So you’ve got yourself a new Odin 2. You’ve climbed the mountain of handheld emulation and ended up here, with one of the finest examples of hardware in the hobby. It’ll run almost anything you throw at it without breaking a sweat. And yet, after some time, there are things that maybe you would tweak just a hair to get the most out of your device. Really make it yours. I’m always curious folks out there in the community are creating to fill these niggling “what ifs” in design and comfort.
Odin 2 stock sticks vs Switch Joycons
The stock stick experience on the Odin 2 is perfectly fine. The analog sticks are akin to the sticks on Nintendo Switch but with a concave design rather than the convex design seen on Switch sticks. These community sticks are meant to be adaptable to many different player styles, sizes, and gameplay experiences. When you have a device this capable, though, sometimes you want the right tool for the job. Where AYN has really succeeded in design and consumer friendliness, is the ability to just pop the stock sticks right off.
This isn’t a permanent mod like what might be required on other devices. A lot of people who I’ve spoken with about new sticks are concerned that the mod would be a little too technically involved. They don’t want to open up this expensive piece of hardware and risk breaking anything. AYN got you. If you want to change sticks on the fly to lean into a certain gameplay type (like FPS, for example), it’s as easy as a 10-second swap. Let’s take a look at some community stick options out there.
Slug Sticks
The first sticks I tried out on my Odin 2 were from Redditor _Slug___. Their Etsy shop can be found here. You may have to check in periodically for stock updates, as I believe this is a single-person operation. I opted for the Xbox-style “hybrid” stick design with a convex bump and ridged edges.
Slug Sticks
Look, let’s face it, no matter how you feel about Call of Duty, you’re going to want to put the Odin through its paces on one of the higher-end Android games out there. From there, it tends to insert its dopamine claws directly into your brain. If you’re going to dive into that quicksand, you might as well have FPS sticks that you’re comfortable using. I found the stock experience to be lacking for the precision required in an FPS environment. The Slug Sticks really make for a more comfortable experience, especially if you’re a guy like me who was blessed by genetics with gorilla mitts. They’re very comfortable.
Slug Sticks and COD Mobile
I paid $11.99 on Etsy for my slug sticks and I think they are a perfect value proposition to play with at that price. You can afford to try them out and see if they meet your play needs without having to break the bank in any way.
PartTimeCAD
If you hang around on the RH Discord, you’ll see some great 3D-printed designs for handhelds. This Etsy store has a bunch, including some great high sticks for the Odin 2. Of the sticks that I’ve tested, these sit the highest. They have a concave concentric circle design that may look a slight bit more homemade than the Slugs, and offer just as great an experience to the end user.
PartTimeCAD Sticks
The PartTimeCAD sticks cost me $9.99 plus shipping, and they have been my daily drivers for the past 3 weeks or so. The sticks feel sturdy, and the cut ridges allow for great thumb grip and precision. They also have a crosshair design available if that meets your preferences more than the concentric option.
PartTimeCAD Sticks
The creator has examples on the site that show the sticks sitting next to an Xbox controller. The sticks meet the height and width dimensions of what you might be used to playing on a Microsoft controller.
Which Sticks For Me?
These aren’t the only options for the Odin 2 out there, just the ones that I’ve been interested in trying thus far. I think as the device continues to get into the hands of more and more gamers, you will continue to see different specialty accessories to go with them. Both of these stick sets work great on the Odin 2 and I would happily recommend either one.
Stick Selections
For me personally, the Slugs take the edge ever so slightly for the nubbin edges and purple color to go with the aesthetics of my Atomic Purple Odin 2. The choice is going to come down to personal preference, needs, and personal play styles. I am here to say that if it’s something you’re considering, you really can’t go wrong with either of these options.
Have you modified your Odin 2 to your liking? What sticks are you looking into? Is there something out there really cool that we should know about? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
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For my Odin, I just used some spare PS4 sticks I had lying around, cut the bottom dome off, and trimmed the stem down to size.
PS4 and Xbone sticks have the same size hole as the Odin 2 sticks but the shaft itself has an extra layer around it; once you trim that off it fits like a glove and feels pretty good. It doesn’t magically increase the range of motion or anything, of course, but the slightly taller sticks and bigger caps make them easier and more comfy to use.