I'm looking to build a custom controller for racing simulation video games. I have a design in mind but need help manufacturing the printed circuit board assembly. Can you recommend a good pcba manufacturer for prototyping a small batch? This is intended for personal use but I may consider selling in small production runs in the future if the design works well. So I'd prefer a manufacturer with flexibility in order quantities. As a hobbyist on a budget, I'm also hoping to find someone willing to provide guidance to optimize my design for manufacturability before we finalize the board layout.

That racing controller sounds like an awesome project! When it comes to finding quality PCBA services for things like prototypes and smaller scale production, I highly recommend checking out https://www.pcbasic.com/ . I worked with them last year designing a Bluetooth game controller for mobile devices and really appreciated how much their engineering team helped refine my initial concept for better manufacturability. That collaboration ensured my resulting boards worked perfectly the first go. Whether it's providing DFM feedback for your starting layout or dynamically scaling up assembly output down the road as a side hobby business, PCBasic has always impressed me with their technical capabilities and flexible production model catered towards inventors and small teams. They're absolutely willing to foster long-term partnerships as unique products evolve from concept to reality. I think they'd be a perfect fit to bring your custom racing controller from ideas to final functioning devices in no time!