NFG Games + GameSX

If you've worked with arcade (and some console) joysticks for a while you may have noticed that a lot of joysticks look alike. Seimitsu, especially, has a number of different joysticks that are share many common components. For example, most of their 40mm sticks (LS-56, LS-58, SELS-70X etc) share the same base and PCB, but use a different shaft and/or spring to change their characteristics.

This page attempts to make joystick identification easier, boiling the differences down to things that are easily checked.

First, check the spacing of the four screws that mount the base of the mechanism. There are two types, 40mm and 50mm.

The 40mm type includes the LS-33, LS-55, LS-56, LS-58, LS-60, LS-62, and SELS-70X. The taller trigger-control LSX-57 is also 40mm.

The 50mm type includes the LS-32, LS-40 and NOBI.

Things to Note:

• Seimitsu joysticks are sold with and without the PCB. PCB versions are noted with the -01 suffix. For example, LS-32-01. The PCB is not useful as a differentiating criteria.
• Some joysticks may be available with or without a plastic shaft cover. These devices are noted with the -SC suffix. The presence of the shaft cover is not usually useful as a differentiating criteria.

Both the LS-33 and LS-55 are very similar. These sticks can be identified by the lack of a cup and pivot fulcrum. Instead the top of the joystick shaft slides across a metal washer.

The LS-33 is a rare unit found in older cabs, and has been out of production for many years. Sometimes an LS-33 Kai version will pop up, these were limited editions offered by a few resellers. The only difference is a different metal washer, and the modern mounting plate it's sold with. The PCB is marked 'kai'.

These three sticks differ only in their spring strength. All three are only sold with a shaft cover. The shaft length, not including the thread, is 70.3mm. The LS-56 has a stiff spring, the LS-58 is softer, and the LS-60 is very soft. Aside the spring, every component on all three sticks are identical. (source: Seimitsu 2024 Catalogue)

The LS-62 has a very short shaft, only 62.25mm in length, not including the thread. It has a lighter spring than the LS-58, and is sold with an octo-gate.

The SELS-70X can easily be identified by a metal rod through the pivot, which prevents the shaft from rotating.

The LS-32 is Seimitsu's most popular stick, in terms of sales and longevity. It's sold with and without the PCB and/or shaft cover. It is the only modern Seimitsu stick with a large metal plate at the base underneath the switches. If there is a PCB, it surrounds the metal plate.

The shape of the metal plate may differ, but no other Seimitsu stick has this plate. A key feature is that it has no holes for mounting it to anything else, the plate is only to support itself.

The LS-40 is effectively a lighter weight LS-32. It always has a shaft cover, does not include the metal plate beneath the switches like the LS-32.

The LS-40 PCB is full size, shown here with all the components removed. Also, it's labeled.

The Nobi is Seimitsu's only 50mm stick with a non-rotating shaft. There are two versions, the PRO model has a stiff spring, the STD model is slightly softer. They were originally sold with different gates as well - the PRO had a green 'unequal octagon' and the STD came with a pink 'irregular square'. After complaints, they started shipping with both gates as an upgrade.

The Nobi PCB may be labeled 'LS-40' on the top side.

So the only reliable difference between the two is the spring.

Note the non-rotating mechansims in the pivot.