Modding Switch Pro Controller D-Pad with tactile microswitches

Hi everyone, this is actually my first foray into hardware modding, so I am opening this thread as a way of looking for advice on the feasibility of this project as well as documenting my work. I apologize in advance for the naivety and lack of expertise that is going to be at display here!

I am interested in modding the D-Pad of the recently-released Switch Pro controller, a device I find amazing in all of its aspects (ergonomics, overall feel of the face buttons and triggers, weight), save for the D-Pad which is mushy, overly responsive on the diagonals and lacking any tactile feedback, as evidenced by the experience of many users.

Since I am not afraid of opening things up I proceeded to disassemble this controller and I think I have a good grasp of its inner workings by now. The plastic cross has a small peg on its back and the whole piece rests on the typical rubber membrane you can find in many other Nintendo controllers, with four buttons on the membrane that are aligned with the cross itself and that press on the carbon contacts of the PCB.
I thought of a controller I would like to emulate in terms of feel and the Xbox One Elite controller immediately came to mind: I love the clicky feel of its D-pad and the sensation of accuracy that comes from the fact that its D-Pad uses microswitches instead of a rubber dome... But I don't like the ergonomics and the other buttons of it nearly as much as the Switch Pro Controller.

So, my idea is: let's replace the rubber membrane of the Switch Pro D-Pad with microswitches, which I would glue on the PCB itself above the carbon contacts. My goals basically are:

1) give the D-Pad a clicky tactile feel, and
2) prevent it from being pushed all the way in and misfiring inputs when rocking my thumb from left to right or from up to down.

Do you think this can be done and, if that's the case, what measures would you suggest to be taken?
I was thinking of using hot glue instead of soldering the microswitches to the PCB, but I wonder if it's going to work as intended that way. Moreover, I was looking at small switches like these ones, but I'm not sure if they're applicable to this project.

Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

 

I would suggest that you try something like these dome switch pads first before performing a major surgery on your controller. They are relatively inexpensive and they should provide the tactile feedback that you desire. The D-pad will still be a bit mushy since the membrane still goes over the domes, but I think this is a small compromise. If they don't work, you could always peel them off and restore your controller back to its stock form.

Using full sized tactile switches will require drastic geometry change on the D-pad and may be more involved and troublesome than what you anticipated. Using hot glue on this is not a solid solution. I"m sure other forum members may explain why.

 

Was there any research done anywhere around the web as to why the d-pad of the Switch Pro Controller is so imprecise? I don't think it's the lack of micro switches, because neither the SNES nor the Wii U Pro controller have them either and those do have good d-pads.

 

Buy some iPhone 3G or 3GS home key flexes, solder wires from the traces for each button