How To Fix Your Atari 5200 Controller for FREE!

[Diskoboy1974]

I use deoxit and a q-tip. But unfortunately, you're still left with a shitty controller. The solution - by a wico joystick. :)

[theataripunk]

how often we should clean the controllers?

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@theataripunk - It really depends on how much you use them and how they are stored, if you just got the controllers off eBay or a flea market I would clean them and test to see if they fully work cause that is usually the problem with the controllers.

[WARPUDDY666]

Great easy fix vid and seeing how they are made it makes sense that they would quit working over the years from getting dirty.

This will be the first thing I do if I get a 5200.

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@WARPUDDY666 - It's the same really for any controller that would have membrane keys like the one of the 5200, saves so much money with just a little T.L.C.

[Nineteeneightyfour01]

AVGN must be shown this!! :O

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@Nineteeneightyfour01 - I think he knows, when he did that bit about the 5200 it was a site gag. As much as James has been a gamer he knows where to joke on the obvious and is a cool individual.

[gtb2009b]

You put your controlers upside down in the compartment and wrap the cords around the joystick and the lid should close one reason the cords are kinda short I guess. You can keep the connected to the console too but don't have too the lid will close both ways. Best looking system I think. The switch on the rf is to enable the system to switch to on the fly with the power button. It was great at the time the old way you had to go behind the tv and switch it manually every time you wanted to play.

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@gtb2009b - It depends on which 5200 system you have, the 4 port is the one that has that crappy RF / AC adapter combo.

I usually always disconnect my controllers and put them in properly after using them every single time and take care of my consoles.

[Darkangelofthelight]

I have to admit that when i first saw this I thought it couldn't be that easy. Then i did it on my own controllers and they magically work now. Thanks a lot dude, you just saved me a bunch of money

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@Darkangelofthelight - No problem at all, I really thought this was BS when I first tried this method and the results came out better than I expected. = )

[gavincurtis]

Good video. You should also clean the conductive carbon impregnated discs on the back of the rubber buttons with 70% or higher rubbing alcohol and Q tip. This will expose fresh conductive material.

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@gavincurtis - Thanks for the tip for this Gavin, this is definatley helpful and I will it it the next time I do another cleaning of my controllers. = )

[iwanabrawl]

If everyone would just stop bitching about the 5200 with the controllers breaking all the time and just clean the controller if thats the problem, the 5200 could get alot more popularity then it had before. Now i want a 5200

[damienmetalwind]

Hey, thanks for the video. I've had a 5200 for a decade, but the controller never worked. I actually got it going today, but it pulls to the right the whole time.

Any suggestions for a fix on that?

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@damienmetalwind - If you watch in the video you need to calibrate the joystick, the top dial has to be at 10 o'clock and the botton has to be at 6 o'clock.

[damienmetalwind]

@OldSchoolNYCGamer

yeah, that occurred to me after posting. When I recalibrated it and put it together, it went back to not starting. Easy come easy go I guess.

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@damienmetalwind - There's gotta be something on there that can be fixed for sure, just needs some TLC

[damienmetalwind]

@OldSchoolNYCGamer

I'm going to try to put something underneath the buttons--maybe it will make a better connection if the green part is raised a bit.

I've worked at a retro game store for 11 years, so I've repaired a lot of controllers--from 2600 to N64 and beyond. It's just weird that it worked at first and then stopped. Usually they work or they don't.

Anyway, thanks for the Vid. I figured I could fix it with alcohol and Q-tips. When that didn't work, I thought it was DOA, but maybe not...

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@damienmetalwind - Any luck with the collaboration problem fix yet?

[damienmetalwind]

@OldSchoolNYCGamer

I think my controller is just toast. When I recalibrated it, the start button went back to not working. I had cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and Q-tips about 10 years ago, so it's not even that dirty. Using an eraser seemed to help, but there isn't any dirt on the contacts to wipe off at this point.

I think, it's easier for me to dig around my store and just try to find another controller for the thing, but, hey, the vid was still a great help.

[therealAgerbon]

hmm i got 3 Atari5200 controllers that do not work i will try this and respond back if it works or not, thanks for the post

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@therealAgerbon - No problem, keep me posted on that.

[therealAgerbon]

@OldSchoolNYCGamer well after glancing at teh intare controller i figured out some of the bits inside of the silicone buttons wares out, meaning no metal detects with the ribbon rev 7 board so if you place a screw driver or something metal it will givei t contact i menaged to get a few of the buttons to work on the controller, by franksteining other bits from the other controllersi own i was able to play pacman and a few other games just that the # and * are not working..

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@therealAgerbon - Did you erase all the membranes? I do that and all my buttons work for the most part.

[therealAgerbon]

@OldSchoolNYCGamer yea i used a eraser at first then swaped to some 91% aps and gave the whole thing a good cleaning, after that the soulder buttons worked great, some non-response, but worked, out of the lot, the start button amusingly, i toke out the start/pause/ reset buttons and fliped them over and i see nthat once i did that i was able to start pacman with no problems and able to play it wasexciting but it ment the insides of that button were distroyed so i need to sodder down some metal

[retrogamerSam]

If I can ever find a good deal on a 5200 with controllers, I will look this video up. Thanks!

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@retrogamerSam - No prob boss!

[IntellivisionDude]

Awesome video. I bet this could work for other controllers with dirty circuit pads.

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@IntellivisionDude I would suggest trying it on a controller you barley use and as a test before you do all your controllers.

[atarileaf]

Very helpful. Thanks for posting. The 5200 system isn't one I'm actively after (since I have the XL/XE its almost redundant since they're the same games) but if I ever get a 5200 I'll keep this video handy. :)

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@atarileaf - Thanks Jeremy, I hear ya but I'm not up to the computer side of atari just yet. = )

[jen139222]

cool

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@jen139222 - Thankies = )

[tsskiller08]

One thing I would suggest is normalize the intro song (because it's too loud compared to the main video).

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@tsskiller08 - You can always skip it and get to the video, my levels are weird and it's a bitch to do them through my software.

[techromancer1]

i learned this trick a while back but i use the clear eraser it work better ..hey any chance you could erase those tatoo's in you hands with that magic eraser ...lol :P

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@techromancer1 - Nah, all my ink is here to stay homes! lol!

The pencil eraser is more of a quick fix and it works fine but if that clear eraser works too lemme know!

[911BONEZ]

Oh if only Atari didn't fuck up so bad... Either way looks practical, thanks for the info Sid!

-Jared

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@911BONEZ - Thanks Jared, it really isn't that bad of a system, the controllers were the damn downfall BUT if this kind of repair was made available in magazine, etc. The system would have lasted longer.

[SofaKingMatt]

Wow. That's awesome

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@SofaKingMatt - Thanks = )

[Kefka14]

Excellent video man. I don't own a 5200 but when I do this will be very useful.

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@Kefka14 - More people should do this and not hand over their life saving for a "working" 5200 controller when they can just do the fix themselves.

[woodengamer]

Great video! The best part about retro gaming is bringing the non-working back to life! One additional tip for cleaning the controller, use some alchohol and a q-tip to clean the underside of the buttons, this will help them from getting dirtied up right away again.

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@woodengamer - Thanks very much so, I will try that as well.

[roundhouse87]

Thanks dude!!! This totally helps since I have 2 broken controllers and 0 working. I will let you know how it goes!!!

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@roundhouse87 - Definatley keep me posted on that.

[jboypacman]

Excellent video Sid and very helpful to 5200 owners buddy. : )

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@jboypacman - Thanks jboy, besides that, the calibration is what's key and they make sure to set that and put the control and align the stick properly.

[waspspray]

very cool video man. My first system ever was a 5200

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@waspspray - Awesome, I never saw one honestly till I saw one up close at a retro gaming store back in 1995... yea, shame on me!

[misterintellivision]

Excellent and very informative video Sid! I may get a 5200 but I'm not sure :P

[OldSchoolNYCGamer]

@misterintellivision - The next video MIGHT convince you... muaaahahaha! = P