Commodore’s TAC-2 joystick makes a comeback in 2026

The TAC-2 is back in production. Commodore has kept the old-school 9-pin connection and direct-contact control system, but updated the hardware with a steel shaft, longer cable and five different finishes. Some hardware comes back with Bluetooth, USB-C and a companion app bolted onto the side. The new Commodore TAC-2 doesn’t. Instead, Commodore has taken the familiar joystick design and kept the basic idea remarkably simple. It still connects through a standard 9-pin joystick port, still uses digital directional controls and still relies on direct metal contacts rather than the microswitches found in many other controllers. That means it can plug directly into compatible systems such as the Commodore 64 and Amiga, along with other machines built around the Atari-style 9-pin joystick standard. No drivers. No button-mapping software. No wireless pairing. You plug it in and use it. Commodore announced the news today, with prices starting at $49.99 before tax. Shipping is expected to begin on 20 October 2026.

The TAC-2 keeps the mechanism that made it different

TAC-2 stands for Totally Accurate Controller MK2, and the design has never worked quite like the average joystick. Most traditional controllers rely on microswitches to detect movement. The TAC-2 takes a more direct approach. Moving the stick causes metal contacts inside the controller to make the electrical connection needed for each direction. It’s a basic system, but that’s also the point.

For the 2026 version, Commodore has kept that control method while changing some of the physical hardware around it. The biggest update is the joystick shaft. The original TAC-2 used a component based on a copper tyre valve. The new version replaces that with a steel shaft, giving one of the controller’s most heavily used parts a more conventional and stronger construction.

Commodore hasn’t tried to reinvent the mechanism around it. The direct-contact design remains. The two fire buttons are also still positioned on opposite sides of the casing. It’s an uncomplicated layout, and it works equally well whether you prefer holding the stick with your left or right hand. The controller itself remains fairly compact. Its base measures 101 mm by 101 mm, while the full unit stands 114 mm high. Weight is around 300 grams.

Proper 9-pin support, not USB pretending to be retro

This is probably the specification that matters most. The new TAC-2 uses a real 9-pin joystick connector. That’s an important distinction because plenty of modern retro-style controllers are really USB devices designed to look like older hardware. The TAC-2 isn’t taking that route.

On compatible machines, there’s no conversion layer required. The joystick sends the sort of simple digital inputs the hardware expects. Move left and the computer sees left. Hit the fire button and it sees fire. There’s little else involved.

The TAC-2 supports eight-direction digital movement, so this isn’t an analogue controller and it isn’t trying to behave like one. It’s designed for software built around the traditional joystick standard. The cable has changed too.

It now measures two metres, which is around 20 cm longer than the original TAC-2 cable. That’s not the sort of specification that grabs attention on a box, but it’s a sensible update for modern setups where the computer, screen and player aren’t necessarily sitting within arm’s reach of one another.

Five TAC-2 versions are coming

Commodore is launching the joystick in five versions: Knight Black, C= White, BASIC Beige, Starlight Edition and Founders Edition. Knight Black and C= White are the cleaner options. BASIC Beige, Starlight Edition and Founders Edition add illuminated buttons, while the Founders Edition goes further with gold PVD-coated buttons and a matching joystick ball.

The important part is that these aren’t different performance tiers. The underlying control system remains the same across the range. Choosing between them mostly comes down to finish and appearance rather than getting a different joystick mechanism.

BASIC Beige is the obvious visual match for beige computer hardware, while Knight Black and C= White take a more neutral approach. The illuminated editions push the design a little further away from the original look without changing the way the controller behaves.

Commodore hasn’t tried to modernise the wrong things

Look at a current game controller and the feature list can get crowded quickly. Wireless connectivity, analogue triggers, touch controls, rechargeable batteries, programmable buttons and configuration software are all normal now. The TAC-2 has none of that.

And for this particular piece of hardware, it doesn’t really need it. This is still an eight-direction digital joystick with fire buttons, a cable and a 9-pin connector. Commodore has updated the parts that make practical sense to update, particularly the shaft and cable, while leaving the core input system alone.

That’s what makes this 2026 release interesting from a hardware perspective. It’s not a TAC-2-shaped modern controller. It’s a newly manufactured TAC-2 that still works like a TAC-2. For Commodore 64, Amiga and other Atari 9-pin compatible systems, the proposition is straightforward: new hardware, direct compatibility and a familiar control system without an unnecessary conversion to USB or wireless input.

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