling chip. Easily switch between linear Hall Effect triggers and non-linear tactile triggers ...
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The Verge
theverge.com › tech › entertainment › gaming
Quantum mechanics might have the solution to joystick drift | The Verge
April 6, 2025 - In 2024, GuliKit was the first ... technology to become mainstream in gaming hardware. “TMR sensors are often more expensive than traditional Hall effect sensors, ......
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TechRadar
techradar.com › gaming › gaming accessories
I’ve been using first-party controllers for decades, but Hall effect alternatives are now better than ever | TechRadar
March 23, 2025 - These claim to offer even greater precision than Hall effect sensors, while consuming less power in the process. However, TMR controllers are still rather nascent, and the market is currently sparse.
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The Verge
theverge.com › news › entertainment › gadgets
8BitDo’s Ultimate 2 controller gets an upgrade to next-generation anti-drift sticks | The Verge
February 25, 2025 - The new 8BitDo Ultimate 2 features ... buttons, interactive LED lighting, and tunneling magneto-resistance (TMR) joysticks that are even more durable than Hall effect sticks....
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Raindrop.io
raindrop.io › mikesmalling › best-hall-effect-and-tmr-gaming-controllers-62706969
Best Hall Effect and TMR gaming controllers
Hall effect vs TMR joysticks - what's the real difference? ZD O+ Excellence review part 1 · ·hlplanet.com·Nov 2, 2025 · ZD O+ Excellence review part 1 · Flydigi Vader 4 Pro Review (after 5 months of use) ·hlplanet.com·Nov 2, 2025 · Flydigi Vader 4 Pro Review (after 5 months of use) GameSir Nova 2 Lite Review · ·hlplanet.com·Nov 2, 2025 · GameSir Nova 2 Lite Review · 8bitdo Ultimate 2C Review - Top tier controller on a budget ·