Fighting games are always fun to play, mainly due to the action-packed fights that you can experience. But if you’re someone who has been playing fighting games for a while, you know that the best way to play it is in an arcade. And this is mainly because of the arcade’s controllers. A PC’s keyboard, a smartphone’s touchscreen, or even a console’s controller, just can’t compare to an arcade’s controller. The joystick and properly placed buttons just make it easier to do combos. To deal with this issue, you can always get the best fight sticks.
Fight sticks are also known as arcade sticks. It’s a game controller that looks like an arcade controller. Having fight sticks will make playing fighting games more fun and exciting. Many brands know this, which is why there are also a plethora of fight sticks available for you to get. To help you decide which to get, this article will be a list of the best fight sticks available right now and why they’re good.
Some of the Best Fight Sticks to Get Right Now
Below is a list of the best fight sticks to help you have an incredible game fighting experience;
1. Mayflash F300 Arcade Stick
One of the best fight sticks you can get right now is the Mayflash F300 Arcade Stick. What makes it a popular choice among many gamers is that it’s very affordable. It’s a great starter for people who are not looking for a professional-grade fight stick. But it’s also not a barebones fight stick that doesn’t provide good features for players. It comes with turbo functionality, which is great for pressing multiple buttons quickly. You can also make the controller joystick behave as a D-Pad or analog stick.
It’s a good choice for those who are just playing games casually. It’s also easy to modify, so it’s great for those who are starting with using fight sticks. The fight stick can cost about $55 – $57.
2. Qanda Drone
If you have more budget to work with but are still not in the market for professional fight sticks, Qanba Drone is a good brand. It’s not as cheap as the Mayflash F300, but it still has an affordable price tag. It also has great features, providing players with a high-quality fight stick for their money. This arcade stick is compatible with PS3, PS4, and PC, allowing PlayStation and PC players to use this arcade stick. There’s also a locking functionality, so you don’t accidentally pause during a match.
You can also mod the fight stick to allow you to use Sanwa parts. It also comes with a storage compartment for easier traveling. It’s a fight stick that pretty much can be used for tournaments if you’re deciding to participate in one. The fight stick costs around $80, which is not cheap, but also not that expensive.
3. Mayflash F500 Elite
It’s not easy to find a fight stick to use for Xbox console users. Fortunately, the Mayflash F500 Elite got you covered. It’s one of the best fight sticks available that’s compatible with the Xbox Series X|S. But this arcade stick is not just good because it’s compatible with an Xbox console. It also has great features. It’s easy to open it up or to mod it and swap parts to personally customize it to your preference.
It also has headset support and it uses the high-end Sanwa parts. It’s a good fight stick, but it is a bit pricey, at around $145. But you’re getting a high-quality fight stick with that that you can even use in tournaments.
4. Hori Fight Stick Mini
Probably the cheapest fight stick you can purchase right now is the Hori Fight Stick Mini. It features the traditional 8-button layout and is compatible with the PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The fight stick also features easy access to the PS4’s share button, so you can easily record epic combos you’re doing. Though it may lack many features that usually come with other fight sticks, it makes up for it with its very affordable price.
You can get this stick for about $49, making it the cheapest on this list. It’s the perfect fight stick for people who are looking to try what a fight stick is before they spend more on the high-end fight sticks with more features.
5. Mad Catz Ego
If you want a fight stick that can closely replicate the controllers of an arcade, then go for the Mad Catz Ego. It’s a huge fight stick, designed to mimic the controllers of an actual arcade. This controller features Sanwa components inside, making it tournament grade. It has eight actionable buttons, all customizable, as well as a turbo switch and multi-button functionality. You can customize and program the functions of the multi-button functionality.
This fight stick is not only huge, but it’s also very durable. It’s equipped with a metal frame for sturdiness and durability, as well as a non-slip foam. If you want to feel like you’re playing in an arcade, then this is your fight stick. Expect, though, to shell out some money as it does cost about $190.
6. Hit Box
One of the unique fight sticks you can find there is the Hit Box. If you look at it, you’ll see that it doesn’t fit the bill of a traditional fight stick with the absence of the joystick. But despite that, it’s a popular fight stick for many pro players. The use of four directional buttons instead of a joystick is preferable for some users. They feel that they get better control of their character in the game using the buttons instead of the joystick.
It works well on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It also has a compact frame and replaceable parts, making it a good fight stick for tournaments. If using a joystick is not really your preference, but you still want arcade-style buttons, then this is your fight stick. It does cost a bit, as the price is $250.
7. Hori Fight Stick Alpha
Another good fight stick that you can use on the Xbox console is the Hori Fight Stick Alpha. It’s a controller that’s compatible with the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows computers. It features a stylish but sturdy design and uses Hori’s Hayabusa components for the buttons, lever, and switches. Its joystick is highly sensitive and comes in eight directions. There are also eight buttons that you can easily customize.
The inside is also accessible, to allow you to switch parts to your preferred brand. You can even replace the top housing if you have a customized design for the housing. It’s a great fight stick and is available for $200.
Which of the Best Fight Sticks Should You Get?
There are many more great fight sticks out there. Honorable mentions include the Victrix Pro FS, Qanba Dragon, and 8Bitdo among others. But the ones listed in this article are the best of the best fight sticks you can get today. So if you’re looking for more help with games or tech, make sure to stay tuned here in PlayPC.
