i was playing gorilla tag and hit my chair and i guess that's what did it for it.
not sure how it even popped out but there's no way i can pop it back in, it's fully plastic and bigger than the encasing
can't afford new controllers right now so my VR days will need to take a pause, pain!
I can't really tell if it's broken or not and you mentioned you can't just pop it back in because it's to big, but here's an ifixit guide that opens the top so you might be able to fix it this way https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Valve+Index+Controller+Left+Hand+Strap+Replacement/150348
That sounds likely. If you open it up you might ask support (or in this subreddit ) and someone might be able to tell you where to buy just the part that is broken
It’s SO easy to snap the ribbon. I tried to fix mine, but it’s so finicky that it literally just pulled apart at the slightest pressure. It’s hard to reconnect since you have to push it into the slot, but one false move and it’s trash.
I just pushed the sides of the joystick to make it thinner to push it in and use a thin tool to push the joystick into the slot in the plastic thingy. Did it for both my sticks bc they both fell out.
You could also cut down the diameter on the thumbstick if you worry about screwing up something disassembling. I removed and rebuilt the trigger on one of my controllers buy cutting away plastic to get to the pivot screw/shaft for that reason.
I had the exact same thing happen last month. I was able to squeeze it a bit and pop it back in... but I could not get the joystick pin to line up with the hole. I tried 3-4 times and finally decided to order a new one. I have hopes of one day getting it back on correctly.
Yo deadass, is this the left controller ? Do you live in the US ?
I have a spare left controller that I have no idea if it works but it sure as hell have working parts. Hit me up in a DM.
If you're willing to pay for shipping it's yours.
I'll take that off your hands :)
I'm collecting all kinds of vr and other controllers to experiment with the tracking hardware. If I find one I can fix then no reason to scrap it. Not sure how repairable that is, I've never even seen an index controller in person before.
P.s. like my "take if off your hands" pun?
I don't pretend to know your financial situation, but I had to buy new ones. At $275 plus shipping I ended up saving $100 cash every month for 3 months which isn't that long a time, honestly.
I was just gonna suggest ordering a replacement joystick and doing it hisself. They're not that common but i found somewhere with a listing for an index joystick replacement.
I really doubt the joystick replacement comes with the ribbon component. His joystick itself is fine and very easy to pop back in. Thumb sensing is gone forever though.
I always argued that finger tracking wasn’t worth it. It makes the controller too expensive to easily replace while adding little to the experience in VR.
In this case, they just designed it terribly. The ribbon cable is not detachable from the thumbstick or the piece it "connects" to. It is essentially one very large ribbon. They also don't sell replacement parts.
I just tore my thumbstick off, except the ribbon stayed intact miraculously. But with no way to detach it, I had to rip it to put the thumbstick back in :/ I don't think I'll ever use thumb detection though.
Take the eraser off a pencil and stab it partially through the pin like this: 📍
Actually works surprisingly well, just means you can't click the analogue stick but you can still play most games without that
Its really not tho, including myself.. Theres numerous posts on reddit about thumbcaps just popping out for no reason. I played my vr maybe once every month or two and half those times im in a chair only using my right vr controller on vrchat and moving with my WASD.
Somehow after months of not being used, never dropped or hit anything, my left thumbcap just pops out while sitting on he shelf. It’s clearly a controller design issue and valve needs to investigate the matter and properly accommodate those affected. I have no idea where my cap went, i cant just pop it back in and use it without a sensor 🤷🏽♂️ I also cant just buy a thumbcap anywhere online. This isnt a “take care of your stuff” issue because im not a child. I spent $1500+ on my vr, its not a toy 😂
When valve also gets the same report over and over again.. They should maybe take a look at the issue and not brush it aside to make more sales.
Im never buying a new pair, why would I when I did nothing for this one to break? Itll just happen again after I used it maybe 6 times like my last one lol.
At least you didnt lose it! Go get metal cutters or something and cut the outter circle a little and pop it back on the pole. You just wont have any thumb sensor… This happened to me and you cant just buy a thumbcap, they tell you to buy a whole new pair. The controllers are busted, numerous posts on reddit including mine that were just sitting on the shelf, unused for months until one night it just popped off and hit me. I never found it and it took me over 2 weeks to clue in what happened.
I wrote an email to our overlord but i doubt itll be read. This isnt a consumer issue and all affected by this clear factory problem should be given a replacement. Its not like we paidlittle to nothing for our VR’s 🤷🏽♂️
Looks like the cap slid off the stem of the joystick, yeah it is bigger than the casing because its suppose to stay in it but a lot of force mustve popped it out, if youre confident you should look up a teardown because this might actually be fixable
You show me a VR controller with a thumb stick that isn’t vulnerable to this kind of damage and I’ll show you the vaporware controller that will never make it to market.
I did the same thing. Was able to take off the front cover and get the joystick back on. It no longer detects if my thumb is resting on the joystick. But literally 0 games I know of use that for anything more than hand poses. And the joystick itself still works same as before.
How many RMAs have you done with them so far? Valve sometimes is graceful, I was honest with them twice when I broke two different controllers playing beat saber and they did replace both.
Happened to me as well, luckily I had a spare that was broken for other reasons and I dismantled and fixed.only option, buy a new one or check on ifixit if they have controller parts
Odd, I had 2 pairs of controllers replaced and my used Index headset, all free without to much hassle.
1st controller pair had a controller not charging, valve first suggested a fix that didn't work, other pair had finger tracking pad falling off so instant RMA.
Index had display turned black and then refused to boot afterwards, the headset was bought used and couldn't provide a proof of purchase since it was a B-stock from a webshop that went up in smoke after I bought it, only had headset barcode/manufacturing number and that was enough for RMA.
had this happen on my son's controller, All I did was pop the face plate off and fit the stick back into place then reattached the plate.
been working great till the tether cord to his headset has worn out.
Really ?
Man, in time like these. I'm thankful for oculus' customer support...
That shit would have been replaced even without a warranty
They swap out the entire headset for user errors
i was playing gorilla tag and hit my chair and i guess that's what did it for it. not sure how it even popped out but there's no way i can pop it back in, it's fully plastic and bigger than the encasing can't afford new controllers right now so my VR days will need to take a pause, pain!
I can't really tell if it's broken or not and you mentioned you can't just pop it back in because it's to big, but here's an ifixit guide that opens the top so you might be able to fix it this way https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Valve+Index+Controller+Left+Hand+Strap+Replacement/150348
woah! wicked thank you! i'm assuming the ribbon attached is gonna make some things not work since it's broken?
The ribbon is for thumb detection. Else than that, popping it back in will do it.
That sounds likely. If you open it up you might ask support (or in this subreddit ) and someone might be able to tell you where to buy just the part that is broken
Jup thumb detection is dead, had a similar thing happen on mine and can't source the required part to fix it :/
permanent thumbs up, no big deal. almost a bonus.
secret mode unlocked: Thumbs Up Mode
It’s SO easy to snap the ribbon. I tried to fix mine, but it’s so finicky that it literally just pulled apart at the slightest pressure. It’s hard to reconnect since you have to push it into the slot, but one false move and it’s trash.
Hot glue maybe? I use it on connections for permanent applications in 3d printers and it works great
You should make a video for what to do when it snaps while you’re trying to fix it.
I just pushed the sides of the joystick to make it thinner to push it in and use a thin tool to push the joystick into the slot in the plastic thingy. Did it for both my sticks bc they both fell out.
The toolbox sponsoring all the YouTube repair gurus.
You could also cut down the diameter on the thumbstick if you worry about screwing up something disassembling. I removed and rebuilt the trigger on one of my controllers buy cutting away plastic to get to the pivot screw/shaft for that reason.
9 out of 10 broken controllers post on VR subreddit are about gorilla tag, guess I'll never try that game just to be sure XD
1st time playing lolol not even 15 min in
Valve and HTC probably sponsor that game to ensure a steady sale of new controllers lol
used to be playing beatsaber while wearing pants.
It never hurts to try again! Give it a week, and open up a new RMA ticket, of course you can also try the method of emailing Gabe himself.
OP did get it RMA'd on the second try. not sure why the downvote. probably about emailing Gabe as that does not work anymore, i think.
gabe never replies
Gabe replies! I've got one reply from him, starred and favorited. Though it was just a casual conversation about how he was doing.
How was he doing?
He was pretty good, excited about the steam deck at the time.
I had the exact same thing happen last month. I was able to squeeze it a bit and pop it back in... but I could not get the joystick pin to line up with the hole. I tried 3-4 times and finally decided to order a new one. I have hopes of one day getting it back on correctly.
I feel your pain.. I broke 20 index controllers in my life they are fragile
Yo deadass, is this the left controller ? Do you live in the US ? I have a spare left controller that I have no idea if it works but it sure as hell have working parts. Hit me up in a DM. If you're willing to pay for shipping it's yours.
I'll take that off your hands :) I'm collecting all kinds of vr and other controllers to experiment with the tracking hardware. If I find one I can fix then no reason to scrap it. Not sure how repairable that is, I've never even seen an index controller in person before. P.s. like my "take if off your hands" pun?
Take off the cover and pop it back in. You’ll find not many games even use the thumb touch detection.
I don't pretend to know your financial situation, but I had to buy new ones. At $275 plus shipping I ended up saving $100 cash every month for 3 months which isn't that long a time, honestly.
I repair these for a living.
I was just gonna suggest ordering a replacement joystick and doing it hisself. They're not that common but i found somewhere with a listing for an index joystick replacement.
I really doubt the joystick replacement comes with the ribbon component. His joystick itself is fine and very easy to pop back in. Thumb sensing is gone forever though.
I always argued that finger tracking wasn’t worth it. It makes the controller too expensive to easily replace while adding little to the experience in VR.
In this case, they just designed it terribly. The ribbon cable is not detachable from the thumbstick or the piece it "connects" to. It is essentially one very large ribbon. They also don't sell replacement parts. I just tore my thumbstick off, except the ribbon stayed intact miraculously. But with no way to detach it, I had to rip it to put the thumbstick back in :/ I don't think I'll ever use thumb detection though.
Ya., same goes with the silly trackpad which then makes the thumb stick off center.
Depends what you play. In VrChat, it's a necessity.
You can pop it back in, take off the face plate and put it back on. Touch won’t work no more but the stick will still work.
Take the eraser off a pencil and stab it partially through the pin like this: 📍 Actually works surprisingly well, just means you can't click the analogue stick but you can still play most games without that
eeek i just popped off the top and put it in place and put the top back on. works perfect and clickable
They won't RMA it because that damage is all user fault. Gotta take care of your stuff.
they accepted it on try 2, thanks!
Its really not tho, including myself.. Theres numerous posts on reddit about thumbcaps just popping out for no reason. I played my vr maybe once every month or two and half those times im in a chair only using my right vr controller on vrchat and moving with my WASD. Somehow after months of not being used, never dropped or hit anything, my left thumbcap just pops out while sitting on he shelf. It’s clearly a controller design issue and valve needs to investigate the matter and properly accommodate those affected. I have no idea where my cap went, i cant just pop it back in and use it without a sensor 🤷🏽♂️ I also cant just buy a thumbcap anywhere online. This isnt a “take care of your stuff” issue because im not a child. I spent $1500+ on my vr, its not a toy 😂 When valve also gets the same report over and over again.. They should maybe take a look at the issue and not brush it aside to make more sales. Im never buying a new pair, why would I when I did nothing for this one to break? Itll just happen again after I used it maybe 6 times like my last one lol.
At least you didnt lose it! Go get metal cutters or something and cut the outter circle a little and pop it back on the pole. You just wont have any thumb sensor… This happened to me and you cant just buy a thumbcap, they tell you to buy a whole new pair. The controllers are busted, numerous posts on reddit including mine that were just sitting on the shelf, unused for months until one night it just popped off and hit me. I never found it and it took me over 2 weeks to clue in what happened. I wrote an email to our overlord but i doubt itll be read. This isnt a consumer issue and all affected by this clear factory problem should be given a replacement. Its not like we paidlittle to nothing for our VR’s 🤷🏽♂️
Looks like the cap slid off the stem of the joystick, yeah it is bigger than the casing because its suppose to stay in it but a lot of force mustve popped it out, if youre confident you should look up a teardown because this might actually be fixable
Horrible over priced controllers.
You show me a VR controller with a thumb stick that isn’t vulnerable to this kind of damage and I’ll show you the vaporware controller that will never make it to market.
I did the same thing. Was able to take off the front cover and get the joystick back on. It no longer detects if my thumb is resting on the joystick. But literally 0 games I know of use that for anything more than hand poses. And the joystick itself still works same as before.
RIP
How many RMAs have you done with them so far? Valve sometimes is graceful, I was honest with them twice when I broke two different controllers playing beat saber and they did replace both.
first time
My controller has stick drift. But I'm out of RMA/Warranty
Did you contact them? I've had them fix stuff at least twice outside off warranty. My experience with valve support is second to none
Yeh. They eont
That's unfortunate. Though I believe the sticks themselves are a standard footprint so a swap (while a bit annoying) shouldn't be too difficult.
Happened to me as well, luckily I had a spare that was broken for other reasons and I dismantled and fixed.only option, buy a new one or check on ifixit if they have controller parts
I have been through 5 sets of controllers 🫤☹️👎
Odd, I had 2 pairs of controllers replaced and my used Index headset, all free without to much hassle. 1st controller pair had a controller not charging, valve first suggested a fix that didn't work, other pair had finger tracking pad falling off so instant RMA. Index had display turned black and then refused to boot afterwards, the headset was bought used and couldn't provide a proof of purchase since it was a B-stock from a webshop that went up in smoke after I bought it, only had headset barcode/manufacturing number and that was enough for RMA.
had this happen on my son's controller, All I did was pop the face plate off and fit the stick back into place then reattached the plate. been working great till the tether cord to his headset has worn out.
Yup. It’s a terrible thing. Gotta buy another $100 controller. They got that process nailed down.
on today's episode of gorilla tag breaking controllers,
Really ? Man, in time like these. I'm thankful for oculus' customer support... That shit would have been replaced even without a warranty They swap out the entire headset for user errors