If you’re like me, you understand how important it is to play a fighting game with a comfortable, 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. I’ve been a member of the FGC since participating in 1990s-era Street Fighter II money matches, so I know a thing or two about a good arcade stick. Read on for my top fight stick picks, followed by buying advice to help you find one that fits what you need to play Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and more.
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Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4
Why We Picked It
The Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 is a satisfactory entry-level stick. Though small in price and stature, it offers the features you expect from a PlayStation-compatible controller, including Home, Options, and Share buttons (a similar version for the Switch features Street Fighter branding). A 9-foot USB cord lets you sit comfortably away from a gaming monitor or gaming TV. Lastly, PC compatibility means you can plug in the stick and play your favorite Steam games.
Who It’s For
Budget-conscious fighting game fans: Priced at $49.99, the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 costs less than many new fighting games.
People with small hands: Given the stick’s small 3.4-by-8.3-by-5.9-inch footprint, the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 is useful when you don’t want to lug a full-size stick to a friend’s place. People with large paws may find the Mini 4 a bit compact, though.
Why We Picked It
The Qanba Drone 2 is a “premium” entry-level fight stick. Compatible with the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, the stick costs more than the budget-friendly Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 but includes 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.
Who It’s For
Novice modders: The Qanba Drone 2 features a lever-access hole that lets you easily replace the joystick without unscrewing the unit’s top from the bottom. Measuring 4.5 by 14 by 8.7 inches (HWD), the Drone 2’s size makes it easier to mod than smaller budget options, but it lacks the easy-access panels in truly premium models.
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha
Why We Picked It
Compatible with the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC, the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha is a tournament-ready arcade stick with many user-friendly features. It features Hori’s own 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%); 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.
Who Its For
People who play multiple fighting games: If you download the Hori Device Manager app, you can customize the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha’s button configuration and create up to four different profiles—an excellent option if you play multiple games.
Why We Picked It
Resembling a hybrid of Qanba’s Drone 2 and Obsidian 2 fight sticks, the $179 Titan is a terrific mid-tier controller with many attractive features. The Sony-licensed Titan is compatible with the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, so it’s no surprise that it features a touch panel for games that support swipe gestures. It also works well with PC games, and features a tournament-friendly button-lock switch to prevent DQs. In terms of components, the arcade stick features a Sanwa Denshi arcade-quality balltop joystick and buttons.
Who It’s For
Aggressive players: The Titan is a well-designed stick that won’t budge when you’re furiously executing moves. That steadiness comes courtesy of its 5-pound weight and a rubber, anti-slip pad on the controller’s bottom.
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Why We Picked It
Sometimes, you just gotta floss. The Victrix Pro FS doesn’t come cheap, but you should drop some coin on this bad boy if you’re looking for a high-end fight stick with a durable build, lock button, Sanwa Denshi’s arcade-quality parts, and LED lighting that lets you stunt on rival tournament entrants. It is available in purple or white for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or PC.
Who It’s For
Clumsy fighting game fans: Fear that you’ll drop your stick and shatter it? The Victrix Pro FS greatly reduces that worry. It’s made from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminum that can take some lumps and bumps.
Modding enthusiasts: The Victrix Pro FS comes with a detachable Sanwa Denshi ball-top joystick, an Allen wrench for tightening or loosening the stick, and an easy-access panel for getting under the hood.
Why We Picked It
Qanba has many excellent fight sticks, but the Obsidian 2 is the company’s top-of-the-line offering. The quality becomes apparent when you touch the glossy, all-black controller that measures 4.6 by 19.1 by 10.2 inches and weighs 7.3 pounds. The officially Sony-licensed stick—compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC—has arcade-quality Sanwa Deshi parts, a lever-access hole, a headphone jack, a touchpad, a PlayStation control strip, and a button-lock switch.
Who It’s For
Joystick swappers: Can’t decide if you prefer bat top or ball top arcade sticks? The Qanba Obsidian 2 includes both. Its screw-off door panel on the right side houses a bat top that you can use instead of the default ball top.
Why We Picked It
Leverless controllers are all the rage, and Razer makes its category debut with the 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). 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. It’s available for PC and PS5.
Who It’s For
Gamers who want to travel light: 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.
People who fancy visual flair: Is a Razer device truly a Razer device without attractive, colorful lighting? The Kitsune features Razer Chroma RGB, with several preset shortcuts for customization purposes.
Street Fighter fans: The Razer Kitsune is available in black and Street Fighter 6-themed models featuring artwork inspired by Akuma and Chun-Li.
The Alternate Leverless Pick
Why We Picked It
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 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. It’s compatible with PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X/S.
Who It’s For
Gamers who value ergonomics: 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.
Modding enthusiasts: The KO Pro features 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 (12 are installed; 4 extra are stashed inside).
Tournament players: 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 USB cable features a locking mechanism to prevent 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 born 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 essentially the same, with only 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 a bit of distance between now and the 1990s and early 2000s, when buying a stick meant dealing with suspect parts that couldn’t withstand 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 for Switch, Switch 2, or Xbox.
Fortunately, PC players needn’t dwell in such walled gardens. Due to the open nature of the Windows platform, you can use PlayStation, Switch, 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. Tournament organizers continually evaluate various leverless builds to ensure 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.
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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 well under $100. 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 unit priced at $300 to $400 includes superior flourishes and design elements.
If all this sounds appealing, it might be time to invest in a fight stick or a 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.
