If you’ve played fighting games for a significant amount of time, you understand how important it is to own a comfortable and capable controller. The genre demands swift, sharp inputs for launching fireballs, executing combo links, and performing super moves, so you need a controller that enables you to do just that. A standard gamepad can do the job, but for many members of the fighting game community (FGC), fight sticks—alternately known as arcade sticks—are the weapons of choice. Read on for the best fight sticks on the market, followed by everything you need to know to pick the right one for you and the games you want to play.
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The Entry-Level Pick
Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4
The Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 is a satisfactory entry-level stick that costs less than $50. Though small in price and stature, it has the features you expect from a PlayStation-compatible controller, such as Home, Options, and Share buttons. Unfortunately, it lacks a button-lock switch.
The $49.99 stick also lacks the world-renowned Sanwa Denshi joystick and buttons on higher-end controllers, as Hori uses its own hardware. Still, the Mini 4 feels good in the hand. A 9-foot USB cord lets you sit comfortably away from a gaming monitor or gaming TV.
Given the stick’s small 3.4-by-8.3-by-5.9-inch footprint, it’s useful when you don’t want to lug a full-size stick to a tournament or a friend’s place. People with large paws may find the Mini 4 a bit compact, but the controller’s demure size makes it perfect for people with small hands.
The lightweight, 2.2-pound Mini 4 works with the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 out of the box, but a firmware download adds PC compatibility. I reviewed a similar version for the Nintendo Switch with Street Fighter branding. In testing, it worked with a few PS5 games, including Guilty Gear Strive and Street Fighter 6.
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The Alternate Entry-Level Pick
Let’s get this out of the way: The Qanba Drone 2 is a relatively expensive entry-level fight stick. We prefer beginner models to cost less than $100, but the PS5/PS4/PC-compatible Qanba Drone 2 makes a compelling argument for its price. At $109.99, the Drone 2 costs more than the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4, but it doesn’t make the typical sacrifices you find in lower-cost sticks.
As you’d expect, the matte black controller forgoes Sanwa parts. Instead, the Drone 2 uses Qanba’s homegrown joystick and buttons. If you’re used to Sanwa parts, you’ll feel a tactile difference when wiggling the joystick or tapping buttons. That’s not a bad thing; just different. The Drone 2 also features anti-slip, textured strips on its bottom; a full PlayStation control panel; a Share button; a touchpad; a compartment for stashing the USB cord; and a headphone jack. In a nice touch, Qanba includes a lever-access hole that lets you easily replace the stick without unscrewing the unit’s top from the bottom. Sadly, it lacks a button-lock switch that prevents tournament disqualifications if you accidentally hit the Start button during a match.
Measuring 4.5 by 14 by 8.7 inches (HWD) and weighing 2.6 pounds, the Drone 2 is larger than the competing Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4, so folks with larger paws will find it more comfortable. Due to its size, the Drone 2 is easier to mod than some competing budget options, but the stick lacks the easy-access panels in premium models.
The Premium Pick
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha
Compatible with the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC, the $199 Hori Fighting Stick is a tournament-ready arcade stick with many user-friendly features. It features Hori’s Hayabusa lever and matte-finish buttons designed for faster response times and cleaner inputs (the company claims that the stick cuts input loads by up to 15 percent).
Built with customization in mind, the Alpha’s top can be easily popped to replace parts or make repairs. On top of that, you can swap out the stick’s attractive artwork for something that’s more your speed. If you download the Hori Device Manager app, you can adjust the Alpha’s button configuration and create up to four different profiles—an excellent option if you play multiple games.
The 4.7-by-16.1-by-11.8-inch, 5.95-pound stick also features dedicated headphone and mic controls; a breakaway, 9.8-inch cable that tucks away into the body for easy transportation; anti-slip pads on the bottom; and a key-lock switch that prevents you from being disqualified from a tournament by tapping the Menu, View, or Share buttons mid-match.
The Alternate Premium Pick
Resembling a hybrid of Qanba’s Drone 2 and Obsidian 2 fight sticks, the $179 Titan is a terrific mid-tier control with many attractive features. The Sony-licensed Titan is compatible with the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 so it comes as no surprise that it features a touch panel for games that support swipe gestures. It also works well with PC games.
Measuring 4.6 by 15.1 by 9.5 inches and weighing 5 pounds, the matte black Titan is a well-designed stick that won’t budge when you’re furiously executing moves. That steadiness comes courtesy of the weight and a rubber, anti-slip pad on the controller’s bottom. Under the hood you’ll find a Sanwa Denshi arcade-quality, balltop joystick and Sanwa Denshi buttons.
The other goodies built into the Titan include a 3.5mm headphone jack, a lever-access hole, a touchpad, a Share button, a button-lock switch, and a compartment for storing the lengthy, 9-foot cable.
The High-End Pick
Sometimes, you just gotta floss. Priced at $399 (the cost of a PlayStation 5 console!), the Victrix Pro FS doesn’t come cheap. However, you should drop some coin on this bad boy if you’re looking for a high-end fight stick with arcade-quality parts that let you stunt on rival tournament entrants.
What makes the Pro FS such a bling-worthy fight stick? It features a sleek, single-piece, aircraft-grade aluminum body that just begs to be touched, as well as a detachable Sanwa Denshi ball-top joystick, an Allen wrench for tightening or loosening the stick, and Sanwa Denshi buttons. The controller also has removable die-cast metal wrap extensions that can be used to secure the braided 9.8-inch USB-C cable (or hooked to shoulder straps for easier travel), adjustable LED lighting, a headphone jack, an anti-slip base, a lock button, and an easy-access panel for modding purposes.
The Victrix Pro FS measures 5.7 by 19.0 by 13.3 inches and weighs 7.7 pounds, so you’ll want to get a carrying case if you’re headed to a tourney. It is available in purple or white for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or PC.
The Alternate High-End Pick
Qanba has many excellent fight sticks on the market, but the $249 Obsidian 2 is the company’s top-of-the-line offering. The quality becomes apparent when you touch the glossy, all-black controller.
First, the Obsidian 2 is a hefty stick with lots of wrist rest area, measuring 4.6 by 19.1 by 10.2 inches and weighing 7.3 pounds. The girth and weight give it a premium feel; place the Obsidian 2 on a lap or tabletop and it ain’t budging, even during vigorous play. Part of that is due to its dimensions; part of that is due to the wide, rubber base on the stick’s bottom. That said, the Obsidian 2’s mass might steer you to use it as your “home” stick, while a smaller one acts as the “away” stick.
The officially Sony-licensed stick—compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC—has the expected arcade-quality Sanwa Deshi buttons and joystick and a few other cool features. It has a lever-access hole, a headphone jack, a touchpad, a PlayStation control strip, and a button-lock switch.
The real design highlight is the two screw-off door panels on the stick’s sides. The left houses a 9-foot USB cable, while the right houses a bat top that you can use instead of the default ball top. Overall, the Qanba Obsidian 2 is one of the best sticks that you can get at its price.
The Leverless Pick
Leverless controllers are all the rage, and Razer makes its category debut with the $299 Kitsune. The excellent, all-button “stick” leverages Razer’s optical switches to reduce input errors, enabling super-accurate execution of complex special moves (though, it takes some practice if you’re accustomed to gamepads).
Designed with portability in mind, the 1.7-pound Kitsune has a slim profile (0.7 by 11.6 by 8.2 inches), making it easy to toss into a backpack. It also comes bundled with a detachable USB-C cable. Tourney players will be happy to learn that the Kitsune has cable lock and button lock switches to prevent accidental disconnections and unwanted inputs during high-stakes competitions.
And is a Razer device truly a Razer device without attractive, colorful lighting? The controller features Razer Chroma RGB, with several pre-set shortcuts for customization purposes.
The PC- and PS5-compatible Razer Kitsune is available in black and Street Fighter 6-themed models featuring artwork inspired by Akuma and Chun-Li.
The Alternate Leverless Pick
If you want a leverless controller that won’t bog you down while traveling to a tourney or a buddy’s place, check out the $249 Victrix Pro KO. The controller weighs just 2.7 pounds but feels incredibly sturdy thanks to its aluminum top plate and rubber bottom (which keeps it in place while you’re fiercely battling opponents). It also features an ergonomic, 6.2-degree wrist slope that tapers to a relatively thin 0.8 inches.
Compatible with PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X/S, the spacious KO Pro (13.3 inches wide, 9.2 inches deep) is great for lap or tabletop play. Its well-placed buttons are within reach but not cramped together, making for comfortable gameplay sessions.
It also has hot-swappable MX Speed Silver RGB switches, a removable aluminum top plate, customizable RGB lighting via the Victrix Control Hub app, and up to 16 moveable and mappable buttons (it ships with 12 installed buttons, with four extra stashed under the hood). Four strap posts let you easily connect a shoulder strap or handle, and a 3.5mm jack is available for plugging in a gaming headset.
Are you concerned about tournament-eliminating disconnects? The Pro KO has two solutions. A tournament lock switch deactivates the buttons to prevent undesirable disqualifications, and the braided, 9.8-foot braided USB cable features a locking mechanism to ensure no accidental unplugs.
What Is a Fight Stick?
Fight sticks are special video game controllers tailor-made for, well, fighting games. They typically duplicate the feel and look of the classic, Street Fighter-inspired panel, which features the joystick and two-button-row layout commonly seen on arcade uprights. In fact, the fight stick market was essentially birthed when ridiculously popular fighting games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat received home console ports.
That arcade-style feel of gripping a lollipop- or baseball bat-style joystick in one hand and manipulating buttons with the other draws people to adopting fight sticks. It’s not a nostalgic feeling, either. Sometimes, standard gamepads place buttons in awkward locations, buttons that would otherwise be easily accessible with a fight stick.
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What Makes a Good Fight Stick?
A person unfamiliar with fight sticks might mistake these controllers as more or less the same, just with superficial differences. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s a lot of variety, including the number of buttons (six, eight, or even more), button layout (straight alignment, Namco Noir, or Taito Vewlix), joystick style (ball top or baseball bat), and joystick gate (circle versus diamond, octagonal, or square).
Most fight sticks feature a Mode button that lets you use the lone joystick as a D-pad, left analog stick, or right analog stick. Likewise, button-lock switches are found on tournament-ready sticks. Those switches are important, as they prevent you from disqualifying yourself by accidentally hitting the Mode, Home, Start, or Options buttons. You don’t want that to happen when participating in a local, Capcom Cup, Combo Breaker, or Evo tourney.
If you’re in the stick game for the long haul, you should buy one that uses real arcade-quality parts to handle the wear and tear that comes with long play sessions (look for sticks featuring Sanwa Denshi and Seimitsu parts). Thankfully, there’s quite some distance between now and the 1990s and early 2000s, when buying a stick meant dealing with suspect parts that couldn’t take the intense fighting game action.
Then, when you become knowledgeable about fight stick design, visit Arcade Shock or Focus Attack to take your stick to the next level by modding it with new buttons, gates, and other parts. Stick manufacturers don’t discourage this tinkering, either. Some high-end sticks possess easy-access interiors that let you mod to your heart’s content.
Are Fight Sticks Compatible With Consoles and PCs?
Yes! The most important thing you should do before buying a fight stick is to determine the platforms on which you’ll use it. Some fight sticks are designed exclusively for PlayStation use; others are designed with Nintendo or Xbox in mind.
Fortunately, PC players needn’t dwell in such walled gardens. Due to the open nature of the Windows platform, you can use Nintendo, PlayStation, or Xbox fight sticks out of the box or with a bit of software tinkering. Valve has done a great job of making its Steam platform compatible with many controller types. If you find one that doesn’t, you can open Steam’s controller settings and tinker a bit. Many fight sticks are compatible with the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED, Valve’s Linux-powered handheld gaming PC. Some console-centric features, such as image sharing and touchpad functionality, won’t work on a PC.
With the right adapter, you can use nearly any controller with any console. The Brook Super Converter is a terrific option if you don’t mind losing platform-specific features.
What Is a Leverless Controller?
A new style of fighting game-focused controller, the “all-button” or “leverless,” has made inroads in recent years thanks to the rise of the Hit Box, the category’s pioneer. It’s a fight stick without the stick, a button-focused controller that some people believe creates an unfair advantage in competitive settings. Thankfully, tournament organizers are continually looking at the various leverless builds to ensure that they offer fair play, and you’ll see them at events like CEO Gaming and Evo. If you’re not a tourney player, grab one without worry!
Do Fight Sticks or Leverless Controllers Work With Other Games?
Although fight sticks are made with fighting games in mind, they are perfectly viable controllers for other arcade-style video games, such as Ikaruga or Metal Slug 3. Basically, any game that doesn’t require mouse controls or dual analog sticks is rife for fight stick enjoyment.
How Much Does a Fight Stick or Leverless Controller Cost?
If you yearn to buy a stick or all-button, there are many manufacturers to explore. Hori, Mad Catz, Mayflash, Qanba, Razer, Victrix, and a handful of other companies have competing products.
The prices are all over the place. On the budget side, you can pick up a solid model for just $50. If you have zero fight stick experience, it’s a good starting point that doesn’t require much moolah. On the other hand, a high-end, $300 to $400 unit includes superior flourishes and design elements.
If all this sounds appealing, it might be time for you to invest in a fight stick or leverless controller. There are many models to consider before opening your wallet, so we’ve culled a few standout sticks in various categories. Take a read and then select your weapon.
