What are TMR thumbsticks?

While shopping for a new controller these days, you might find yourself asking, "What are TMR thumbsticks?" In short, TMR is the current champ of the thumbstick arena, and I'm on hand to explain why. This tech is popping up in more and more of the best PC controllers, so before you decide on one for your setup, it's good to know more about what you're investing in.

There are three types of thumbsticks you'll see in controllers these days. There are potentiometers, Hall Effect, and now TMR ones. Potentiometers have been around for a while, but they're a bit of a problem child because if one of your controllers has ever suffered from Stick Drift before, they're responsible. Tiny resistors in traditional potentiometers wear down over time, eventually registering ghost inputs when you're not touching the controller. Hall Effect sticks were designed to combat that issue by using tiny electromagnetic sensors to register inputs.

TMR thumbsticks are an evolution of Hall sensors. They use the same electromagnetic ingenuity to eradicate stick drift, but they get their name from Tunnelling Magneto-Resistance, a quantum effect observed in magnetic tunnel junctions. In short, when used in a thumbstick module, this provides a much, much higher resolution than Hall sensors can, and results in vastly superior speeds.

But what does all of this mean in down-to-earth terms? With TMR thumbsticks, your controller is going to be able to register a lot more of your tiny corrections and movements. Those precise flicks, small adjustments, and smooth pans in any game are going to be more accurate with a TMR thumbstick controller than they would be with a potentiometer or Hall Effect one. In first-person shooters, especially, these thumbsticks are going to provide you with maximum accuracy and the best possible chance for your in-game camera to move exactly where you desire it to.

Not only that, but if your controller has a higher polling rate, TMR modules will also be able to relay your inputs to your gaming platform at a much quicker rate. The Razer Wovlerine V3 Pro 8K's polling rate of 8,000Hz might seem excessive, but this is the kind of speed that TMR thumbsticks can make the most of. Even for a controller that has a 1,000Hz polling rate, you're going to notice a difference in terms of the accuracy and speed your controller will be able to offer you versus something that's limited to Hall sensors locked at 400Hz.

TMR tech is still relatively new, but there are already a fair few controllers from 2025 that pack this advanced thumbstick technology. Take a look at the window below to find one at the best price in your region.

You can also find TMR thumbsticks in the best Nintendo Switch controllers, and hopefully, we'll soon see them in the best Xbox Series X controllers, and best PS5 controllers.