Colby Leclerc
Mostly technical ramblings with the occasional tangent


How I got started

Console Gaming

During middle school, I was a huge Call of Duty 4 fan. I was part of a small clan, and would spend most of my weekends ranking up. I looked online for a modded controller, and many were well outside of my price range, with prices ranging from $100 — $200, depending on the features. My next thought was, how hard is it to make a modded controller?

Modded Controller
Modded Xbox controller schematic

The ‘Mod Switch’ was a small black button where users could cycle through various firing modes

Modded controllers essentially turn semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic weapons by digitally activating the trigger in rapid succession.

After researching how to make modded controllers, it seemed rather straightforward: For about $15 on eBay, I could buy a pack of 3 modding kits. A single kit included the wires, button, and micro-controller.

All I had to do was read the provided schematic, open the controller up, solder the correct leads to the micro-controller, drill a hole for the button, add hot glue, and voila! A modded controller. I killed one controller and some micro-controllers in the process, but once I got it working, I was in business.

I started to mod my friends controllers for $35, one paid me with their old Xbox controller, a $60 value I couldn’t turn down (with a halo themed plate).

Shortly after I began my modded controller empire, I encountered some shrinkage from a client who wished to borrow a controller to “test” it.

Alas I still have the controller my friend paid me with. Without knowing it at the time, my enjoyment through soldering and tinkering further fueled my desire about the displine.

Read about how Minecraft enabled me to jump from the physical hardware world, to the digital software here