TMR versus Hall effect controllers: the battle of magnetic sensing technology

Competitive gamers are looking for every advantage they can get, and this drive has produced some of the most amazing gaming peripherals under the sun. There are a lot of hardware components that actually provide meaningful benefits when implemented correctly. Hall effect sensors and TMR (tunnel magnetic resistance or tunnel magnetoresistance) are such technologies. Hall effect sensors have found their way into a wide range of devices, including keyboards and game controllers, including some of our favorites like Jim Sir Supernova.

Recently, TMR sensors have started appearing in these devices as well. Is it a better technology for gaming? With multiple options vying for your lunch money, it’s helpful to understand the differences to determine which is more worthy of living inside your next gaming console or keyboard.

How does a Hall effect joystick work?

We have previously dismantled The difference between the Hall effect technique and conventional potentiometers In the control arms, but here’s a quick summary of how Hall effect sensors work. The Hall effect joystick moves a magnet over the sensor circuit, and the magnetic field affects the circuit voltage. A sensor in the circuit measures these voltage shifts and assigns them to the controller inputs. Element14 is beautiful A visual explanation of this effect is here.

The advantage this technology has over the potentiometer-based joystick used in consoles for decades is that the magnet and sensor do not need to make physical contact. There is no rubbing action to slowly wear and deteriorate the sensor. Therefore, in theory, a Hall effect joystick should remain accurate over the long term.

How does the TMR joystick work?

Although TMR works differently, it is a similar concept to Hall effect devices. When you move the TMR joystick, it moves a magnet near the sensor. So far, it’s the same, right? Except for the TMR, this changing magnetic field changes resistance In the sensor instead of Voltage.

There is a useful offer for The sensor is at work here. Just like Hall effect joysticks, TMR joysticks do not rely on physical contact to register inputs and therefore will not suffer from the wear and deflection that affect potentiometer-based joysticks.

Which is better, Hall effect or TMR?

There is no clear and quick answer as to which technology is best. After all, the actual implementation of the technology and the hardware embedded within it can be just as important, if not more so. Both technologies can provide precise sensing, and neither requires physical contact with the sensing chip, so both can be used for precise control that will not experience stick drift. However, there are some potential advantages to TMR.

According to Cotto technologywho, in fairness, make TMR sensors, could be more sensitive, allowing either greater accuracy or the use of smaller magnets. Because the Hall effect is more subtle, it depends on amplification and ultimately requires additional force. While power requirements vary from sensor to sensor, It claims GameSir Its TMR control arms use about one-tenth the power of mainstream Hall effect control arms. Cherry It is another brand that highlights the low power consumption of its TMR sensors, albeit in the brand’s own keyboard keys.

Greater precision represents an opportunity for the TMR joystick to advance, but that will depend more on the controller itself than the technology. Odd response curves, a large dead zone (which shouldn’t be needed), or low survey rates can prevent a perfectly good TMR sensor from beating a similar Hall effect sensor in a better optimized controller.

Energy saving is probably the benefit most of us really feel. Although it doesn’t matter for wired controllers, saving power can go a long way for wireless controllers. Take Razer Wolverine V3 ProFor example, the Hall effect controller offers up to 20 hours of battery life from a 4.5 Wh battery while supporting a 1000 Hz polling rate on a wireless connection. Razer also offers the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, a near-identical controller with the same battery that powers the TMR sensors. They claim the TMR version can last for 36 hours on a charge, though that’s presumably before bumping it up to a 8,000Hz polling rate – something Razer may have left out of the Hall effect model due to power usage.

The downside of the TMR sensor would be its cost, but it seems to be negligible when factored into the full price of the controller. Both versions of the Razer controller mentioned above are $199. 8BitDo and GameSir have managed to stick it into more affordable consoles like 8Bitdo Ultimate 2, GameSir G7 Pro and Jim Sir Hurricane 2.

So which one wins?

TMR joysticks appear to have all the benefits of Hall effect joysticks and more, providing better power efficiency that can help in wireless applications. The big downside would be the price, but from what we’ve seen now, that doesn’t seem to be a big issue. You can also find both technologies in controllers that cost less than some potentiometer models, such as the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller.

Warnings to consider

Despite all the hype, there’s no Hall effect and no TMR joystick excellent. One of their main selling points is that they won’t experience stick drift, but there are still elements in the joystick that can wear out. The ring around the joystick can lose its smoothness. The material of the stick can wear out (have you ever tried using a controller with the rubber in its joystick wearing out? That’s not nice). The ties that hold the joystick upright and the springs that keep it rigid can loosen, disintegrate, and fill with dust. All of these can affect continued use of the joystick, even if the Hall effect or TMR sensor itself is in perfect operating condition.

So, you may not experience stick shift due to a bad sensor, but you could experience stick shift due to it not returning to its original position. This is when you have a serviceable controller or have interchangeable parts, e.g PDB Vectrex Pro BFGcan be as important as having a Hall effect or TMR joystick.