Best fight stick 2025

This seemingly simple-looking battle stick is an actual beast in performance, design, and heft. Designed in collaboration with Kayane, a premier French esports participant, the Daija clearly has its sights set on attracting skilled and competition-level avid gamers.

On the floor, there’s a textured palm relaxation, swappable sticks, and a button lock characteristic to forestall unintended presses. The correct facet homes the auxiliary inputs reminiscent of L3, R3, and the PS5’s trackpad, which takes some getting used to, however is effectively price it if you wish to recreation at a aggressive degree.

The Daija can also be vastly customizable, with loads of house inside its innards for swapping over button profiles and parts. It’s additionally tremendous responsive, with Sanwa elements replicating that arcade expertise. That makes it our controller of selection for competitors gamers, even when its weight makes it lower than very best for carrying it round. Moreover, the Daija’s excessive value may make it a tough promote for entry-level gamers who need to casually get pleasure from retro video games or preventing video games.

Learn our Nacon Daija Arcade Stick assessment.

The Qanba N3 Drone 2 provides high quality Omron swap controls and a snug format for just below $110, making it nice worth for a correct devoted battle stick. It’s a bit plasticky in its construct but it surely’s additionally fairly compact this construct high quality saving is mirrored in its value.

Like most battle sticks, it is a wired-only unit however comes with a barely shorted cable than some. Its wire measures 2.3m (7.55ft) lengthy in comparison with many rivals at 3m. Nonetheless, with its official Ps 4 and 5 compatibility, you get a touchpad that additionally works with the console, which is a pleasant addition at this value.

Though offered as a reasonably dull-looking plain black unit, the Qanba N3 Drone 2 is straightforward to customise with its 30mm buttons being suitable with the various alternative buttons which might be accessible. In case you’re simply seeking to begin your journey into devoted battle sticks, it is a nice selection.

Although Sanwa elements are the gold customary arcade parts, there’s room on the high for one more model. Hori’s Hayabusa stick and buttons are extremely regarded even among the many most discerning competitors gamers, and that’s a practice that continues with the Hori Combating Stick Alpha. Its button profile and format make it very best for Xbox use.

The stick is extraordinarily delicate, however when you get used to it, you’ll be pulling off extremely combos with ease because of its brief journey, pin-sharp accuracy, and responsiveness. The matte buttons are additionally hardworking and strong, whereas the auxiliary buttons are held close to the highest of the unit, making unintended presses virtually unattainable.

Whereas the blue colour scheme of the PlayStation model is good sufficient, we’re a bit underwhelmed by the Xbox model’s barely drab white and grey design. Fortunately, the panel is detachable, and you’ll simply get your arms on alternative customized artwork, because of Hori’s templates.

The Alpha can also be one of many simpler sticks to customise. Flipping a latch permits you to entry the stick’s internals, so changing the buttons and stick is a breeze. With correct controls and an excellent stability of portability and heft, it’s an actual contender for those who’re within the esports house.

There aren’t many battle sticks that provide cross-console compatibility for many who play throughout each PC and residential consoles, however even then, why ought to you should purchase multiple? Fortunately, Mayflash has your again with its F500 Elite.

It options buttons labeled with each PlayStation and Xbox enter units, with its respective Choose and Dwelling buttons correctly positioned effectively away from the fray.

Although it’s not essentially the most intimidating stick, there’s one thing splendidly analog concerning the F500’s design, proper all the way down to the 80s-style white lettering within the backside nook. Nonetheless, we should admit to preferring the sharp purple button and black panel design of the usual F500. That stated, avid gamers also can swap out this design with their very own customized artwork by eradicating the acrylic panel.

Fortunately, in contrast to its cheaper brother, the F500 Elite options Sanwa arcade parts, immediately boosting its construct high quality and accuracy. The unit can also be simply customizable, with detachable metallic panels permitting entry to its internals. The shortage of the L3 and R3 buttons is a bizarre omission, nonetheless. Regardless of this, the controls are responsive, and the unit is properly balanced.

Are you somebody with small arms who has discovered that a few of these different battle sticks are too giant to make use of comfortably? Or would you like a lighter battle stick you can simply carry with you when touring? Look no additional than the Hori Combating Stick Mini – a formidable piece of {hardware} wrapped in a small package deal.

The one actual limitation of its dimension is the truth that it successfully guidelines out modding. Whereas different preventing sticks on this listing have sufficient room so that you can swap out buttons and customise the pads to make them your personal, it’s simply not attainable right here because the case could be very shallow and all of the buttons are mounted in place and can’t be eliminated. For out-of-the-box play, this isn’t a difficulty, however for those who like constructing the final word pad for tournaments, this most likely isn’t going to be for you. Individuals with giant arms may additionally discover it a bit bit too small.

Nonetheless, the small dimension is your entire level of the product, and by way of the button placements, and the texture of the stick, there’s completely nothing to fault. It’s completely proportioned so that you can carry it in a bag with out it feeling too heavy. You possibly can even apply it to PlayStation, for those who additionally occur to be a console gamer.

Let 8Bitdo take you again to an easier, extra pixelated time with its Arcade Stick. We’re massive followers of this stick’s retro Famicom-esque design (which is able to attraction to PC avid gamers with a comfortable spot for Nintendo), which blends its acquainted purple, grey, and black styling for an immediately recognizable look. Sturdy rubber ft adorn its 2kg physique, which is first rate, although we’ve seen heavier sticks. The very last thing you want is the unit slip-sliding round whilst you’re mid-combo.

The Arcade Stick can also be tremendous versatile in perform. Not solely does it include a generously prolonged 3m cable, however you too can use it wirelessly through the Bluetooth connection or 2.4Ghz USB receiver. Buttons are simply reprogrammable, and the platform itself is open for tinkerers to customise at will.

Whereas there are cheaper choices on the market, the 8Bitdo Arcade Stick is a strong mid-range battle stick. It simply misses out on a grand slam residence run as this mannequin is simply suitable with Nintendo Change and PC, that means cross-platform customers might want to look elsewhere.

The Victrix Professional KO Leverless Battle Stick packs within the high parts of top-tier arcade sticks and all-button controllers, leading to a hitbox that’s straightforward for newbies to attempt. The method of including buttons to the Professional KO could be very easy and all of the parts are saved inside controller itself, making for an extremely handy setup.

Leverless controllers will be had for half the worth of the Professional KO whereas nonetheless having comparable options. Nonetheless, it’s the care and a focus that  has been lavished on this hitbox that basically units it aside. From the light-weight and slim design that makes it straightforward to hold, to the built-in instruments in case you should swap out a damaged swap, Victrix has considered every part knowledgeable participant wants on the highway.

As such, for those who’re searching for one of the best of one of the best for hitboxes proper now, the Professional KO is it, assuming you’ll be able to abdomen its value. The Razer Kitsune is the Professional KO’s solely rival at this value, so the choice between the 2 comes all the way down to how a lot you’ll profit from the additional buttons. In case you’re going to pay round this a lot, although, we’d go for the additional features of the Professional KO.

Learn our full Victrix Professional KO Leverless Battle Stick assessment

Razer’s entry into the world of devoted battle and arcade controllers places a distinct spin on the all-button strategy. As an alternative of utilizing a stick or lever for route, the enter is through buttons – a bit like utilizing WASD keys on a keyboard.

All-button controllers just like the Kitsune have been comparatively area of interest up till just lately so most models – such because the Hit Field beneath – have been cumbersome and costly. The Kitsune, although, is a extra low-profile design that’s extra snug to be used on a desk. And it’s attractive to take a look at. Plus, It makes use of keyboard switches beneath its buttons, reasonably than conventional battle stick switches (reminiscent of made by Sanwa). These optical keyboard switches make for a smoother and extra responsive really feel.

The Kitsune can also be the primary all-button controller to be formally licensed for PS5 use, so is assured to work with all video games and features a DualSense Touchpad together with Possibility and Share buttons.

Some slight downsides embrace the truth that the buttons aren’t RGB-illuminated (when it’s a typical characteristic on keyboards with comparable switches) and that it’s fairly costly, particularly on condition that lack of customization and modability it offers. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to take away the highest plate and get funky Avenue Fighter Cammy and Chun Li tops. In case you’re after a high-performance, compact battle controller, the Razer Kitsune is difficult to beat.

Learn our full Razer Kitsune assessment.