We aren’t sure what [Lazy_Duck] is doing with video games, but it must require a lot of controllers. Dismayed at the cost and complexity of commercial gamepads, they started soldering and 3D printing to get a cheaper basic controller.

The emphasis is on throwing things together, so there’s no dedicated PCB. Just a protoboard with an RP2040-Zero, a joystick, a few buttons, and a microswitch. A 3D-printed case rounds out the project.

On the printing side, the device uses heat-set threaded inserts, which should make for a very sturdy build. For software, the GP2040-CE firmware handles everything, acting like a controller and managing configuration via a web page.

Even if you don’t want a cheap gamepad, you could apply the principles and software used here to create any kind of gamepad you want. The firmware makes good use of the dual-core RP2040. It also offers a lot you could add to your version of the cheap controller, like OLED displays, RGB LEDs, and more.

Of course, you could also get fancy with the 3D printing side, too. For example, a resin printer makes nice button caps.