One of the 1980s most popular home joysticks is now available for pre-order
AUGUST 11, 2026 — Following the runaway success of last year’s Commodore 64 Ultimate, Commodore International has announced it is bringing the TAC-2 joystick, also known as the “Totally Accurate Controller,” back into production more than 40 years after its debut. Pre-orders begin today at commodore.net.
Originally released in 1983 by Suncom Technologies (whose “We Help Make Computers Friendly” motto complemented Commodore’s own “Welcome to the World of Friendly Computing” quite well), the TAC-2 was renowned for its durable, microswitch-free design alongside its arcade-accurate ball-top handle and gloriously clicky dual fire buttons, and remains highly in demand to this day. Due to its scarcity, re-sales of a fully-functional TAC-2 can fetch upwards of $100 or more. To make the TAC-2 more accessible while furthering Commodore’s mission to preserve home computing history, and building the company on its two strong “retro” and “futurism” pillars, the company is officially bringing this controller king back to the front lines and into its ecosystem. Today Commodore has begun production on a faithful new recreation of the TAC-2, that will retail for half the price of a well-preserved original.
“While the Commodore 64 Ultimate was designed to support all classic C64 peripherals, getting your hands on vintage hardware like the TAC-2 is sometimes easier said than done,” said Commodore’s CEO, President, and Chief Joystick Waggler, Peri Fractic. “The TAC-2 was always a personal favorite of mine, from its sleek silvery design, to its almost indestructible nature, and we’ve taken every effort to ensure the Commodore TAC-2 is a faithful re-release of the original’s tactile history, that looks, feels, and plays just like you remember.”
Like the original, the Commodore TAC-2 joystick movement is controlled using an internal ball-and-contact mechanism. Unlike the original, Commodore has replaced the shaft – previously made from a TR418 tire valve and an attached brass ball – with a single form, solid steel, chrome-plated shaft assembly, to overcome the main – if rare – cause of failure in the original: stress fractures between the separate components that could occur after repeated use. Still, the TAC-2 was famously “tested to 3 million moves without failure”, and Commodore’s new steel shaft is engineered to be even stronger than the original TAC-2’s.
The Commodore TAC-2 is available for pre-order in five colorways: BASIC Beige, C= White, Knight Black, and Starlight Edition will all be available for $49.99, with a limited Founders Edition featuring a gold PVD coated ball and matching premium PVD buttons, available for ‘Commodore’ $64 dollars. Additionally, BASIC Beige, Starlight Edition, and Founders Edition, will feature a fixed color LED under fire buttons to light up the fun, while Knight Black and C= White will retain the classic look of the originals.
The BASIC Beige is designed to match the Commodore 64 Ultimate ‘breadbin’ style, C= White matches the C64C ‘slimline’ computer, with the Starlight Edition matching the translucent stylings of its own namesake Commodore 64 Ultimate edition.
Fellow joystick wagglers can pre-order theirs today at commodore.net.
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