After the success of the Commodore 64 Ultimate, the brand back from the dead keeps growing its collection of good (and not-so-good) surprises. This week, we head back to the 80s with the revival of an iconic accessory: the TAC-2 joystick.

An iconic controller, brought up to date

Originally manufactured by Suncom in the 1980s, the TAC-2 (short for Totally Accurate Controller) worked with the Commodore 64 and Amiga as well as certain Atari machines, thanks to its standard 9-pin port. It built a solid reputation for durability at a time when many rival joysticks would give up the ghost after just a few games.

Commodore chose to stay true to the original recipe rather than piling on gadgets: no Bluetooth, no USB-C, no companion app. You plug it in (still via a 9-pin connector), and it just works, like in the good old days. The main update is under the hood: the shaft originally used an automotive tire valve assembly (yes, back then people improvised), a well-known weak point for owners at the time. It's now been replaced with a sturdier steel shaft, and the cable has been made longer.

The joystick comes in five colorways, three of which match the C64 Ultimate lineup (Beige, Starlight, and the gold Founders edition), plus a C= White and a Knight Black, the latter two skipping the LEDs in the buttons for purists.

The catch: shipping costs

Where the announcement ruffled some feathers is on delivery fees. Priced at $49.99 (around €43 for pre-orders), the TAC-2 is still half the price of a used unit on the secondhand market, where prices regularly top $100. But several users have flagged disproportionate shipping costs, with some reporting fees close to the price of the joystick itself for delivery to the UK. Enough to dampen some of the community's enthusiasm, despite the product's promised quality.

A limited Founders edition, with gold finishes, is also available at a higher price. Pre-orders are open now on Commodore's official website, with shipping expected to begin on October 20.

Sources: Le Mag de MO5.COM, Time Extension, Tom's Hardware, TechPowerUp, eTeknix, Generation Amiga

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